3.5 I found the plot simple but warm -- the different connections between the passengers and the way they affected each other was endearing. Some connections felt more contrived than others, but I was happy to overlook it for the most part. I'd say that the book is not particularly memorable, but I did enjoy the short reading experience nonetheless.

I don't know how much was lost in translation, so it's hard to think about the writing style much.

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

This Japanese cozy just didn’t quite hit the mark with me . In this book we follow the brief time of people on a train but to me it felt like it was missing a through line or piece of magic to bring it all together. Because of this disconnection it felt like a short story collection which were interesting but I think not being from the area and reading the translated version put me at a disadvantage. The writing felt odd and I feel like that was because of the translation. With that said I could see an audience for this I just have read some much better Japanese cozies than this . I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

The prevalence of healing fiction coming out of Japan and Korea continues to make my heart happy, because these quiet slice-of-life stories are so relaxing to read while the world is in chaos. This book takes place on a train line in Osaka (a train line I’ve actually traveled on!!), and anytime I’m riding a train I wonder about the people around me and their lives. This book gives us the ultimate people watching experience as we get to know a few of the riders and how they’ve connected with others on their daily commutes.

The book doesn’t shy away from difficult moments, and some of the characters we meet are at really low points of their lives. But chance encounters and small acts of kindness can go a long way, and the writing really reflects on the effect these can have on someone’s circumstances.

One thing I love about this book that many other healing fiction collections don’t include is that we actually get to see a bit of what happens to these people after we first meet them. The second half of the book takes place six or so months after the first half, and we get some follow up on how the encounters in the first half have impacted each of their lives.

If you enjoy quiet stories that are simple on the surface but rich in depth, with beautiful glimpses of Japanese scenery, this might be one you’ll want to read! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Berkley for the e-arc of this book! Having previously read Hiro Arikawa’s other books, I was so excited to dive into this one (and was not disappointed!). The novel follows snippets of several individuals riding on the Hankyu Line, The vignettes show people in transformative moments, whether they realize it or not, and are woven together so seamlessly. I genuinely cared and rooted for each person we followed, despite the limited time we spend with all of them. The book focuses on the small joys, anxieties, and pitfalls of life — and I adored it. It brought me such comfort, and it played out like a movie in my head. 5 🌟

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa reminds readers of how much others can be influenced in passing circumstances. A very interesting take on how these seemingly small encounters can have a lasting impact.

I received an eARC copy thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group but all thoughts are my own. I really enjoyed this book. This book is like a breath of fresh air on an overcrowded train. I first received the Traveling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa as gifts, and have really enjoyed their writing style. I will say that while I thought this translation was fine, I preferred the translations of Philip Gabriel for Hiro's other books. But that is just a little nitpick of mine and the translation was fine.

I should say for starters that I love this genre, I like the slice of life/literary books where you get glimpses into characters lives not so much that you know their story but enough that you can find yourself wondering what each character is up to now. I love that the stories connect and even if not directly mentioned, you can see the characters in each other's POVs. Throughout this novel I kept thinking to myself that these stories showed the characters not only in a good light, but also in an ungraceful light as well. When we encounter people in real life there are times where we are able to give people grace and the benefit of the doubt, while there are other times that we are less able to do that. Having the characters also engage with each other and others on the trains was very comforting.

I won't include any plot spoilers but I loved the set up of this book. The fact the stories were set on a train line--a real train line--and moved up and down the line like the train was a very fun stylistic point. The chiastic character structure also really added to the overall narrative. I also loved that a map will be included and a character list as those are helpful to the set up of the story.

The themes of this book I thought were really sweet and focusing on how little actions can have big affects on others. How being vulnerable can lead to deeper connection, and being open and honest while standing up for yourself is necessary.

A little spoiler-y below

I loved this advice that Misa gives to Yasué, "Also, better to cut ties with people whose values make you uncomfortable. Otherwise, the longer you stay with them, the more you risk forfeiting your own values for the sake of theirs."

4.5/5 stars rounded up

I loved this wonderful story of five unique, interesting, complex and quirky characters on the Hanukyu train between two towns. A real page turner and a must read!

I really enjoyed this. Set in the mountains of Japan between the towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, there runs a series of trains. On these trains there are a variety of of people with stories to tell. This book tells some of their stories.
Finding love, ending a romance, getting revenge on a cheating fiance to name a few.

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line was a sweet story about how our interactions with strangers can affect us in small and big ways.

I enjoyed reading how all the different passengers affected a cascade of life changes with each other in big and small ways. The multiple perspectives were very fun. However, I did get lost a bit with the timeline about half way through. I don't think it took away from the meaning of the story at all, but it did throw me out of the story for a bit.

