Days At The Morisaki Bookshop

Format read: paperback
Reading time: 2-3 hours
Tags: family, friendship, cozy, family drama, emotional trauma, Tokyo, bookish, translation
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 10/10

Summary
Takako finds out one day that her long-term boyfriend is getting married–to another woman. Heartbroken and confused, she eventually leaves her job to avoid seeing the happy couple, and ends up cooped up in her small Tokyo apartment with no prospects. That is, until her estranged uncle Satoru invites her to come live with him for free in exchange for her help in tending the second-hand bookshop he runs in the famed neighbourhood of Jimbocho. Takako reluctantly agrees and together, uncle and niece learn to heal from their past trauma and grow closer as a family.

Review
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a very cozy and quick read. If you are familiar with Japanese literature, you might recognize specific tropes that are proper to it, such as family drama, emotional distress, apathy in the young, etc. However, you will also find a kind of lyrical beauty and calmness from reading a book that is essentially about books. Morisaki Bookshop feels at times like a love letter to Japanese literature as the references to authors and their works are frequent and even quoted in some passages. Instead of feeling heavy, these references flow into the narrative and highlight Takako and Satoru's personalities by showing us what kinds of books these characters enjoy. The same is true for Sabu, Satoru's most faithful customer. His love of Japanese literature is unsurpassed, and we as readers discover many new authors through his passionate speeches.

The family drama that unfolds around this cozy bookstore is twofold: Satoru's missing wife, Momoko, and Takako's two-faced ex. Both of these secondary characters feel heavy and emotionally charged compared to the uncle-niece duo. The first half of the book focuses on Takako's journey and growth following her breakup, whereas the second half features Satoru's healing journey as his wife suddenly reappears in his life. Where Satoru is a warm and comforting character, Momoko is difficult to understand and sympathize with, but the relationship that develops between her and Takako is heartwarming.

I personally didn't like the shift in the second half as much as the story in part 1, but the sudden change of plotline keeps you interested and somehow lengthens a very short book, giving the impression that it is longer than only 160 pages. The end also felt a bit rushed compared to the slow pace of the rest of the book, which is a bit of a shame.

Overall, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a wonderful little book about books, family ties, and love–romantic, platonic, and otherwise. I'm very happy I discovered this little gem by browsing the shelves at my favourite bookshop.