‘More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop’: The Japanese comfort read returns with a charming sequel

Reading More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, the much-awaited sequel to Satoshi Yagisawa’s heartwarming bestseller Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, feels like joining your friends for a summer reunion, catching up with familiar faces and asking them, “How have you been?” The novel opens with Takako, the protagonist, walking leisurely in Tokyo’s rather unusual neighbourhood of Jimbocho. Known for its “own quiet little world”, in the midst of the crazy bustle of the metropolis, the quaint streets of Jimbocho form a charming oasis for more than a hundred and seventy bookstores.

Sauntering towards the Morisaki Bookshop, Takako looks back on her life and recapitulates the changes she has experienced, giving the reader a fair idea of the prequel. She reminisces about her first visit to the bookstore: “At that time in my life, I was feeling desperate although the cause now seems insignificant when I look back on it.” The sequel traces the changes in Takako’s personality. Her voice brims with the confidence of a person who has overcome personal challenges and is ready to greet life with an open heart on a firm footing – all thanks to her former stay at the Morisaki Bookshop.

Endearing bond between booksellers and their customers

Morisaki Bookshop is a vintage store that...

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