What has hooked readers to Japanese storytelling?

Read between the linesAhalya Naidu and Meethil Momaya founders Trilogy Curated Bookshop and Library BandraSatoshi Yagisawarsquos Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and its sequel the recently released More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop HarperCollins are both gently moving light and quick reads about some of the more common ideas in Japanese literature mdash loneliness community and thoughtfulnessBoth books follow Takako a woman in her late 20s who nurses her broken heart quite reluctantly or rather fortuitously while living above a threegenerationold familyrun secondhand bookshop in the real and famous Jimbocho book town in TokyoThis girl has all the luck The warm embrace of family and friends is precious but to live among bookshops some of which are centuries old We looked it up to learn that there are at least 130 secondhand bookshops in Jimbocho that owe their existence to passionate readers and eccentric book collectors Both books describe the wonderful weeklong annual festival in October that draws readers from across the world Imagine the energy buzz and joy of celebrating the miracle of stories at such festivalsMeethil Momaya and Ahalya Naidu at the Bandra bookstoreWe were immediately one with Satoru Takakorsquos uncle who runs the bookshop deep in conversation with regulars dismissing any ideas about taking time off fretting about missing out on a book haul expedition Like Takako eventually does we felt we belonged The compassionate bond that Satoru shares with his readers reminds us how grateful we are to those who consider our bookshop their safe space That sense of community and belonging is precious and within it are an infinite number of storiesThere are stereotypical characters and after spotting a few inconsistencies and the same phrases several times it feels as if something deeper is lost in translation translated by Eric Ozawa The plot is thin but thatrsquos not the focus Like many sliceoflife East Asian contemporary stories this is about personal growth Takako heals herself and helps her uncle and her friends find peace Everyone who loves Morisaki Bookshop experiences miracles ndash the power of literature to change your life and the warm strong bond that readers share It dismisses the horrible myth that people no longer enjoy readingThe lsquoDaysrsquo in the title defines a languid sense of time passing at the right speed to collect our thoughts An evening in a cafeacute can stretch over pages a hike in the mountains too Japanese literature has a long vast and rich tradition We are grateful for references to books poetry and essays that are hallmarks of that unique perspective of experiencing this meditative introspective and deeply emotional worldWe would have preferred more book talk and insight about Japanese literature reading habits and life in the old book town but realised that like a good bookseller the author acts as a guide taking you to starting points helping you set off on your journeyPSA Yoursquod be forgiven to believe that cats are mandatory in Japanese stories especially in bookshops and libraries Here although the jackets feature cats we didnrsquot find any in both booksShelf Life with MidDay How this techsavvy Mumbaikar is infusing new life into his 35yearold bookstoreHooked by the bookVishal and Neha Pipraiya founders Pagdandi Bookstore Cafe Pashan PuneThe Bookshop Woman Hachette India by Nanako Hanada and translated by Cat Anderson is another feather in the cap added to the light Japanese genre that celebrates the quirky What sets this book apart is that itrsquos nonfiction but reads like fiction Seen through the lens of everything mentioned in the book having really happened to someone it allows us to be more patient and understanding of the writerrsquos motivesNeha and Vishal PipraiyaAt its heart the book is about the author standing at a pivotal point in her life where she feels underconfident and directionless about her future With a crumbling marriage and a bookstore manager job that no longer excites her she finds succour in making friends on an online matching website and meeting strangers to recommend books to them What follows is a motley cast of characters that inhabit the pages and with every person she meets and recommends a book to the process of her selfdiscovery moves along the pathBy itself this might not be a compelling reason to pick it up What works are the book recommendations made by the author to the people she meets and her intuitive reading and reasoning of what they might like to read calls out to the bookstore owners in us Though the recommendations are Japanese authorheavy one often comes across a much more international recommendation which any bibliophile should immediately connect with In fact one such instance of coming across a reader who knows or has read everything the author has to suggest but finally triumphing with a recommendation the reader did not know about and still felt interested in was like a homecoming for usAnother theme that runs parallel is the different personalities she encounters Products of Japanese urban life its culture and urban sprawl the people she meets their motivations desires and regrets are succinctly described and keep the pages turning Though we wouldnrsquot put this on the mustread list of anyone because come on itrsquos a Japanese book with not a single mention of a cat in it Jokes apart if you are in the mood for a breezy satisfying and light read that would recommend further names to your booklist and also give you a glimpse into the ldquolife in a metrordquo of Japan you can take this one home