(I haven’t posted a review on this blog in literal years. On Goodreads, it’s spotty at best but I’m trying, okay?)
For my first read of the year, I went with a little novella about… well, a convenience store woman by the Japanese author, Sayaka Murata. I saw this available on Hoopla Digital and for a little over three hours of that day, I had something to do.
I felt that this was a perfect read for to ease myself into the year and into one of my “resolutions” of reading more books by Asian authors. And I’ve always wanted to read this since I first saw it at Kinokuniya. The narrator, Nancy Wu, did a good job of pronouncing the character names so it was a win-win for me.
What is a “convenience store”? Here in the US, we have 7-Eleven and gas station mini shops, and specifically in the Los Angeles Union Station, a Trimana. In Japan, they also have 7-Eleven and other stores called Family Mart, Lawson, Daily Yamazaki, and so many more. So what is a “convenience store woman”? It is what it says… a woman working in a convenience store. And she is our main character in this story.
(The Japanese title 「コンビニ人間」 literally translate to “convenience store person”.)
Keiko Furukura is 36 years old but still works parttime in a convenience store (when I was reading this, I was picturing a Family Mart). She shows up early the same time everyday, restocks shelves as needed, greets patrons with fervor, promotes timed sales, and is just an all-around yet unassuming part of the team. This book is a hilarious slice of life of everyday Japanese people. There’s a convenience store in every corner, especially in the big cities. A lot of them are open 24/7 and there’s always a person there greeting you “いらっしゃいませ！(Irasshaimase!)” But probably not as lively as Keiko would. 😉
I loved this so much. I was so engaged! If you don’t know, I spent a good part of 2019 traveling to Japan, where this book is set, and there is pretty much a convenience store (or three) at almost every block. It honestly kept me fed for the most part of my trips whenever I was too tired to go to a proper restaurant… or if my brain to too fried to manage in what little Japanese I know. I’ve become very familiar with convenience stores in Japan – as a customer, of course. If it carries onigiri, I might’ve gone through their doors. The hotel I frequent has a Family Mart at their ground floor and that’s where I tasted the best napolitan thus far.
I found myself nodding and laughing at so many parts of this book. From the greetings to how they arrange their wares to “make sure you get out of the way when you see a customer looking at something on the shelf”. It was such a slice-of-life, not just for the konbini workers, but also to the patrons of such establishments. If you’ve been to one, you would probably agree with me lol.
The author even expanded to Keiko’s life when she’s not working. It gave a peek at how Japanese society view age, jobs, family, and social status. While Keiko’s former classmates and “same-age friends” have married and had children and careers, she was content with her baito – part time job – at the convenience store and being single. This fact is disappointing to her parents and even to some of her friends. She finds support from her younger sister but that doesn’t stop her from hoping more things for Keiko.
Overall, it was a short and very enjoyable read. Now, I miss Tokyo. XD But it looks like I’ll be coming back for a visit some time soon!
(Also, I listened to this in English and found myself translating some scenes back to Japanese. It was THAT relatable to me!)
コンビニ人間 (Konbini ningen) by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
Rating: 5 stars.
Shelf Pickings 