Where to begin?

The Convenience Store by the Sea is a cosy escape and like a lot of the books that settle in this genre the kind I personally think are great commute reads as you can dip in and out and get straight back in to the gist of it. For me it felt in a similar vein of the ten loves of mr nishino in how the customers seem to all be insatiably attracted to the convenience store manager, yet the novel itself feels more reminiscent to the cosy genre like days at the morisaki bookshop in that it is ultimately a social commentary on Japanese society and the common issues faced by those living there - you have the topic of aging, but also divorce and bullying all of which are handled sensitively yet in a whimsical at times otherworldly way especially when it came to the stories intertwined with the Whatever Guy.

Would recommend as a cosy commute friendly read guaranteed to make you reflective as well as laugh a little at times.

Thank you netgalley & Orion for the ARC.

Hugely popular in Japan, this is the first in a series revolving around the Tenderness convenience store near Mojiko Port in Kitayushu – where the author lives and works. A variation on bestselling ‘healing’ narratives, it’s comprised of interconnecting episodes centred on this quirky 24/7 shop – the kind of place once common across Japan but now rapidly closing or acquired by large corporations. The shop has a unique feature that’s made it particularly successful, it’s run by Shiba aka Phero-manager who exudes an overwhelming, indefinable charm that’s proven a massive lure for customers. Prolific author Sonoko Machida’s slice-of-life stories focus on different members of the community surrounding the store: shop assistant Mitsuri Nakao whose spare time’s taken up with devising manga based on Shiba’s life; a couple having difficulty adjusting to retirement; a cram-school tutor who dreams of a different life. Machida draws, at times, from her own experience, notably in the section featuring Azusa a teenage schoolgirl struggling to break free from an oppressive friendship group.

Overall, it’s richly detailed, fairly well observed. Although it’s clearly based on a fantasy of found friendship and connection, which is key to the appeal of this type of novel, there’s a marked emphasis on exploring concrete, societal issues in contemporary Japan: from bullying in schools to aging, isolation and the growth of ‘grey divorce.’ Sometimes the realist elements and the more whimsical ones – particularly Shiba’s bizarre appeal and growing flock of adoring fans – don’t combine as smoothly as I’d have liked but it’s still a very readable piece, an intriguing addition to this growing subgenre. Translated by Bruno Navasky.

An uplifting book on the power of community which centres around a convenience store in a particular neighbourhood. Each of the chapters is designed as a self contained story or character study (so there's some repetition) but the book builds as a whole as characters appear and reappear throughout. This does mean that there are lots of names to keep track of at first which may put some readers off. There are also charming illustrations marking the start of each story/chapter. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is very much in the vein of what I expect from a translated Japanese story - we're introduced to a wholesome community, and the stories of different members of that community, as the book progresses. The convenience store, and the residential building it's in, connect these various characters, of different ages, backgrounds, professions and temperaments which I really like and it was interesting to get to know these different people and the experiences they were having, from adjusting to retirement, pursuing passions, difficulties at school, and more. There's something for everyone in this book and though some of the characters' stories weren't as interesting to me, there were plenty that were. The two slightly strange characters, Mr Shiba and the Whatever Guy added a little intrigue and mystery into the story. I particularly enjoyed the Whatever Guy's personality, probably more than Mr Shiba who is perceived differently by the characters, making it hard to get a real read on him. I'm a little unsure how they really play into the overall story - they weren't exactly necessary to the plot, though brought an edge of the paranormal into it, if only very slightly. I'm sure I'm missing something! I did enjoy reading this and getting to know this community as well as the quirks of the convenience store and how it meant different things to different people, but it was a little slow going at times.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

A warm thank you to Orion and NetGalley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for an honest review.

A sweet, slice of life novel with a series of interconnecting stories each converging on a convenience store. This was a very cozy read, and I appreciated how diverse in age the characters were! My favourite chapters were:

A Melancholy Strawberry Parfait</u> — a schoolgirl breaks away from her old, unkind group to make a new true friend.
Advent Calendar Cookies of Love and Longing — a teenage boy exploring the worlds of love and friendship.
A Soft Egg Porridge for a Hard Old Man — an old man reflects on his life and makes a change while connecting with a young boy.

I did find the hysteria surrounding the store manager and his mysterious siblings to have been pretty unnecessary, and ultimately raised more questions than it answered. This was a light, easy read that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a quick palate cleanser!

DNF @ 48%
I have been reading this book for well over 2 months now and picking it up frequently trying to push through it but unfortunately I have to DNF this one now and not continue putting effort into reading a book I am not enjoying.
My main issue with this book is just the lack of plot or direction and this is coming from someone who loves slice-of-life translated fiction. I just got nothing out of the 130ish pages I read and did not connect with any character or storyline. I didn't enjoy the writing style either.
I am always disappointed to DNF an arc, especially one that I was so looking forward to but this one hasn't lived up to expectations.
1 star

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and Sonoko Machida for a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review posted to Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

I recently visited the convenience store by the sea, and I was pleasantly surprised! The location is ideal for beachgoers looking for quick snacks and refreshments. They offer a great variety of items, including delicious ice cream and beach essentials.

The staff was friendly and helpful, making my experience even better. Prices were reasonable, and everything was clean and well-organized. If you’re looking for a quick stop while enjoying a day by the ocean, its the place to go. It is filled with warmth and cozy vibes.

This book was such a delight to read! Thank you so much for the advance copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC.

