People used to say the French have an odd sense of humor because they liked Jerry Lewis movies long after Americans had tired of them. What it was, however, was that the man who dubbed Lewis's voice in the versions shown in France was a top French comedian, and the translation and his delivery freshened the jokes and made them funny again.
I don't know of any instances in which the translated version is considered to be better written than the original. The more well known the author of the original, usually, the better the translation. A Japanese friend of mine had never heard of Takashi Hiraide, and I'm guessing that the translator, Eric Selland, isn't the best there is.
The phrasing seems awkward in parts and with the wrong tone. At one point, the first person narrator talks about someone who "up and stole" something. That's a word choice you'd find in the Beverly Hillbillies, yet the narrator is a sophisticated city dweller and the usage doesn't seem to be intended as ironic.
Also, there are matters of Japanese culture that are explained in the translator's notes at the end that should have been integrated into the text or used as footnotes. The author is alive and in his sixties; I'm sure he could have been persuaded to let that happen. As it is, there are confusing parts and parts that simply make no sense even to those who have some knowledge of Japanese culture (I lived in Japan for three years, while in my twenties).