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☕Book Review☕
Days at the Torunka Cafe by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa

𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘧𝘦 marks Satoshi Yagisawa’s exploration beyond the Morisaki Bookshop setting into café culture in Tokyo’s Yanaka/Jimbochō area. Much like its predecessors, 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘧𝘦 comprises of three interwoven short stories centered around the eponymous Torunka Café.

We get to meet Chinatsu Yukimura, a mysterious regular and explore the crisis and regret faced by middle-aged Hiroyuki Numata. Finally, at the end of the novel, we follow the owner’s daughter Shizuku as she comes to terms with loss, grief and her first love.

I dived into this expecting a tranquil, contemplative exploration of ordinary lives intersecting in a modest Tokyo café. However, what is intended as soothing and introspective veers into the territory of the painfully uneventful.

The execution feels emotionally detached and all the characters suffer from underdevelopment. Their inner lives are often hinted at but never deeply explored, leaving their arcs feeling unfinished or unresolved. Even the owner of the cafe (which I feel could have been a main character at the very least) wasn't explored.

At times, it felt as though the author neglected plot development, casually introducing illnesses without delving deeper into them. Considering one of the main characters suffered from an unexplained illness, the lack of exploration made it all the more disappointing.

Yagisawa’s prose is pared down and minimal (and frankly, mediocre as compared to his previous books). I'm not sure if the problem lies with the author or the translator. The excessive usage of "Is that right?" (which appeared more than twenty times in the book) exhausted me. (Those who’ve been following my rants know just how much I hate repetitions.)

Moreover, compared to its predecessors, this follow-up lacks the narrative cohesion and emotional warmth that made the first novel appealing.

Despite its serene aesthetic, 𝘋𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘢 𝘊𝘢𝘧𝘦 ultimately feels like a beautifully packaged book with little to say. The only thing this book managed to make me feel was a craving for Japanese coffee. BRB, I'm off to a Kissaten to satisfy that sudden craving!
𝓜𝔂 𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰: ⭐⭐⭐/5

I don’t know if there was a lost in translation moment going on but I just didn’t enjoy this book at all. I kept falling asleep while trying to read it because I was so bored.

To review each story:
The first story had unnecessary sexual comments, some about an underage girl. The love story was all over the place and didn't make any sense.
The second story was boring and I didn't get any joy from it.
And the last story was doing so well, it was exploring grief in a fantastic way, but then the protagonist fell in love with her dead sister's lover and decided she wanted to become her sister so he would fall in love with her as well.
The entire novel was a let down. I loved Days at the Morisaki Bookshop! I really wanted to love this one as well.

Reading Days at the Torunka Café felt like stepping into a warm, sunny corner of Tokyo where time slows down and emotions are gently stirred. Yagisawa has a gift for crafting spaces that feel like sanctuaries, and the Torunka Café is no exception. It’s not just a setting—it’s a character, quietly observing the lives that pass through its doors. What struck me was the quiet strength of the characters. While each one is dealing with loss, regret, longing or searching for a meaning the author offers small moments of connection.

The pacing slow, but for me it was a reminder that healing often happens in the in between spaces of life. This book has the most warm & comforting feel. It isn’t a story that shouts, rather it listens and sometimes that is all we need as human beings.

Thanks to Harper Perennial for the opportunity to read & give my honest review.

I am an American reader, but found this gentle story to be touching and memorable.

Do you remember the ‘Good Witch,’ a TV series where main character Cassie runs a shop and intuitively sends home the right gift with each visitor? Maneki-Neko, or good-luck cats, seem to have a similar role in Japanese culture. So it’s no surprise that stray cats lead the way to an off-beat little café for our protagonists, who each need a spiritual lift to re-connect to something good that got complicated in their past. With some supplemental reading, I learned that older objects are understood to have a bit of magical power. It only makes sense that a pink pay telephone is mentioned often in the story. A lovely story and a testament to the worth of the ’third place.’

Harper Perennial was kind enough to provide me with a link to the arc, and all opinions are my own.

What can I say about this fantastic and adorable novella that made me cry? Oh wait, I just did. As with the Morasaki books, this is a cazy and lovely look at people and how our actions and decisions affect5 those around us. It shows us the connections we all have when at times we may not see them. 5 stars.