Thank you NetGalley for this arc - out June 3rd!

"All manner of people from every walk of life — solo passengers, friends, couples, families, work colleagues — traverse the concourse at a brisk pace. But as they cross paths, the contents of each traveler’s heart are a mystery known only to themselves.”

This novel is a character-centric vignette that follows the train travels of different characters facing different dilemmas as they board the train, and then again, back on the same train 6 months later. I particularly enjoyed the woman and her granddaughter adopting a dog and the young university couple who always went for the same library books. This was really charming and sweet with great insight into Japanese culture 🌸💙

Readers will want to meet the eleven passengers who are traveling on this train. Each has a story and perhaps a decision to make. Will they help one another? Will they help themselves? Find out on two of their commutes.

I have not yet read this title but plan to start it now. I have been saving it to savor.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for this title.

Told in short vignettes, the story gives us a glimpse into each character’s personal challenges and how those around them—often unknowingly—leave an impact.

I really like the simple but effective structure of the narrative. On the way out, we see how people observe each other and make assumptions. On the return journey- six months later- we see how things have changed for them. It’s a subtle reminder that there’s often more going on in someone’s life than we realize.

The way in which the story touched on universal themes like connection, change, and the small acts that can shift a person’s day—or even their path to be endearing and gave me reason to reflect in more than one instance.

Overall a short and enjoyable read—something you could finish in one sitting—but that leaves you with a few things to think about.

Many thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC!

All manner of people from every walk of life-solo passengers, friends, couples, families, work colleagues-traverse the concourse at a brisk pace. But as they cross paths the content of each travelers heart are a mystery known only to themselves. Hiro Arikawa

I love the opening quote by the author. It says a lot about what the reader is about to encounter. Board the beautiful Hankyu Line train traveling a picturesque route in Japan and the destinations provide a slice of Japanese culture.

Each passenger featured has a different reason for taking the train. The details of each one allowed a peek at their personalities and life circumstances. What I liked most is how these passengers intersected on the train and interacted with one another. It struck me as funny in parts and the drama kept my attention. In a short span of time their dilemmas resolved with kind(or brutally honest) words from a stranger.

Aw, this is a sweet story that wrapped it’s arms around me. I recommend this well translated Japanese literature to whisk yourself away to a new destination.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an early copy.

I went into this book expecting cozy and heartwarming but then found myself wondering if there were aspects lost in translation, because it was actually quite dark in many passages. The promised dashing dachshund was barely mentioned, certainly not a character of note.

We follow the journeys of several passengers whose lives intersect on the Hankyu rail line between the beautiful towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya: a woman thinking of leaving her abusive boyfriend; a woman who gets revenge on the coworker who stole her fiancé; a grandmother and granddaughter pair discussing the adoption of a dog.

There were misogynistic passages scattered throughout the book; it amazed me that a woman author had written them. There was instance after instance of derogatory generalizations of female behavior.

I did very much like the descriptions of the scenery and the train journey details; I probably would have enjoyed it more as a film.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the gifted book!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a translated work that contains multiple POVs and stories which overall leads the reader to reflect on the emotional narratives and dynamics. The book begins with the start of a new relationship and intersects with the other passengers over time on the Hankyu Line train. It crosses over the stories of a woman scorned by love, another woman who is in an abusive relationship, a grandmother who is thinking about adopting a dog, and a woman who is unsure about her place in society.

Passengers is very much in the vein of other Japanese translated works that delves more into the emotional dynamics of relationships and the discovery of oneself. Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. It's a solid 3 out of 5. Would recommend this though to readers who are dedicated fans of Japanese literature.

Thank you Netgally Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

I will be posting to socials

There’s something wonderfully comforting about train journeys; how strangers briefly share a space, stories quietly unfold, and then everyone parts ways, often changed in ways they don’t yet realize. That’s the spirit the author captures in this book 🥹 a gentle, slow-moving novel that follows several passengers as their lives brush against each other on one of Japan’s most romantic railway lines.

The structure was so lovely: the first half introduces us to a series of passengers on a Hankyu Line train between Takarazuka and Nishinomiya. Each chapter focuses on one person and their unique moment–maybe a choice, a realization, or a turning point. Some of them cross paths: a quiet man named Masashi, always one step behind a mysterious library-goer (Yuko); a bride (Shoko) who boards the train in full dress but with a heavy heart; a university student (Misa) trying to gather the courage to leave an abusive relationship; and Toki, a sweet older woman contemplating getting a dog with help from her granddaughter Ami. These little glimpses into their lives are like windows opening for a moment. It was quiet, sometimes sad, sometimes hopeful. Then, six months later, the second half brings us back on the same train—and we get to see where these people ended up. What decisions did they make? Did their lives change? Did the small moments on that first ride really mean something? It’s a beautiful idea, and in many ways, it works.