The story was very charming and makes me want to go back to Japan for a visit!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a delightful little slice of life novel which follows a series of individuals as they take this particular line. This is about how everyday interactions shape our lives—I loved seeing these characters interact and I really enjoyed the format of the novel, where the resolutions to the stories are given in the return trip. Each section is more vignette-like than a fully fleshed out story, and so while I liked the snapshots of peoples’ lives, I think readers who prefer fleshed out stories might struggle. Regardless, I thought this was a joyful read.

A short but heartwarming story of people you come across at such a mundane time, your commute. I tried so hard to understand the train references, how they were connected and where they led. But I just could not picture it in my head, felt a bit jumbled up to me. I like that we got to read what it was outside of the train, each stop being a bit different than the other. Since they were different neighborhoods the communities are always distinctive.

I love reading books about getting small snippets of peoples lives. They might share a small space everyday but know nothing about each other or what may be going on in their lives. There were times I felt that I might be left guessing. On what happened to the characters we met, but we got closure on all of them. It really made the story for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley publishing group I received a ARC for an honest review !

I really liked the idea of this book. I loved the inclusion of a character list in the beginning as it was needed. The grandma with the dog was my favorite part. The interconnected lives of people we see daily but don’t know we are connected with is such an interesting concept to me. However, the way this story was told in small glimpses of each characters story left me feeling like I couldn’t get deep enough with the vast amount of characters to get emotionally invested in their story and ultimately, that led to me lacking emotional investment in the story as a whole. Despite the main characters being female, there was so much emphasis on the men in their lives that it felt this was more about the men than the women themselves which was a bummer for me.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Overall, a very interesting book that I enjoyed. I loved that there were various characters that had their stories interwoven with each other thanks to the train. As always, my fave character was the grandmother and I loved how she helped the characters she interacted with to see their situations more clearly.

I loved this look into Japanese life and culture. Very interesting with humanity making it more enjoyable and relatable.

Advanced reader copy provided by Berkley but all opinions are my own.

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a delightful glimpse into the lives of various passengers on a Japanese train. I enjoyed the intertwining plot lines and watching the character interactions. If you have ever been a people watcher or imagined what someone's story might be, this will be a perfect read for you. Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for the advanced digital copy.

The Passengers On The Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa, this was a very interesting book about how something as mundane as the public train system not only Foster’s relationships whether it be romance or friendships but also how people turn into minor advocates for civility there’s even an instance where one comment changed a girls life forever. I really love this book from the one who wore white to the wedding to the girl with the Mickey Mouse purse and even the Stern grandmother who wanted a dog all the stories I found were interesting and although they were some cultural things I didn’t get like the message on the sandbar I didn’t find it took away from the entertaining narrative of the story. One of my favorite type of books to read is one translated from another language as I love books set in other countries in this one did not disappoint it wasn’t that long but it packed a lot and it’s so worth reading. #NetGalley, #BerkeleyPublishing,#TheblindReviewer, #HeroArakawa, #ThePassengersOnTheHankyuLine,

This was a very heartwarming book following the lives of quite a few strangers on the same train line. It was really interesting seeing seemingly innocuous interactions and their big consequences to the people around them. Thank you to Berkley for the early copy!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I picked this book to read because I have always wanted to see Japan that dream has been crushed. But this book made my dream come true. I got to see Japan through the eyes of 5 passengers who cross paths on a train.
The author did a good job describing the scenery and I felt like I was on that famous train line. So I wish to thank Hiro for fulfilling my dreams with culture and scenery of Japan.

Thank you Netgallery for the advanced copy.

"The Passengers on the Hankyu Line" was my first foray into short, "light" translated fiction; I am grateful to Berkley for gifting me this sweet, tender, unique, interesting book! Although this book was initially published in 2008, it appears to have stood the test of time so far. The messages, themes, and portrayal of the characters are relevant and pertinent almost two decades later. Love stories and life stories never go out of style. I found myself rooting for (emotionally invested in) the entire cast of main characters. I appreciated the diversity (age, stages of life) of the cast of characters and how this mirrored different definitions and stages of love. The Imazu Line of the Hankyu Railway was a unique, artfully balancing setting that defined the overall pleasing and even structure of the book. After my reading experience, I kept thinking about Allison Markin Powell and, hopefully, what a great career opportunity this was for her.

We are privy to a snapshot of the lives of 5 Japanese citizens who travel regularly on the same train line in a mountainous region of the country. On and off the train we spy on their interactions and relationships. For an American, this was an interesting peak into the Japanese culture and mores. This read was educational and intriguing. My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

Oh my god, i loved this so much because it is the cozy fiction coming out of East Asia that i can't get enough of. 10/10