Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (2010) is a novel by Satoshi Yagisawa, originally published in Japanese in 2010 before appearing in an English translation in 2023. The novel follows Takako, a young woman whose life is derailed when her boyfriend reveals he is marrying another woman. To heal, she stays at her uncle’s bookshop in the famous Jimbocho neighborhood, where she builds community and discovers a love of reading. The novel was commercially successful in both Japan and internationally, winning the Chiyoda Literature Prize and being adapted for the screen in Japan.

This guide uses the 2023 Harper Perennial paperback edition translated by Eric Ozawa.

Content Warning: The source text contains discussions of abortion and child loss.

Plot Summary

When Takako’s boyfriend, Hideaki, tells her that he is marrying another woman, Takako does not know how to feel. The woman he will marry is their coworker, and his relationship with her is longer than his relationship with Takako. Takako is heartbroken, but Hideaki acts as though nothing will change, and that they can continue to spend time together. Takako falls into a depression and struggles through her work days. The stress of seeing both Hideaki and the other woman forces her to quit her job.