But I’ll have to admit....this book was hard to fully fall in love with. I adore Arikawa’s The Travelling Cat Chronicles & Goodbye Cat 🐈 those books broke and mended my heart in all the right ways. So, with each new story this author writes, I keep hoping to feel that same magic again. And this one… didn’t quite get there. Part of the challenge might be the writing style. It’s very formal and I'm very Western lol possibly due to the translation or the cultural tone—but it kept me feeling a bit removed from the characters. Even their private thoughts felt restrained, like I was listening from the hallway instead of sitting in the room with them. In The Travelling Cat Chronicles, that formality worked because the narrator was a cat (and if you’ve ever known a cat, you know they’re very proper creatures). But with human characters, I wanted a little more warmth, more vulnerability, more of that messy, wonderful humanity.

Also, I’ll admit—seeing the dachshund on the cover gave me hope for another animal narrator. Sadly, NONE. Still, despite feeling distant from the characters, I did care about them. Some of their stories lingered with me longer than others, and I appreciated the quiet message of the book: that small moments matter, that we’re always in motion, and that sometimes, even the simplest encounter can ripple into something much bigger.

Not quite the magic of Arikawa’s earlier work, but a journey worth taking if you enjoy quiet stories of connection and change.

3.75 ⭐️ thank you Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

Passengers' lives intersect on a passenger rail line in Osaka. This is a cozy, quick book filled with a series of short stories that intersect. Perfect for anyone who has spent time on public transportation.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair review. This book promised to detail the interesting lives of people who take the train on the Hankyu Line. While the passengers varied from young to old, rich to poor, strangers to friends, the setting was perfect for a variety of happenstances. Instead, I found the translation (the book was originally written in Japanese) to be stilted and choppy. I also found it hard to keep the characters straight. There might have been too many. A young girl and her grandmother, a high school student and her older boyfriend, a working girl who was dumped by her fiancé for another coworker and more--lots going on as the train intersected the lives of its many passengers. Nothing really exciting happened and the characters were one-dimensional. Very disappointed in this one.

Japanese literature translated to English…sign me up! I definitely went into this book blind without having had read the synopsis and I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed the journey that the Hankyu Line has taken me and meeting all of the passengers on this train!

There are a lot of characters and when I re-read it, I will have to jot down a few notes of each character so that I can remember all of the characters and how they connect with each other even by passing and being on the same train.

I loved each of the passengers’ stories and how their day traveling on the Hankyu Line. I don’t want to say too much about this book as it will definitely spoil it for readers, but this was such a great read and I enjoyed each character’s short story.

They got me with the dachshund and kept me with the interwoven stories. It DOES read differently as it is a translation of a popular Japanese author, but as someone who studied different storytelling frameworks in school, I find it FASCINATING and an asset to my reading enjoyment, not a deterrent. How fun to get a glimpse in our own language of how stories are formed and taste in others!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line felt emotionally distant to me, with a formal writing style and stilted inner dialogue that made it hard to connect with the characters. While their personal growth was interesting, it lacked impact—I cared about some more than others but never felt truly invested. I was hoping for the same emotional pull as Arikawa’s first book, but this one didn’t quite deliver.

This is the perfect cozy book to read for those looking for a simple and heartwarming tale about the many passengers on the Hankyu line. All the tales are indeed filled with hardships but we see the characters move forward in their search for humble happiness. I enjoyed seeing the different perspectives of the passengers like Shoko, Tokié, Misa, Kei'ichi, and Miho through their own viewpoints and how they intersect with each other. The book brought forth many unique and humbling acts to the surface. Happiness is a key emotion in this tale and I loved seeing the characters being able to move to it. Overall, this was a great cozy Japanese-translated book and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a simplistic book about people's daily lives while commuting on a train.

Sincere, poignant, and compelling!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a pensive, heart-tugging novel that takes you into the lives of a handful of people, each with their own struggles, troubles, and heartbreaks as their worlds become momentarily intertwined while travelling on a train heading from Takarazuka to Nishinomiya.

The prose is eloquent and insightful. The characters are unique, sympathetic, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, love, friendship, support, generosity, honesty, guidance, acceptance, forgiveness, romance, humour, introspection, and loss.

