The book *Diary of Nothingness*
The novel *Diary of Nothingness* begins with a lie and ends with a surprise that exceeds the reader's expectations. All of this is expressed in a light, nonchalant yet sincere writing style.
Storm in a dirty cup
While society increasingly strives to create an equal environment, it also pushes women into a dilemma, especially young girls who face both invisible collective pressures and personal pressures they themselves place on their shoulders.
They had to prove they could handle all the jobs traditionally done by men, with equivalent competence and quality, while also demonstrating their "feminine qualities" in areas requiring skill and diligence.
They also have to shoulder a "responsibility" euphemistically called "vocation," as they go through the physiological and psychological changes during pregnancy, as well as the potentially dangerous moments of childbirth.
The main character of "The Void Diary" is 34-year-old Shibata. She has to work two jobs, often leaving work late at night and eating hurried, cold meals.
Single and with few friends, Shibata, being the only female employee in her department, is always assigned menial tasks, such as cleaning up dirty glasses after every meeting.
The dirty cup full of cigarette butts was the final drop in Shibata's overflowing glass. The men in the office didn't realize that the dirty cups they left for others to clean were slowly accumulating, forming a storm cloud.
"I can't do it," Shibata said. Perhaps this was the first time in her entire salaried career that Shibata dared to refuse a colleague. "I'm pregnant. The smell of coffee... makes me nauseous. The same goes for cigarettes... And isn't smoking prohibited in this building?" That naughty little girl was created in this way.
The loneliness of modern man
In Japan, pregnant women are given a notebook called "Boshi techo," meaning "Pregnancy Diary," by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Based on this notebook, author Emi Yagi wrote the work *Kushin techo* (The Empty Diary). The chapters of the work are also divided by week (from week 5 to week 40), closely following the growth of the empty baby inside Shibata's body.
A spontaneous, irretrievable lie propels this girl on a strange journey that is both mysterious, humorous, and not without its bitterness.
Born in 1988 in Tokyo, Emi Yagi is an editor at a women's magazine. Her novel, *Diary of Nothingness* (translated by Emi Yagi, published by NXB Trẻ in 2026), is her debut work.
It was thanks to that nonexistent, mischievous little girl that Shibata began to receive attention and special treatment, a kind of care she had never received before. Just when things seemed to be getting better, a hidden tragedy began to unfold. The very existence of a grown woman was determined by something nonexistent.
That artificial fetus is a weighty void. It imbues this comedy with a tragic undertone. It makes this thin novel as sharp as a knife cutting into reality, and from that wound, countless buried emotions well up.
A person faking a pregnancy is not a new story in literature and art. Emi Yagi also doesn't try to exploit too many bizarre elements, as readers often encounter in many contemporary Japanese literary works.
By following the journey of an unwilling mother, and observing her attempts to prolong and conceal her lies, the author portrays the loneliness of modern man. As society develops, people find themselves increasingly lost amidst the conveniences created by civilization.
The traditional family model is breaking down, giving rise to new types of families. People may work together almost all day. The company becomes a "second home," but a home lacking the warmth of family affection.
From pretending to be pregnant, Shibata tried to live like one. She spent time taking care of herself, which was also caring for the "non-existent" baby in her womb. That baby was her lonely, tiny self in the world. At the same time, it was a glimmer of hope, a way to hold her together, to connect her to the reality of life. That baby also needed nurturing and comfort. Just like every human being, regardless of gender, needs solace even when we think we are living peacefully.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nuoi-mot-em-be-hu-khong-100260628112213895.htm
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