Coin Locker Babies
 Front cover of the 1995 1st ed. English hardcover | |
| Author | Ryu Murakami |
|---|---|
| Original title | コインロッカー・ベイビーズ |
| Translator | Stephen Snyder |
| Cover artist | Manabu Yamanaka |
| Language | Japanese |
| Genre | Drama, Bildungsroman |
| Publisher | Kodansha International (JPN) |
Publication date | 1980 (1st edition) |
| Publication place | Japan |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 393 pp (English hardcover 1st edition, May 1995) |
| ISBN | ISBN 4-7700-1590-9 (English hardcover 1st edition, May 1995) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
Coin Locker Babies (コインロッカー・ベイビーズ, Koinrokkā Beibīzu), 1980) is a novel by Ryu Murakami, translated into English by Stephen Snyder. The first English translation was published in 1995 by Kodansha (講談社 Kōdansha) International Ltd.
Plot Summary
It is the surreal story of two boys, Hashi and Kiku, who were both abandoned by their mothers during infancy and locked in coin lockers at a Tokyo train station in the summer of 1972. Both boys become wards of the Cherryfield Orphanage in Yokohama, where the tough and athletic Kiku comes to the defense of the slight, and often picked on, Hashi.
They are adopted by foster parents who live on an island. At the age of 16 both move into a diseased urban wasteland named Toxitown. Hashi becomes a bisexual rock star, employed by an eccentric producer named D. Kiku becomes a pole vaulter and with his girlfriend Anemone, a model who has converted her condo into a swamp for her crocodile, searches for his mother so he can kill her.
Film Adaptation
A film version of the book is currently in development, starring Val Kilmer, Tadanobu Asano and Asia Argento. The screenplay was worked on by Jordan Galland, Peter Kline and Sean Lennon. The film is being directed by Michele Civetta and produced by Don Murphy & French Mini-major studio Wild Bunch.
Trivia
The Japanese musician Miyavi states that his song "Coinlocker Baby" has no relation to this novel.[1] He never read it.
"CoinLocker Babies" was a band The Pillows front man Sawao Yamanka was in prior to The Pillows.
The creators of the game "Silent Hill 4: The Room" stated in an interview that this book was an influence for that game.[2]
References
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