Takako has moved from the countryside to the city for work and has developed a relationship with a co-worked. However when he tells her that he's marrying someone else (but they can still hook up) Takako leaves her job and her flat and moves into the bookshop run by her uncle. The bookshop is in an area of the city which is full of bookshops and during her time there Takako makes new friends, learns more about her family and realises that her ex was not worth it.
This is a short and quite light book. I did enjoy it but only on a superficial level, as in the fact that it is a pleasant read and does have something to say about relationships and the way to treat people. However I didn't find it profound!

This is a an easy and cosy read. It was my first translated book and I rather enjoyed it. It’s charming and relatable.

A very sweet book about a young girl taking solace in her Uncle’s bookshop.
She discovers books and a sense of community.

Translated from the Japanese and really brings the Jimbocho book town to life. Sounds like my perfect place 🥰

A gentle, slow-paced story of family, tradition, and the magnificence of the written word, DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP by Satoshi Yagasawa is a simply lovely read.

When Takako gets brutally dumped by her boyfriend who she also works with, she immediately quits her job and finds herself a little lost and alone. So when her eccentric Uncle Satoru offers her free room and board for helping out in their family bookshop, Takako feels like this is probably her best option, even if it isn't the most appealing.
As Takako settles into the routine of the bookshop and its customers, it isn't long before she begins to feel revitalised, and as new friendships are formed, Takako regains her confidence and a newfound interest in life again. And it turns out that she may have more in common with her Uncle than she could ever imagine possible.

From family ties and expectations to finding the perfect path for you, DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP has it all. Blending beautiful traditions with the modern world is wonderfully described and the characters, while a little cold at times, really connect well together and push the story forward at a gentle pace.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading more Japanese translations.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop revolves around Takako who starts working and living at her uncle's bookshop. This book explores her rediscovering her love of reading in her mid twenties and the power of books in connecting people and spreading joy.

I loved the first half of this book where we follow Takako falling in love with books and reading and there were some beautiful quotes surrounding books. The overall atmosphere of the small town made up of used bookshops and coffee shops was perfect for the autumn and winter and I really enjoyed the cozy vibes. The translation was extremely well done and felt very natural.

I did however find at times that the pacing was slightly off and for that reason I did find this book quite difficult to get through despite how short it is. The second half, which focusses on Takako's relationship with her uncle's wife, felt like a completely different story to the first half and while there were still some poignant moments and lyrical quotes it felt like these were rushed over and we spent a long time on details that weren't very important.

Overall, I loved the first half of this book and really wish it would've stuck with the theme of books and reading for the second half. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a short, autumnal read.

Delightful contemporary fiction full of emotion. It had everything from highs and lows sometimes combined. Set in a bookshop in Japan and led to friendships and love. It helps the protagonist, Takako, find a belonging and security in her life which had lacked for so long with the help of the bookshop owner, her uncle Satoru. Her uncle invited her to stay above his bookshop which gave her the opportunity to leave her unhappy life and broken romance. Contentment amongst the books took a while to establish and then she felt she fitted. A charming quirky story which was warming to read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and Manilla Press for the ARC. This is a really sweet little book. Originally published in 2009, it’s a shame that it has taken so long to be translated and published in English. Similar in tone to Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, this is a feel-good story of how family, coffee and an extensive supply of good reading material can go a long way to healing a broken heart. Short and sweet.

'Days at the Morisaki Bookshop' is a short novel that isn't quite a coming of age story but is about finding yourself and finding connections through literature. It would make a great gift for any book-loving friends you have out there who are looking for a cosy story about growing as a young adult.

I would love to visit this magical little bookshop in Jimbocho! What a beautifully written simple love story told with such empathy and gentleness! Takako is recovering from a broken heart and is invited to stay with her Uncle Satoru at his bookshop! It is here that she discovers the joy of reading! Unbeknown to her, her Uncle is also suffering with his love life and so as the relationship between Uncle and Niece grows they are able to help each other recover what they have lost! I absolutely loved it!

I enjoyed this book - it was gentle, quiet and understated in the best kinds of ways. Like a lot of Japanese fiction I have read lately it focussed on everyday characters, living everyday lives, overcoming everyday problems. However, despite being firmly rooted in the real world, I found it marvellously escapist - an entire neighbourhood of second-hand bookshops, with a lovely coffee shop in the middle of it, is exactly the sort of fantasy life I would want to run away to! I thought the characters (even the minor ones) all felt like real believable people and I enjoyed being in their company. The story itself was largely driven by the characters, and the choices they made, which I appreciated and it had enough just enough drama to keep me interested all the way to the end.

If I have one minor criticism it’s that some of the writing felt a bit basic in places. I know simplicity can be a stylistic choice and although it largely fitted the story here, there were occasions where it did sometimes feel just a bit clumsy.

All in all I thought this was a nice cosy read and one that I’d recommend if, like me, you love bookshops and you enjoy modern Japanese literature.

