May: Book column

This month’s column comes to us from Tokyo, where Bookbag’s Ocean Tawiah is currently teaching English and and doing poetry gigs...

After telling myself that I wouldn’t buy any new books until I finished the ones I brought to Japan, I found myself at an end-of-year book sale in one of the few bookshops here that sells translated fiction. So, of course, I left with several titles. ‘What You Are Looking For is In the Library’ by Michiko Aoyama was one of these impulse buys, and I can’t say I regret it.

‘What You Are Looking For is In the Library’ can be defined as a coming-of-age novel, and features characters in different phases of their adult life –  like Tomoka who is fresh out of university, and Masao who has just started his retirement. Each character is related by the fact that they are unhappy with their current working environment and in desperate need of a change, and, in one way or another, this brings them to the library. Through their encounters with skilled librarian Sayuri Komachi, we watch these characters get the spark they need to change their lives in small but meaningful ways, usually through a change in mindset. 

The tone of the book is gentle and understanding. I think many of us can relate to wanting more from life or feeling stagnant and the novel addresses this beautifully, which is why I think it was such a fluid and engaging read.

I was lucky enough to have a little adventure off the back of this book. In the second chapter, Ryo dreams of opening an antique shop but is held back by work commitments and fear of failure. After an unorthodox book recommendation from Komachi, he ends up visiting Cats Now Books; a cat-themed bookshop run by a man with two full-time jobs and a passion for cat rescue. This inspires Ryo to balance his full-time work with opening the shop of his dreams, and as the reader, you can’t help but cheer him on.

Turns out, this bookshop is real and located 30 minutes from my apartment in Tokyo! It’s named Cat’s Meow Books (a cat’s pronunciation of Cats Now Books perhaps) and owned by Masaya Yasumura who donates 10% of the shop’s profits to cat charities. Last weekend, I decided to pay the shop a visit. It was nestled in a quiet neighbourhood mainly serviced by trams that looked like they’d come straight out of the nineties (a stark difference from Tokyo’s usual futuristic, air-conditioned metro). The outside of the shop was welcoming and well-maintained, and I was greeted warmly when I worked up the nerve to go inside (it can be daunting going into small shops here, my Japanese is still a bit non-existent). The shop was filled to the brim with every cat-themed book imaginable; photography, picture books, long-form novels, and even manga.

I showed the owner my copy of ‘What You Are Looking for is in the Library’ and he asked to take a picture of me to send to the author! Turns out, after the book was translated, the bookstore has been visited by readers from all over the world. For a book with themes of belonging and community, this is a real testament to the universal power of a good book. This tiny bookstore managed to become an international hub for readers connecting with the desire to do more, and I think that is rather lovely.

If you get the chance and are feeling for a warm read, I’d recommend giving this book a go. It’s simple, easy to read, and might just give you the push to go and try something new.

Enjoy!