Days at the Morisaki Bookshop Review

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa is a story about a young woman named Takako who seemingly has it all: a great job and a handsome boyfriend. One day her boyfriend pulls the rug out from beneath her by announcing that he's getting married to a woman he was dating behind Takako's back. Takako spirals into a depression, spending all of her time alone in her apartment, sleeping her life away, and avoiding friends and family. A call from her uncle Satoru sends Takako's life on a different path. Her uncle offers her a rent-free room above his bookshop that she can live in as long as she helps him out at the store. Takako quits her job to help out her uncle while she figures out what to do with her life.

This short novel is divided into two parts. Part one deals with the aftermath of Takako's breakup with her boyfriend Hideaki and the new friends and acquaintances she meets while working at her uncle's bookshop. Takako meets a long-time customer of her uncle's named Sabu, who is a lover of classic Japanese literature. She then meets a waitress named Tomo, who works at the coffee shop her uncle frequents. All of these people have a love of books, which Takako does not. It's during a night of depression-induced insomnia that Takako decides to read one of the books in her uncle's shop. She chooses a book that she hopes will bore her to sleep, but it ends up opening her up to a world she never thought she'd be a part of. After that sleepless night, she dives into more books by Japanese writers that she was only partly familiar with. This new appreciation for books and literature changes Takako's outlook on life, and guides her on how to live her life and not ruminate on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend.

The second half of the novel sees the return of Takako aunt Momoko, who had walked out on Satoru five years earlier. Takako's uncle welcomes his long lost wife back in with open arms, but she is skeptical of the reunion. Takako wonders why her aunt suddenly returned after all those years, and, more importantly, why she left her uncle in the first place. As Takako spends more time with Momoko, she learns about her aunt's life before meeting Satoru, what their marriage was like, the reason she had been gone for five years, and the real reason for her sudden return. Takako also meets a handsome editor named Akira one night while visiting the coffee shop. They become acquainted over a shared love of books. The more Takako spends time with Akira, the more she begins to fall for him. Just when she thinks he may feel the same way about her as she does him, she finds out that he is still pining for an ex-girlfriend that he recently broke up with. Takako isn't sure if Akira will ever get over his ex, and she decides to move on with her life in the meantime. Her family becomes a priority for her, and she chooses to focus on them and not a would-be romantic relationship.

I enjoyed reading about Takako life and getting to know her family. The themes that are presented aren't too heavy. While Takako does go through a depression over her ex-boyfriend, it isn't dwelled upon and she does get over it rather quickly once she immerses herself in helping her uncle out at the bookshop. The storyline with her aunt deals with heavier topics, but revealing them would spoil the entirety of the book. The characters were interesting. I liked learning about the Japanese authors and books Takako discovers while working at the shop. The area that the Morisaki Bookshop is located in is called Jimbocho, which is a famous book district in Tokyo. Jimbocho was brought to life very well in the story, and it seems like a perfect place for book lovers to visit.

My only critique on the book is that I would have liked to seen more interactions among the characters. Since the whole story is seen through Takako's eyes, we don't get to see much of Satoru and his customers or his interactions with his wife. There also wasn't too much of an emotional impact to the events that happened. There are some sad instances, but the outcomes of the events happen rather quickly and end on upbeat notes.

Despite my critiques, I recommend Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. It's a cozy slice of life tale with endearing characters. While I didn't walk away feeling a deep emotional connection to the characters, I appreciate the book for what it was. I'm interested in reading the sequel, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, and seeing how Takako's life, as well as her uncle's, has changed since the first book.