Each bookstore will act as a concierge, recommending "must-read books" to FASHION HEADLINE readers. Every Friday, Daikanyama T-Site (17-5 Sarugaku-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) will introduce a book selection.

■ "Walking on Water?" by Kaiko Takeshi and Shimaji Katsuhiko

The legendary collection of conversations between literary master Kaiko Takeshi and legendary former Weekly Playboy editor-in-chief Shimaji Katsuhiko, "Walking on Water? 10 Bar Joke Battles," is being republished after a quarter-century.

Originally serialized in issues 22 to 31 of Suntory Quarterly, it was published as a book by TBS Britannica in 1989 and later reprinted on June 22, 2015. When the two get together, they engage in endless, lively, and witty exchanges of jokes from around the world. This book contains all 174 of those stories. While working at Kotobukiya (now Suntory), author Kaiko Takeshi published the novel "Panic." He later won the Akutagawa Prize in 1958 for "The Emperor's New Clothes." His essays on fishing popularized the idea of "catch and release" (returning the caught fish to the river), and he also wrote "The Last Supper" and "Open Mouth, Closed Mouth," chronicling his quest for delicious food with friends. He passed away in 1989. Shimaji Katsuhiko, known for becoming editor-in-chief of Weekly Playboy and growing it into a magazine with a circulation of one million, served as editor-in-chief and director of Playboy Japan and Bart before becoming president of Shueisha International. He has now turned to writing and essayism, writing books such as "The Bar Counter is Life's Study Desk." [Book Information] "Walking on Water? 』
Authors: Kaiko Takeshi, Shimaji Katsuhiko
Publisher: CCC Media House
Language: Japanese
Softcover / 373 pages
Published: June 22, 2015
Price: 2,160 yen (tax included)