An interesting view on Japanese office culture and food. It didn’t grip me as much as I had hoped though.
Thank you Penguin UK and Netgalley UK for the ARC.

May You Have Delicious Meals by Takase Junko was a book I liked on some levels but not on others. On the plus side, it offered an intriguing 'behind-the-scenes' glimpse of office politics in the Japan, embedded deeply in the unwritten society rules of politeness and etiquette. On that front it was interesting reading and made one consider conformity and stereotypes. On the downside, though, I found the vignette-style narrative a little off putting. You had to keep re-establishing yourself with the right character in each new moment, and that gave the book a lack of overall cohesion which sometimes led to my focus and attention wandering as I was reading. If you are interested in modern Japanese culture, it's definitely worth a read, but don't go in expecting a story with a clear beginning, middle and end. I am giving it four stars.

May You Have Delicious Meals by Junko Takase (translated by Anna Wells) is a sharp, satirical novella that uses food as a lens to explore power, rebellion, and isolation within Japan’s rigid office culture. At just 144 pages, this Akutagawa Prize-winning story dissects workplace dynamics through three colleagues—each navigating societal expectations in different, and often quietly defiant, ways.

Ashikawa plays the office “good girl,” using charm and tradition to maintain harmony...or perhaps mark her territory. Nitani, her resentful boyfriend, turns to instant noodles as a passive act of rebellion (you'll have to read it for the rationale :) ). Meanwhile, Oshio, the overworked outsider, drowns her frustrations in after-work drinking, exposing the double standards of corporate life in Japan.

Takase’s prose is understated but piercing, and Wells’ translation effectively captures the novella’s biting critique. While the characters serve more as symbols of societal roles than deeply fleshed-out individuals, this approach highlights the story’s true focus—the tension between conformity, quiet resistance, and truly playing the system.

If you enjoy literary fiction that is sharp, unflinching, and socially aware, May You Have Delicious Meals is a thought-provoking read. Perfect for fans of workplace critiques, cultural commentary, and stories that make you reconsider the significance of everyday choices—like what’s on your plate. That said,, people who like to like their main characters may dislike this narrative because there isn't one truly charismatic 'nice guy' in the cast of characters and that will likely feel disconcerting.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, and the teams at Cornerstone and Hutchinson Heinemann for the advance copy.

I think this Japanese story was not for me.

When I read the synopsis I liked it because it seemed like it was really going to be in the style of Japanese and Korean books that are being translated lately AND IT IS! But no, at times I didn't know what I was reading or why I had to continue. There was a lack of attractive or endearing characters and I think this was an obstacle.

The satire of the working world is interesting, how it exposes the food culture of Japan... but it was all quite depressing.

It is a peculiar story that can be very enjoyable or very frustrating.

Thank you very much Random House UK for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed many of translations of Japanese novels that are available now. There are some great books in the genre. I don't think this slight novella fits well with the other books. Maybe something lost in the translation, though I do not feel the translation is at fault. I read this on a train journey and found staring out of the window more fun.

I struggled to get into this one a little and I can't quite put my finger on why. I didn't really find the characters likable or engaging, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing in every book it just didn't really work here for me.

A slice of life book lending insight into office life and culture in Japan. The story revolves around three characters Nitani and his two female colleagues, Ashikawa and Osiho.

Nitani and Osiho are particularly unlikeable. Despite secretly seeing Ashikawa, he lets Osiho rant about her and conspire to bully her in the office. Ashikawa is of a delicate disposition and seems to get away getting little work done and avoiding confrontational situations. She does however, like to bake and likes to feed people.

I found Nitani to be despicable. The fact that he preferred cup noodles to Ashikawa's cooking highlighted the need for convenience in his life and that the relationships in his life were disposable.

May You Have Delicious Meals is a heartwarming and delightful read. Through its vibrant storytelling and charming characters, Takase captures the essence of food as not just sustenance but a source of connection and joy. The book beautifully explores themes of love, friendship, and the comfort of a shared meal, making it both relatable and uplifting.

I had high hopes for this but it wasn’t for me.

It had some amusing and relatable observations of office life and the associated food culture but was also kind of a bummer.

All of the characters were the worst and it was incredibly misogynistic and a little ableist. I was very surprised to see it was written by a female author!

This is an odd one, and I really liked it!

I love novels about food, and I am a huge fan of Japanese literature, so I knew I had to read this book as soon as I first heard of it!

May You Have Delicious Meals is a short novel about Japanese office culture, especially when it comes to food. It pointedly begins with our main character Nitani refusing to go out for lunch with his boss, which marks the beginning of this unhinged ride. The book is centred around a quartet of characters: Nitani, two women he works with—Ashikawa and Oshio—and food, intertwined with the politics of working in an office.

