Akiko Itoyama 
Waiting in the Offing 

Waiting in the Offing includes two Japanese novels: the novella "Waiting in the Offing" and the short story "Labor Thanksgiving Day". Author had such experiences that other Japanese female writers never had before. Although a few women have stayed at the company all their lives, the authors” characters, mostly secretaries who stay in the office all day to help their male bosses, are very feminine. Those early career women who passed a certain age and never married were automatically labeled "spinsters". In addition to a few professionals such as doctors, pharmacists and teachers, the only people who work in society are saloons and dancing girls. Akiko Itoyama is a member of the first generation of Japanese women who are not called "miss" at work. "Waiting in the Offing" is a work that, despite its easily rambling first-person style, is seamless and lively. It”s full of fresh impact to describe a modern occupation so freely.