This is a very cozy read. I really enjoyed it. It's a collection of stories that centre around different characters.

People need to read more Japanese literature!

A really lovely slice of life collection of stories all centring around a convenience store. This is definitely more of a study of people than of stories with plot, so if you enjoy that sort of thing (and if you enjoy people watching) then you'll like this one! A couple of the stories here I liked less than others, but overall this was a cure and cosy read.

This book is so cute! The characters are loveable and each story feels like it leaves you with food for thought. I found this easy to read and easy to pick up. A beautiful cover also!

While very much fitting in to the trend for cosy fiction from Japan and Korea this one did offer something a little different. While each segment is a complete story in itself they are all much more linked than in several books of this genre and the narrative did make an almost complete novel

I liked the setting in the convenience store and as so often is the case with this type of fiction my mouth was watering at the descriptions of the food - even food from convenience stores seems so much nicer abroad! I also liked that each chapter added more story to the last and by the end I felt we really knew several of the characters really well.
However the story of Shiba and his "powers" really left me confused, as did the whole story around his family dynamic and this did pull me out of the story repeatedly. If further volumes appear I will probably read them as I do want to know more but at present I am a bit confused.

I didn’t end up finishing this book. I read about 40% of it before giving up, and I gave it quite a fair bit of time to get better and I just couldn’t get into it!

My first translated novel. I liked the writing style but I didn’t’ realise these were short stories (albeit connected). Like some other reviewers, I got confused with the amount of characters and names and found it so hard to keep up with what was happening. I also didn’t really understand what the point of the stories was sometimes?

A cozy read. I definitely enjoyed it and the writing style really made the book a highlight for the coming year. This book is perfect for everyone who just want to read a cute and heartwarming story without drama and a lot of thinking. Still it's not boring and gives you joy and maybe even a little chuckle from time to time, so even when this is not what you usually going for, I think this book still brings you joy.

Another cute story set in a shop in Japan - I would have enjoyed this more if this wasn't the third of fourth I happen to read in a year or so.

It's... cute. The chapters follow different customers and employees of a convenience store called Tenderness (cringe). The manager is extremely good looking and a bit mysterious. It's meant to be cute but there's darkness lurking - the bullied schoolgirl looking after her dying father, the prep school employee who streams of becoming a mangaka, the man who managed to convince his company to let him delay his retirement by five years so that he can keep earning, the store employees looking out for the elderly neighbours. I was thinking as I was reading it about the disappearance of third spaces, about how we're meant to find cute that retail workers are the only ones noticing an old man not coming to pick up his lunch and the only ones who'll call an ambulance for him. I was thinking of the emotional labour involved as they look after young people who spend their free time in the shop, buying sweets, and how depressing it is that there's just... Nowhere else for them.

It was cute but it left me with the same aftertaste I get from reading stories about toddlers starting a lemonade stand to pay for their schoolmates' canteen or colleagues giving up holidays to gift them to a parent looking after a sick child. It's cute but I wish it wasn't necessary.

Free ARC sent by Netgalley.

I really do have a fondness for this type of Japanese literature. A heart-warming story of the importance of the local convenience store (also known as Konbini) in the japanese society. This book has multiple stories that centres around the local convenience store Tenderness and its Manager Shiba. Whilst there were few stories that I really enjoyed, there were also few that I did find tedious and not as engaging as others. Having said that I really did like this book and made me miss the convenience stores of Japan.

Thank you Orion Publishing Group for the eArc via NetGalley.

This was a wonderful collection of stories that were beautifully translated. I loved the gentle overlap between stories and characters and found this to be a relaxing weekend read. At times I found it a little too slow but overall was great to read.

I just love these translated fictions. This one has a collection of stories from the convenience store. It’s just like a warm hug reading. At point I did feel a little lost but that’s not unusual with these kind of books. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the different stories.

This is a selection of stories that centre around a convenience store in Japan with the telling title of Tenderness.

The tales of the various customers at the store are told in a way that is both sweet and gentle, although they do not all necessarily make an equally strong impression on the reader.

But the slice of life approach allows us to meet elderly patrons as well as young ones, and that provides some insights into the lives and lifestyles of Japanese people. An enjoyable and easy read.

Another "Feel Good - Slice of Life" novel translated from japanese. After all the potteries, bookstores, laundry shops and cafes it was time for the convenience store. I am actually a bit tired of these novels, combining several characters' searches for improvement, but I know Sonoko Machida won the bookseller award for her "52 hertz whales" novel and my hope is that the other will be translated as well. The goal was to read this one, like it enough to sell billions, and make sure to get a translation of the book that I am actually interested in ;-)
I instantly liked the konbini store setting. Unfortunately it is again short story-ish, but it could really hold my attention. Some stories were better than others. I would have prefered less characters, more plot. But from the books in this genre that I have read so far, this is definitely one of the best ones. The translation felt authentic; the translator clearly expects the reader to have some knowledge of Japan and doesn't dumb it down while also providing information in case you do not know what a tonkatsu is. Sonoko's style is truly engaging and she conjures great mental images of the world she wants to share with the readers. (Maybe that is because I have been there. Maybe someone who has never been to japan will disagree). A lovely little world to get lost in.

A warm & fuzzy collection of stories about workers & customers of local convenience store. Personally I loved the school girls bonding on sweets (strawberry parfait) and elderly man and a school boy bonding over annual school race ( advent calendar cookies) . They were warm. I thank netgalley and Orion books for the eARC copy.