Ashikawa is described as being archetypically a "good" person and, more than that, makes an effort to be perceived that way (e.g. bringing treats for everyone at work), but also acts as this really fragile individual who just can't handle the same workload as everyone else, which makes some people quite annoyed with her (i.e. Nitani and Oshio), even if secretly. Nitani feels very much bothered by her way of thinking about food and overall attitude (which always seem to be linked in this book); he is, in many ways, her opposite, which is evident by his favourite food: Pot Noodles, showing his different outlook on life. Oshio, in a way, gives voice to this other side of Nitani, his toxic side, and they become kind of friends, meeting up to drink and talk badly of Ashikawa.

May You Have Delicious Meals, then, seems to link the characters' attitude to food with their attitude towards life and work in a very unhinged way, which I found really intriguing (and I don't know what that says about me). The book touches on gender dynamics and expectations in Japanese society and seems intent on deliberately unsettling readers with its flawed, judgmental and, sometimes, misogynistic and ableist characters, using food as a way to get the core of who they are and how they go about life.

Thank you so much to Hutchinson Heinemann for the proof and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This book is the small package good things come in. A short but powerful and memorable story about the absurdity of modern life and corporate culture.

A dramatically larger than life peek into the inner workings of adults in the office, their personal lives seeping into work, conflicts, crushes and of course, complex power dynamics. From pot noodles, to protein pills to freshly cooked soba, the story uses beautifully described food as a metaphor to playful and thoughtfully explore power and responsibility.

Each character was just so very human despite their eccentricity — some flawed, judgmental, outdated, desperate or manipulative but so very real in their imperfections. There was an intriguing, strange flow to the story as one narrator uses first person and another third, so it both creates an interesting but at times annoying read especially when it lulls occasionally into mundanity and endless walls of conversation. From misogynistic, ableist and just unlikeable characters, at times it felt like these features were written to showcase them as failings, to show how men have viewed women as stereotypes and give us a look through their lens to show it's ridiculousness - but admittedly a risky move as it could read as just being sexist itself.

A complicated strange little read.

A short novel that deals with office dynamics, power play, modern life and the routine of food, May You Have Delicious Meals piqued my interest since I really enjoy cosy translated Japanese fiction… especially if food is involved!

Dreamlike and dreary in equal measure, May You Have Delicious Meals is a funny little slice-of-life novel that simply doesn’t make it anywhere. The cast of characters are awfully unlikeable and the protagonist seems misogynistic, never missing a beat to speak badly about herself and about women. Takase uses food and meals as a device to synthesise with office politics and dynamics. Ashikawa is the sort of woman that Nitani believes he’ll marry. After all, she’s sweet, meek, mild, and she’s trying to convince him to stray from his Cup Noodles addiction. Yet the more time they spend together, the more Nitani struggles to respect her. In fact, it’s uncomfortable reading at times. I can see what the author is trying to do here, but it falls flat and the workplace is a mighty boring setting for an equally boring story.

An uneven but inventive examination of office politics presented via the interaction of three people assigned to a small department in a regional offshoot of a large Japanese company. Junko Takase’s award-winning novella revolves around newly-transferred Nitani and his evolving relationships with co-workers Oshio and Ashikawa. Natani’s quietly disgruntled, desperate to evade the bonding rituals fundamental to Japanese corporate culture, particularly the shared meals that serve to enforce unity. His colleague Oshio’s equally dissatisfied. But neither feel able to voice their objections – except to each other.

Takase’s story’s told from Natani’s third-person, and Oshio’s first-person perspectives – although Oshio’s contribution operates more like a critique of Nitani’s. The third member of their awkward triangle is Ashikawa. Unlike them, she’s cheerful and outwardly content. Her managers admire her graceful appearance and adherence to traditional feminine ideals. Their belief in her underlying vulnerability means Ashikawa’s excused from anything deemed potentially overwhelming: from meeting with demanding clients to tasks that might prove too tiring. As a result, Oshio and Nitani find themselves shouldering much of Ashikawa’s workload. Their hours are long, often bleeding over into the weekend, a situation that stirs resentment and increasingly rebellious fantasies.

Ashikawa’s an intriguing creation, an enigmatic figure presented solely from Oshio and Nitani’s points-of-view. But, for all three, their respective attitudes towards food seem key to deciphering their personalities and motivations. For Nitani food is essentially fuel, an imposition which takes up far more time than he’d like, for Oshio food’s simply there to be enjoyed. For Ashikawa, who loves to cook, it’s somehow tied up with gift-giving. She regularly brings in elaborate, homemade cakes and sweets, ostensibly compensating colleagues for tolerating frequent absences and shorter working days. This endears her to numerous managers and fellow staff. On the surface, Nitani and Oshio support this view of Ashikawa as decent and nurturing. But Takase encourages us to read between the lines, and question whether Ashikawa is really what she seems.

