You Only Live Twice (1964)

You Only Live Twice (1964) (Bond #12) by Ian Fleming. Bond is in mourning after his bride Tracy was ruthlessly murdered by Blofeld on his previous assignment. Back at work he is not the man he was and M is faced with a tough decision. Should he let Bond continue down the wasteful path he has chosen or be given a tough assignment that seems impossible.
The assignment it is. Bond is sent to Japan to negotiate with the their secret service for vital information, the Magic decodes, that are going to Washington but not to England. In Japan he is hosted by “Tiger” Tanaka, the head of the secret service. They do the dance of the relationship where each man tries to get the measure of the other. Tanaka, beyond all his other accomplishments, was to be one of the last Kamikaze pilots, but obviously not getting his chance. Bond matches him drink for drink, story by story and evening after evening until his time in the islands is almost gone. Tanaka does not want anything from the British but there is one small favor Bondo-san might do that would have the Japanese secret service look favorably upon the request for the decodes.
There was a certain Doctor Guntram Shatterhand that had come to Japan more than 6 months before. A Swiss botanist, he finagled a massive castle/fortress on the island of Kyushu where he, at rather great expense, began a huge botanical center. He imported many plants and some foreign animals to his small kingdom, with the government’s approval, but now the government no longer wants him. But they feel that can not stop him as he has all the proper approvals both domestic and from foreign governments and he has done nothing wrong.
It seems Dr. Shatterhand has dedicated his exhibit to all forms of death. The plants are toxic in one form or another. The animals, be they spiders or snakes or piranhas, deadly in their own right. Even the land itself contributes to the availability of death in the form of 1000 degree volcanic geysers and sulfurous fumaroles that abound in the delightful garden.
And in the few months since the operation was set up, the rate of suicide at the castle has skyrocketed to at least 500 people so far. Japan, which had an abnormally high rate of suicide, is very dismayed by the doctor’s Garden of Death, yet they feel their hands are tied. But if a foreigner were to step in and take action, that would mean Japan would owe a great deal to that man’s country.
There follows a cross country trip as Bond is instructed in the ways of Japan. He is bathed in a special darkening solution so as to appear more Oriental, and his hair and eyebrows are worked at to give his face a similar look. Finally he is taken to a Ninja school and given fundamentals of the craft including a suit loaded with the tools of the Ninja, but no guns. They are taboo.
The final destination is the island of Kuro where we are introduced to “The Bond Girl” in the form of Kissy Suzuki, one of the girls who dive for the awabi shells. He is to stay with her family and learn the ways of the village, but he has only a few days before he has to assault the castle.
You Only Live Twice is as much a travelog as an adventure story. We are given a mid-60’s look into the people and culture of Japan. The ideology of the people is examined, in fact it sets up the reason for the story. And the details are supplied slowly allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the culture just as Bond does.
And the book explains why Bond inevitably heads off to Russia at the end.
It is just that we never learn what happened to the child that Kissy was going to tell Bond about when Bond mentioned Vladivostok. ( )

Well blegh.

Fleming certainly knows how to write adventure but, just like the Bond movies (of which 15 minutes was more than enough), I won't be picking up any more of his books and encourage you to do the same. *

* Exceptions made for [b:Chitty Chitty Bang Bang|576335|Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, #1)|Ian Fleming|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1175950916s/576335.jpg|2245507]. ( )

Japan, Tiger Tanaka, and an interesting villain. Absolutely nothing like the movie, which is not a surprise by now. Good stuff, and with a completely surprising ending. ( )

Good one. 4.1 ( )

Other than involving Blofeld and taking place in Japan, the movie has little resemblance to the book. ( )