Escalator. Michael Gardiner

In the title story, Shinya is surprised to find himself on the career conveyer belt totally unaware of his destination. In 'Model', a young Japanese student blithely lives her life under 24-hour surveillance, in order to pay her way through one of Japan's 'prestigious' universities. Sparsely written and beautifully observed, these stories resist cliche and overstatement, and refuse to judge their subjects, presenting a compelling glimpse under the skin of an enigmatic country.