Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

I have loved reading books written by Japanese authors since I read Genki Kawamura’s If Cats Disappeared From the World . The perspective is totally different to that of Western writers and so I was intrigued to read another book from a Japanese writer.

The story is (obviously) about a woman that has worked in a convenience store for over 18 years. She knows the convenience store better than any other workers that has ever stepped foot inside the premises. She knows all the intricacies, like how to keep the store running efficiently and what the customers will be looking for depending on the weather or time of the day. It is as if she is a part of the store! However, due to her age and society’s expectations, her relationship with the convenience store suffers.

Although the story was interesting and insightful, it still wasn’t exciting. In fact, it was quite monotonous, which I believe was the writer’s intention. I don’t know whether it is a book that will interest everyone, however, I believe that it is still worth a read. It is also a really short book, which makes it an easy book to just pick up on the train or on your way to work. Overall, I am pleased that I read it and I feel like I have learnt a lot about how the Japanese, particularly in Tokyo, live.