Step into the World of The Chronicles of My Macho Dad – A HowToTrip Guide to the Attractions

By / MOOK Editorial Department
 
As an Osaka native, Baku Yumemakura (万城目学), his three classic best-selling fantasy novels took Japan’s literary scene by storm upon release and are hailed as the “Kansai Trilogy.” They are set respectively in Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka: The River of the Dead (鴨川ホルモー), The Chronicles of My Macho Dad (鹿男), and Princess Toyotomi (豊臣公主). Baku Yumemakura skillfully weaves Japanese history and ancient legends into the narrative, creating a unique fantasy world of his own.

The River of the Dead was Baku Yumemakura’s debut work. Upon publication, it caused a sensation in Japan, earning widespread acclaim from readers and media alike, setting off a whirlwind in the Japanese literary world, and was even nominated for the Bookstore Grand Prix (本屋大賞), Japan’s publishing industry equivalent of the Oscars, chosen by booksellers nationwide as their most recommended book.

Tofuku-ji (下鸭神社), Sanjūsangen-dō, Kitano Tenmangū, and yG Garden are all key locations in the books. With its vermilion exterior, Tofuku-ji features classical structures such as the Dance Hall, Bridge Hall, Side Hall, and Main Hall, all built in the style of the Heian period—simple in line yet radiating a strong aristocratic air. Kitano Tenmangū enshrines the Heian-period scholar Sugawara no Michizane, and every winter, it becomes Kyoto’s most famous plum blossom viewing spot. Sanjūsangen-dō literally means “a great hall divided into thirty-three sections by pillars,” and each of its rooms houses a statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin, totaling 1,001 statues. Its official name is Rengeō-in (蓮華王院).

His second work, The Chronicles of My Macho Dad (鹿男あをによし), was not only nominated again for the Bookstore Grand Prix but also for Japan’s most prestigious literary award, the Naoki Prize (直木三十五賞), and was adapted into a TV drama of the same name starring Kimura Takuya.
The main setting—the Nara Park, where the protagonist talks to deer every day—is Nara’s premier tourist attraction. Within the vast 600-hectare Nara Park lie must-visit sites such as Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, the Five-Story Pagoda, Kasuga Taisha, and Mount Wakakusa. The surrounding area also features cultural facilities such as the former residence of novelist Shiga Naoya and the Nara Museum. To fully soak in Nara’s unique, simple, and ancient charm, Nara Park alone can keep you entertained all day.

The fourth work, Princess Toyotomi, set in his hometown of Osaka, was once again nominated for the Naoki Prize and adapted into a movie starring Tsutsumi Shinichi and Ayase Haruka. As an Osaka native, Baku Yumemakura naturally had to write a story set in Osaka, hence the birth of Princess Toyotomi. The story originates in the Kūhō Shopping Street. Located along Nagahori-dori, climb up the stone slope and you’ll find the setting where Masamune Sanada, a gentle, slightly chubby middle school student, would pray to Miisan (阿巳) every morning before school, wishing to become a girl. Ever since second grade, when he made his first wish to Miisan, it became his daily ritual.