Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a gentle book with an explosive response. A slow read about new beginnings, human connection and the simple joy of reading, it has become an international sensation.
Translated by Eric Ozawa, it’s a book that will speak volumes to just about anybody. Whether you’re a fan of Japanese culture, books in general, or just looking for a gentle coming of age type story, this book will fit the remit.
There is much to discuss from the seemingly simple themes of the book and lots to unpick. Whether or not you’re familiar with Japanese Authors, the meanings of lots of the references will still be understood. It’s a calming read, with one of the ultimate messages being that you could be halfway across the world from a place being written about, and yet books are still books.
About the Book
Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, is a booklover’s paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building lies a shop filled with hundreds of second-hand books.
Twenty-five-year-old Takako has never liked reading, although the Morisaki bookshop has been in her family for three generations. It is the pride and joy of her uncle Satoru, who has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife Momoko left him five years earlier.
When Takako’s boyfriend reveals he’s marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle’s offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop. Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the Morisaki bookshop.
As summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.
About The Author
Satoshi Yagasawa was born in Chiba, Japan in 1977. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is his debut novel, and it won Chiyoda Literature Prize. It was first published in Japan in 2010, the sequel the following year.
Photo Credit; Goodreads
Purchase the Book
This book can be purchased in our store either on its own or in a cosy Book Box.
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