Blurb:
The Japanese bestseller: a tale of love, new beginnings, and the comfort that can be found between the pages of a good book.
When twenty-five-year-old Takako’s boyfriend reveals he’s marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle Satoru’s offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above his shop.
Hidden in Jimbocho, Tokyo, the Morisaki Bookshop is a booklover’s paradise. On a quiet corner in an old wooden building, the shop is filled with hundreds of second-hand books. It is Satoru’s pride and joy, and he has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife left him five years earlier.
Hoping to nurse her broken heart in peace, Takako is surprised to encounter new worlds within the stacks of books lining the shop.
And as summer fades to autumn, Satoru and Takako discover they have more in common than they first thought. The Morisaki bookshop has something to teach them both about life, love, and the healing power of books.
Quirky, beautifully written, and movingly profound, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will appeal to readers of Before The Coffee Gets Cold, The Cat Who Saved Books, and anyone who has had to recover from a broken heart.
My Review:
“Days at the Morisaki Bookshop” by Satoshi Yagisawa is a quiet, comforting read that gently reminds you what it feels like to be a booklover — someone who finds healing, belonging, and solace among stacks of well-worn paperbacks and stories that mirror your own.
The novel follows Takako, a woman navigating heartbreak and burnout, who finds unexpected refuge in her uncle’s quaint bookshop in Tokyo’s Jimbocho district. Her journey, subtle yet deeply transformative, resonated with me on a personal level.
When I moved to Mumbai five years ago, I didn’t know a single soul. It was during the height of COVID, and for months, I remained cocooned in my apartment. Even after the city reopened, I felt oddly content indoors and reluctant to step out. Eventually, I pushed myself to attend a small event at a local bookshop. That simple act not only reconnected me with books but also with the city and its people.
This book captures that same essence: how a book or a bookstore can quietly but powerfully change your relationship with a place, with yourself, and with others. If you’re adjusting to a new city or feeling out of place, this book will make you feel heard. And if you can, go to a book club too, you’ll feel seen.
Structurally, the novel is a slow burn. The first half, focused on Takako’s emotional recovery, is more engaging and intimate. The second half shifts its attention to her uncle Satoru and his wife Momoko, which, while still tenderly written, diverts some emotional momentum.
That said, “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop” isn’t about dramatic plot twists. It’s about quiet growth, reconnection, and finding beauty in solitude. Like a warm hug or a silent moment in a library, this book wraps around you gently. This is the perfect palette cleanser after an emotionally heavy read, or for anyone hoping to fall back in love with books. Highly recommended for introverts, city wanderers, and quiet hearts.
Suitable for age: 14+