Hello friends!

Time is flying by and I can’t believe we are already in August. This realization is the reason why I’m bringing you this recommendation post! My trip to Japan is coming soon and I’m feeling inspired by all of the amazing books I’ve read written by Japanese authors!

It is true that when you read from different places around the world, you start to find different patterns and cultural differences in writing. Still, with my short reading experience, I found that Japanese written non-fictions books are often short, slow paced and talk about deeper topics such as grief, regret, nostalgia and beauty – at least the ones I read. It is very easy to find beautiful and meaningful books written by Japanese authors, and I love to pick them up when I’m in the mood to contemplate life and do some reflection.

I’m very excited to share some of the beautiful books I have read today with you, and I truly hope you give them a try and decide to pick them up in the future.

Here are the books I want to share with you today! Let’s look at them individually:

1. If Cats Disappeared From the World by Genki Kawamura

Let me introduce you to the book that started it all! This was my first time ever reading a book by a Japanese author (besides manga), and I absolutely loved it. 

“If Cats Disappeared From the World” is about all the things we take for granted in our daily lives and what makes us human. With moments of deep reflection and heartbreak but also with humor and lightness, this book talks about what really makes life worth living and what connects us as humans. Not only did I shed some tears, but I also laughed out loud in some of the chapters.

I loved this book and I highly recommend it. It’s a fairly short book, it’s wholesome and I’m sure it will leave an impact on you.

Synopsis

“The international phenomenon that has sold over a million copies in Japan, If Cats Disappeared from the World is a funny, heartwarming, and profound meditation on the meaning of life.

The postman’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage to keep him company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can tackle his bucket list, the Devil appears to make him an offer: In exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, our narrator will get one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week…

With each object that disappears the postman reflects on the life he’s lived, his joys and regrets, and the people he’s loved and lost.

Genki Kawamura’s timeless tale is a moving story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters most in life.”

2. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Next on the list we have the amazing “Before the Coffee Gets Cold”. This book has a clear message for the reader: live in the present and focus on what’s in front of you because we can’t change the past and who knows what the future holds.
I personally did a lot of reflecting on my own life and thought about what would make me want to time travel. While reading this book, you’ll find yourself thinking about what it would be like to go back and relive a moment from the past or what it would be like to peek into the future. Would you do it if you had the chance?
It’s the kind of book that will make you reflect. Definitely worth it!

Synopsis

“What would you change if you could go back in time?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer’s, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold…

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?”

3. Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

This is a very special book. I believe you probably heard about the movie adaptation for this book, because it was fairly popular when it came out.
I’m not going to lie, it’s a tough book to read. The message is strong, but combined with the amazing characters and immersive writing, the book is brought to the next level. I just love how timeless this book feels. It felt like I was reading a classic book, and it would still make sense to read it in 100 years.
I honestly can’t recommend this book enough. Even though it was a heartbreaking book, I still loved everything about it and I’m sure the story is going to stay with me for a very long time.

Synopsis

“Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste.
But everything is about to change.
Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue’s dark secret is revealed, with devastating consequences.
Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa’s beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.”

And there you have it friends! I hope you found this recommendation post interesting and I hope you found yourself some new books to read. As usual, I’m always looking for book recommendations so let me know if you have any for me!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I hope you liked what I had to share with you today. I’ll see you in the next one! 🙂