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English House

Name: English House
Author: William Hassett

William Hassett 2 stories

Friendship

Story Notes

English House grew out of memories of a particular time and place: late-1980s Japan, in a provincial city far from the glamour of Tokyo.

I wanted to capture the odd mix of humour, hardship, and friendship that shaped the lives of so many young foreign teachers who came to Japan in those days.

The story isn’t a memoir — though it borrows details, moods, and incidents from real experiences. The characters are also real, though names have been changed to save blushes. The atmosphere is true to the late Showa era: the old schools, the smoky bars, the awkward cultural missteps, and of the Japanese colleagues who held it all together.

More than anything, English House is about the friendships that were made in that space between cultures — friendships that shaped us, changed us, and stayed with us long after we moved on.

Summary

English House is a bittersweet, humorous, and often poignant story set in late-1980s Japan. A handful of young foreign teachers – each with their own quirks, pasts, and reasons for being there – arrive in the provincial city of Utsunomiya to teach English. The novel follows their misadventures: navigating culture shock, precarious jobs, summer heat, and nightlife, while forging unlikely friendships with each other and with the Japanese colleagues who keep the school running. At its heart, it’s a story about growing up in a foreign land — about camaraderie, mistakes, small triumphs, and the bonds that survive long after the classrooms and bars have closed. Blending wry humour with moments of warmth and humanity, English House captures the spirit of a generation of wanderers who came to Japan in search of something — adventure, escape, or perhaps a different self.

Genre: Humor

Author: William Hassett

Status: Complete

Chapters: 20

Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)

Age Rating: 16+

Forward

Gonna break out of this city, leave the people here behind

Searchin’ for adventure is the type of life to find

Tired of doin’ day jobs with no thanks for what I do

I’m sure I must be someone, now I’m gonna find out who.

Do Anything You Wanna Do

Song by Eddie and the Hot Rods ‧ 1977

This story is dedicated to all the boys and girls who came to Japan searching for adventure — and to those who still do. In particular, to my city, Utsunomiya in Tochigi Prefecture: a place that gave me and my friends the freedom and space to find out who we were… and perhaps still does.

Let William Hassett know what you thought about this chapter!

Love this

Funny

Spicy

Suspenseful

Emotional

Profound

Heartwarming

Shocking

Good Writing

Compelling Plot

Great Character

Strong Dialog

woodvvitch

Looking forward to reading!

10 months

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English House

Story Notes

Summary

Forward

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