Overall, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a reflective, touching, heartwarming tale by Arikawa that reminds us of what’s truly important in life and highlights the sheer power of kindness and compassion.

A solid slice of life book of chance encounters and lessons learned.

I really loved this - it’s a quiet read that follows many passengers on the Hankyu line and their individual stories. In many ways, these characters help each other live better lives.

Really touching and cute, this is the perfect book to sit down and read in one sitting.

"It's a small world" takes on profound meaning in Arikawa's quietly powerful "The Passengers on the Hankyu Line." The gentle rhythm of train wheels becomes the heartbeat connecting seemingly disparate lives—strangers whose paths cross fleetingly yet meaningfully along Japan's bustling commuter line.

Arikawa transforms this ordinary railway into something magical, a literary thread binding human stories together. What struck me most was her seamless technique of transitioning between characters—a brief shared glance, neighboring seats, or passing encounters become narrative bridges carrying us from one life to another. The train itself emerges as both backdrop and character, reliable yet constantly in motion, much like the lives it carries.

These aren't high-stakes adventures but deeply human moments that linger. I found myself nodding in recognition at the man who finally abandons "next time" thinking and seizes an opportunity that changes everything. The heartbroken woman's journey from vengeful pain to unexpected peace felt achingly familiar. When the grandmother finally welcomes a dog into her life, I could almost feel the warm weight of the animal against her legs. Most powerful was watching a woman gather the courage to break free from an abusive relationship—each subway stop marking another step toward reclaiming herself.

What makes these seemingly ordinary tales so affecting is their grounded authenticity. Arikawa captures life's small inflection points—those moments where tiny decisions alter our trajectory forever. The stories wrap around you like the comforting sway of a train car, familiar yet somehow extraordinary.

Days after finishing, I still find myself watching strangers in public spaces, wondering about their invisible connections and the stories riding alongside mine—parallel lives sharing this small, interconnected world.

Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley, for my complimentary book for review.

I picked up The Passengers on the Hankyu Line because of the adorable red dachshund on the cover—I'm a big dachshund lover and couldn't resist. So I was disappointed to find that the dachshund is barely in the story at all, and when it does appear, it’s actually described as a black and tan dachshund—not the red one shown on the cover. A small detail, but as a dachshund fan, it definitely stood out.

That aside, the book is a cute and heartwarming read. It’s short and moves quickly, with each chapter focusing on a different character whose story connects in a subtle way to the next.

As others have mentioned, some nuance might have been lost in translation, with a few emotional moments not landing quite as clearly as they could have. The mist jarring language barrier comes with the names of the train stations themselves as I really didn't know how to pronounce most of them so it kind of takes you out of the flow of reading.

Even with the misleading dachshund cover, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute story and a quick read.

The cover of this book drew me in, and i am familiar with some of the authors other work, such as The Traveling Cat Chronicles. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. While I usually enjoy a quiet, character driven story, this one was quite dull to me. I didn’t particularly connect with any of the characters and I wasn’t drawn in whatsoever. Not sure if it’s a translation issue, but it wasn’t memorable. The ending was also very abrupt and caught me off guard. Overall, this was about a 2.5 star read.

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa, and translated by Allison Markin Powell, was such a cute, cozy read. It was engaging in many ways with the different character arcs and storylines, while remaining light-hearted. Hiro Arikawa has the unique ability to write in a way where you are, as a reader, capable of feeling empathy for the characters in limited time, as the book is not lengthy. Each of the characters had their own unique charm and I love the way this book demonstrates the interconnectedness of our world through fiction. I really enjoyed this book! I didn’t find the story lines hard to follow in any way, and it just made for the perfect easy, relaxing read. If you love loveable, charming characters, and have loved other Japanese fiction books, I think you should take the time and read this. With valuable lessons integrated in these stories as well, it’s hard not to fall in love with it. Thank you Hiro Arikawa, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line
By Hiro Arikawa

This short book, written by a Japanese author, tells the story of a number of people with nothing really in common except that they ride the same train line. Each person's story is told as if in a photograph of a moment in time. Yet many of these people find their stories overlapping with those of others on the train.

The moment in time concept is an interesting way to present a story or stories. But what really makes the book fascinating is glimpses into Japanese culture, which is so different from our own. Instead of the entitled, "me first", "I am not responsible" mentality so prevalent in American society, we find a society which emphasizes respect for and deference to elders, authority, and rules. Characters here take to heart lessens from their elders and are accepting of responsibility when their actions upset others. How novel!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.