Collection: PACHINKO

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is an epic historical fiction novel that stands as one of the most celebrated Korean diaspora works of the 21st century.

Content

The novel spans eight decades and four generations of a Korean family, beginning in early 1900s Japanese-occupied Korea. The story begins with Sunja, a young woman who becomes pregnant by a wealthy, married Korean merchant named Hansu. To avoid dishonor, she accepts a marriage proposal from a sickly Christian minister, Isak, and moves with him to Osaka, Japan. The family struggles through poverty, discrimination, World War II, and identity crises as Zainichi (ethnic Koreans living in Japan). The title refers to the mechanical arcade game pachinko—a gambling industry heavily run by marginalized Koreans in Japan—serving as a central metaphor for life, chance, and survival.