Although I haven't read a huge amount of Japanese fiction, one thing I always love, is Japanese authors' somewhat unique ability to convey extremely deep feelings in a very low key and unassuming writing style, without the need to throw in expletives or to make a big fuss. This often hits so deeply, that few things have broken me in the same way as Japanese works have.
This book isn't quite as devastating as some others out there, but that beautiful way of whispering things that have the ability to cut deep is definitely present here.
Even readers like myself, who have never been to Japan and who are not familiar with the settings, will be able to visualise these, as they are incredibly well described, in a writing style that manages to convey images in an uncluttered and effective manner.
This also applies to the characters and the relationships that exist or develops between them. Although some of the writing feels a bit stunted at times, and I am sure that something is lost in translation, these are a unfortunate but sometimes inevitable negative points of reading a translated book. I didn't however feel that the translation took too much away. There is sufficient context given by the author to make characters and interactions clear. I was by no means left confused by how I should feel about someone or about something that is going on in the story.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a sweet short novel that is very moving in parts. It carries revelations about relationships and past events of Momoko and Satoru's life that explain both her actions and his attitude to life and by doing so, it quietly provides a life lesson about getting to know someone properly before judging them for their actions or even their personalities.
The setting of Satoru's second hand bookshop is of course what attracted me to this story in the first place and the picturesque rendition of the Japanese countryside seen through Takako's eyes, as well as the streets of Jimbocho, completely won me over. I now need to go to Jimbocho, so so badly.
I really loved spending time at the Morisaki Bookshop. It's quietly as full of feelings as it's full of books and beautiful images of places I would really love to find out more about.

Every now and again I read some Japanese literature in translation and I always enjoy it but often find it slightly more melancholic than I want it to be. This is one of those. The central character is Takako who goes to stay in the flat above her uncle Satoru's bookshop after her boyfriend tells her he is marrying someone else. What happens then is a discovery of shared community, making of new friends, a new found love of reading and a greater understanding of love. It's short but it's very readable, although I preferred the first section that is about Takako, her uncle and the community around the bookshop to the second part which has the return of Satoru's long disappeared wife.

Loved this premise, I am, quite frankly a sucker for books about books and the first part of this book at least partly delivers. We follow Takako as she finds solace in Uncle Satori’s second hand bookshop after a messy breakup and see her love for books and reading come to fruition.

The second part of the book hinges on the story between Uncle Satoru and his wife who returns after walking out 5years earlier. Their story is full of heartache but I found the writing a bit stilted. This I put down to the translation, even so it meant I found it difficult to engage with the characters. With a simple narrative and meandering story (which the Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is) that connection with the characters is all important and without it, well it left me wanting more.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read in October 2023
Thoughtful, charming book about the healing power of love in all its forms. Also beautifully written - short, elegant and knows when to leave things unsaid. I would recommend.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy in return for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5936421828

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I enjoyed this book, particularly the first part. In the second part I was not that interested in Momoko who seemed unreasonable and a bit selfish/self absorbed.

Ok, so not much actually "happens" in the book but I enjoy reading about the normal lives of normal people and I loved the description of the bookshop itself, the bookshop district, the coffee shop and the various denizens and patrons.

i am also grateful to this book for introducing me to the great poems and haikus of Taneda Santoka. I love the work of the Chinese poet Wang Wei (especially In the empty hills, just after rain) and these haikus remind me of his gentle, thoughtful and somewhat melancholy work. I now also have some books by Japanese authors on my ever growing TBR list, which, as all booklovers know, I WILL get to the end of someday.

I adore this book! Takako is a beautiful and relatable character and her journey is incredible. I loved the bookstore activity and her reconnecting to herself and her uncle.
I am going to Japan next year and cannot wait to head to Jimbocho book town and explore!

This is the story of a young lady healing her heart surrounded by books and new acquaintances. It was a sweet book but I didn’t feel as attached to the characters as I hoped to, maybe something got lost in translation. I would love to go to this area full of bookshops and the best coffee shop though.

Thanks to Netgalley for the book in return for a review.

This is a relatively short book, translated from Japanese and told in two main parts. The first part centres around Takako, a woman in her twenties who, following an upsetting break-up from her partner, goes to live with her eccentric Uncle who runs a second-hand bookshop. Takako's immersion into her new community and a new-found love of reading helps her to over-come the pain of the past and offers her a different view of the world.
The second part of the book focuses on the relationship between Takako and her Auntie, who returned to the area after a period of absence following marital issues with her Uncle.
I think the book loses a little in translation as the language felt a bit dis-jointed and clunky at times. Overall an enjoyable short read especially suited to those who love books about books!
I am grateful to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

The story is cozy, charming and understated but gives the readers an opportunity to glimpse a life with relatable struggles and personal victories. It talks about family, relationships and self rediscovery. I enjoyed reading this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great read. Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book