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Spark by Naoki Matayoshi
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Spark

By Naoki Matayoshi
Translated by Allison Watts

By Naoki Matayoshi
Translated by Allison Watts

By Naoki Matayoshi
Translated by Alison Watts

By Naoki Matayoshi
Translated by Alison Watts

By Naoki Matayoshi
Translated by Alison Watts

By Naoki Matayoshi
Translated by Alison Watts

Best Seller

Part of Japanese Novellas

Category: Fiction

Category: Fiction

Category: Fiction

Paperback $16.95

Jul 08, 2025 | ISBN 9781805332251

Paperback $15.95

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9781782275909

Ebook $12.99

Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9781782275916

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    Spark by Naoki Matayoshi
    Paperback $15.95
    Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9781782275909

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    • $16.95

      Jul 08, 2025 | ISBN 9781805332251

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    • $15.95

      Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9781782275909

      Buy from Other Retailers:

    • Aug 25, 2020 | ISBN 9781782275916

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    About Spark

    Hilarious, strange, and moving in equal measure—a Japanese multi-million-copy smash hit about the struggles of a young manzai duo of stand-up comedians

    Perfect for readers of strange, funny Japanese fiction, from Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman to Emi Yagi’s Diary of a Void

    “A whip-smart tale that’ll prove impossible to put down” – Vogue

    Tokunaga is a young comedian struggling to make a name for himself. He meets the older Kamiya, who is either a crazy genius or perhaps just crazy, and who agrees to take Tokunaga under his wing if he writes his biography. Kamiya’s indestructible confidence inspires Tokunaga, but it also makes him doubt not just the limits of his own talent, but his dedication to manzai comedy—a Japanese form of comedy involving a duo, one partner playing a more serious character, the other playing the fool.

    A novel about comedy that’s as moving and thoughtful as it is funny, and written by an author who himself found fame as one half of a manzai comedy duo, Spark is already a sensation in Japan, where it won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, has sold more than 3 million copies, has been adapted for manga, stage, film, and a hit Netflix show, which is available now in the US.

    Offering a hilarious and poignant look at the unique world of Japanese manzai comedy, Spark is also a story about art and friendship, about countless bizarre drunken conversations, and about how far it’s acceptable to go for a laugh.

    About Spark

    Hilarious, strange and moving in equal measure – a Japanese multi-million-copy smash hit about the struggles of a pair of young manzai stand-up comedians

    Tokunaga is a young comedian struggling to make a name for himself when he is taken under the wing of Kamiya, who is either a crazy genius or perhaps just crazy. Kamiya’s indestructible confidence inspires Tokunaga, but it also makes him doubt the limits of his own talent, and dedication to Manzai comedy.

    Spark is a story about art and friendship, about countless bizarre drunken conversations and how far it’s acceptable to go for a laugh. A novel about comedy that’s as moving and thoughtful as it is funny, it’s already been a sensation in Japan.

    About Spark

    Hilarious, strange and moving in equal measure – a Japanese multi-million-copy smash hit about the struggles of a pair of young manzai stand-up comedians

    Tokunaga is a young comedian struggling to make a name for himself when he is taken under the wing of Kamiya, who is either a crazy genius or perhaps just crazy. Kamiya’s indestructible confidence inspires Tokunaga, but it also makes him doubt the limits of his own talent, and dedication to Manzai comedy.

    Spark is a story about art and friendship, about countless bizarre drunken conversations and how far it’s acceptable to go for a laugh. A novel about comedy that’s as moving and thoughtful as it is funny, it’s already been a sensation in Japan.

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    Read An Excerpt

    About Naoki Matayoshi

    Naoki Matayoshi is a Japanese manzai comedian and author, who found fame performing as part of the popular comic duo Peace. Spark is his first novel and has been hugely successful in Japan since it was first published in 2016.

    … More about Naoki Matayoshi

    About Naoki Matayoshi

    Naoki Matayoshi is a Japanese manzai comedian and author, who found fame performing as part of the popular comic duo Peace. Spark is his first novel and has been hugely successful in Japan since it was first published in 2016.

    … More about Naoki Matayoshi

    About Naoki Matayoshi

    Naoki Matayoshi is a Japanese manzai comedian and author, who found fame performing as part of the popular comic duo Peace. Spark is his first novel and has been hugely successful in Japan since it was first published in 2016.

    … More about Naoki Matayoshi

    Product Details

    Category: Fiction

    Paperback | $16.95
    Published by Pushkin Press
    Jul 08, 2025 | 160 Pages | 5-1/16 x 7-13/16 | ISBN 9781805332251

    Category: Fiction

    Paperback | $15.95
    Published by Pushkin Press
    Aug 25, 2020 | 160 Pages | 5-1/16 x 7-13/16 | ISBN 9781782275909

    Category: Fiction

    Ebook | $12.99
    Published by Pushkin Press
    Aug 25, 2020 | 160 Pages | ISBN 9781782275916

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    Praise

    ‘A whip-smart tale that’ll prove impossible to put down’ Vogue

    ‘Edgy… the familiar story of the apprentice surpassing his master’ Sunday Times

    ‘Excels as a comedy of the absurd… a Japanese Withnail and I… Immensely satisfying’ Japan Society

    ‘The seedy side of Tokyo is summoned up in tale about a comedy duo and the awkward bonds of men… Spark does the city credit’ Financial Times

    ‘Irresistible. A painfully sensitive rendering of the reality for young manzai comedians… The writing is wonderful’ Akio Nakamori

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