Gift-giving is central to Japanese culture but it's usually scripted. However, Ashikawa’s approach’s not strictly bounded by convention despite its ritualistic flavour. Ashikawa insists on gathering everyone together to taste her treats, a process that requires them to praise her skills and, in keeping with social norms, publicly perform pleasure as they eat. Ashikawa may just be thanking colleagues for sacrificing on her behalf but there’s a suspicion she’s actually more intent on manipulation. It seems no coincidence these are calorific, cloying rather than nourishing dishes. Is Ashikawa generous or cleverly gaming the system, trapping coworkers in networks of obligation and displays of gratitude? It’s not as if anyone can refuse to complete Ashikawa’s assignments. And how does she find the time to bake when everyone else in the office is beyond overloaded?

Takase never directly addresses these issues instead she gradually positions Oshio in opposition to Ashikawa. Two very different women, two very different modes of femininity. Ashikawa conforms to male expectations, Oshio struggles against them. Ashikawa presents as cute and in need of protection while Oshio’s viewed as outspoken, aggressive and nonconformist. Oshio complies with the company’s excessive demands even though her labour goes unrewarded and largely unacknowledged. But Ashikawa effectively evades responsibility. Nitani’s caught between the two, mired in internal conflicts – as he is about his entire existence. Through their experiences, Takase deftly shifts focus from workplace dynamics to gender roles in contemporary Japan, inviting us to reflect on the restraints and possibilities shaping working women’s lives. Translated by Morgan Giles.

This is definitely an interesting read! At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it—it started off a bit slow 🦥, and I wasn’t immediately hooked🔗. It kind of reminded me of those moments as a kid when you try to read an “adult” book but just don’t find it interesting 😮‍💨. But as I kept reading, it did get better, and ended up liking it a bit more than I thought I would! 😄

One thing that really stood🧍🏽 out to me was the focus on food🍜. It’s a central theme, and surprisingly, I enjoyed the way food 🍙 was woven into the story, and it added a unique layer to the narrative.

Ashikawa is portrayed 🗒️ in a really delicate🥀, almost childlike👩🏻 way—there’s this line about her having the “thinnest, narrowest shoulders of any woman he'd ever touched,” and it definitely gives her a very fragile vibe. She does come across as a bit immature 🥴 at times and annoying🙈.

On the other hand, Nitani is interesting👀. His thoughts and feelings are written well, and his annoyance😤 is honestly pretty funny. 😂 I found myself enjoying his perspective👁️ the most, and it added a nice balance⚖️ to the story.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC 🍁💫🕊️

This was definitely a different read for me and it surprised me. I enjoyed seeing the Japanese office culture come to life on the page.

A strange and intense exploration of office power play and its impact on personal relationships as we see a trio of young japanese colleagues interacting in and out of the office. The tedium of office life is succinctly depicted, the impact of actions taken in work and whether anyone is going to break free of a future doing the same things for the next forty years, and the consequences of not conforming are covered very briefly but with nervy depth. The relationships are conventional on the surface but scratch deeper and they take on a strangeness all their own. Enough to put you off cake and take up a pot noodle, as food plays a very central role.

Nitani works in an office He lives on his own and generally eats pot noodles so he doesn't have to spend his precious free time cooking.
Ashikawa works in his office and they fall into a relationship. She is a good cook and is determined for him to eat healthier. At the same time she is bring in homemade sweet treats into the office which irritates him.
He makes friends with another girl in the office and when they meet up they discuss Ashikawa in derogatory terms.
A strange little book!

Not much of a plot here, sadly disappointing. People are working in an office, we never even find out what the company does, and one girl brings in baked treats to share. The main character has an issue with food, preferring pot noodles above all else. So he puts them in the bin, another Co worker puts them on the baker's desk. That's it! After all the lovely books coming out of Japan from the last few years, this was a real let down.

One thing I love about Japanese novellas is that there is often a lack of discernible plot and the main focus is instead a sort of character study. The characters Takase has conjured up in May You Have Delicious Meals are no exception. There were several office characters that were easily recognisable; the "too nice" colleague, the slacker, the resentful co-workers, and the ignorant/oblivious boss. The dynamics between these colleagues was, usually, as mundane as most until a hyperfocus on the behaviour of one particular colleague starts to seed resentment.

Nitani was the most interesting character to me. He seemed to be more resentful of Ashikawa's baked goods and cooking than anything else and yet continued to have a relationship with her and even hinted at marriage at the end of the story. What struck me throughout the novella was that despite being annoyed at Ashikawa leaving early and being delighted at her baked goods, nobody seemed to link the two and think the only reason she was able to produce so many baked goods was precisely because she didn't work as hard. Oshio was another interesting character; she didn't beat around the bush and her very forward suggestion that she and Nitani team up to bully Ashikawa was shocking as it didn't seem to fit with her otherwise quite reasonable character. This served to show that she really must have hit the tipping point into finding her unbearable.

May You Have Delicious Meals was a banal office drama with hints of satire but overall unmemorable.

This is an unusual book which uses food to help describe office politics and personnel dynamics. I've never worked in an office, but could empathise with the frustration regarding the worker who never pulls their weight but provides culinary treats and is supported and covered for by some colleagues. In the end though, for me, it didn't build on its unusual storyline enough to keep my interest and I never felt the characters really grew with the story.
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.