The Lantern of Lost Memories

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One photograph, one treasured memory, one chance to go back . . .

In a cosy photography studio in the mountains between this world & the next, someone is waking up as if from a dream. A kind man will hand them a hot cup of tea & gently explain that, having reached the end of their life, they have one final task. 

There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life, & now they must choose the pictures that capture their most treasured memories, which will be placed in a beautiful lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, & their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world.

But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories become faded with age, so each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to & photograph afresh. Each has a treasured story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers a time when he was kind, & a strong child who is fighting to survive. 

Extraordinarily moving & wise, The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful Japanese tale about the people that make us & the moments that change us.

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Sanaka Hiiragi was born in 1974 in the Kagawa Prefecture. She graduated from Kobe Women’s U., majored in literature & completed her studies at Himeji Dokkyo U. After living & working overseas as a Japanese Language teacher for 7 years, her debut novel, The Battle of Marriage Island, was nominated for the Konomys Award in 2012 & was chosen as ‘The Hidden Jade’ by the editors in 2013. She is a big fan of cameras, photography, & kimono art.