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Trying to Find the Name of a Japanese Non-Fiction Book

#1
Hi guys

I've been trying to find the name of a book but to no avail, so was hoping someone on here would be able to help me.

I lived in Japan from 2008 - 2012, and I used to go to the Kinokuniya store in Shinjuku on an almost weekly basis. There was one book there which I always meant to pick up, but never got around to, and now I'm finding it seemingly impossible to track down what the title of it could be. In the years that I lived there though, the book never was purchased, so it actually wouldn't surprise me if it was still there.

I'll describe it as best I can, and hopefully someone will have a clue what it is. Note that the book was in English, obviously translated from its original Japanese text.

It's a non-fiction memoir style book, and the back cover explains that the author was an academically minded individual who did very well at university and was expected to go on to have a great job. However, he decided to do quite the opposite, instead shunning his academic achievements, and he went to work in I guess what you would call Tokyo's manual labour and factory job industry, living amongst Tokyo's lower classes and just working differing jobs day by day.

The book is his tale of his experiences, and I clearly remember it mentioning that it won some kind of literary prize in Japan (which I thought would make it easy to track down, but no such luck), however even at the awards ceremony to be presented the prize he didn't attend, instead sending his acceptance via a letter.

If anyone has any clue as to what the name of this book is, it'd be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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#2
http://www.amazon.com/Man-No-Talents-Mem...080144375X

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%B1%B1%E8%B0%...4043668015
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#3
"I realized I wasn't the kind of person who possessed the physical strength or mental fortitude to enjoy the relentless freedom being offered on a daily basis by Kamagasaki's otherworldly festival---just your average loser who could never stick with a full-time job. I was old enough now for that fact finally to have sunk in."

Amazing...!
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#4
Whoa, VQ you left Japan? Shibuya HUB misses you!
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#5
Tzadeck...thank you so much, that's the book I've been looking for!

tokyostyle...yeah by the time it was 2012 it was a case of either leave now or never leave. I did on occasion frequent the Shibuya HUB though, good guessing on your part.
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