Days at the Torunka Cafe

Author: Satoshi Yagisawa
Translated by: Eric Ozawa
Geemiz Rating: 4/5

Days at the Torunka Cafe | Book Review

Satoshi Yagisawa’s Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop are among the recent Japanese literature books that I truly enjoyed reading. They are comforting, healing, and filled with little life realizations to live by.

Days at the Torunka Cafe is no different. Its whole premise revolves around the healing that comes from reconnection.

Book Review of Days at the Torunka Cafe

Most of the time, we lose touch with a few people as we navigate life—the neighbor from our old neighborhood, an elementary school classmate, or a colleague from our very first job. We are fortunate to have those few who remain.

Rarely is someone given a second chance to reconnect with an old friend or someone from the past—especially if that person had a significant impact on their life. These people can either complete or break you. But no matter what, it is an opportunity to be thankful for. You are given a chance for closure from the past and, perhaps, a brighter future ahead.

Reading Japanese Lit Days at the Torunka Cafe by Satoshi Yagisawa

Another aspect I love about Days at the Torunka Cafe is its reminder to appreciate the people around us before it’s too late, just like Shuichi and Hiro, who realized this only at the very end. We tend to take our family and closest confidants for granted because we become so accustomed to their presence, forgetting that the future is always uncertain.

I also love that each character’s story in this translated Japanese novel does not end with a neatly tied resolution. Shuichi and Chinatsu are now a couple, but they still have a long way to go, especially since Shuichi is still studying. We do not know whether Hiro will return, and if he does, what will become of him and Ayako. Shizuku may have accepted her own identity, but does that mean she has fully come to terms with the death of her sister?

Favorite Quotes from Days at the Torunka Cafe

Satoshi Yagisawa Days at the Torunka Cafe

“I’m in good health, my job is going well, and I have someone in my life I really care about. So, in that sense, my life is fulfilling, and I think that’s what happiness is.” — Ogino

“Working on yourself takes an incredible amount of time.” — Ayako

“Even if we are apart, it didn’t mean we stop being a family.” — Shizuku

“Nothing good is going to come from pretending everything’s fine.” — Kota

“What matters is that we understand.” — Isao

“Human beings do not stop loving no matter how many times they get hurt.” — Ayako

“There are so many kinds of people in this world, and so many things you won’t know if you never stop to ask.” — Hiro

“No one wants someone they care about to be lonely.” — Shuichi

“It’s only after you lose something that you realize how precious it was.” — Shuichi

“I think three months is a tricky length of time—it’s too early to forget someone, but long enough that it’s pathetic to go on obsessing over someone you’ve lost.” — Shuichi

“The important thing is to start by living your life fully every day. Then things will start looking interesting all by themselves.” — Isao

Interesting Fact I Learned from Days at the Torunka Cafe

Days at the Torunka Cafe | Satoshi Yagisawa

Coffee was once called the “Devil’s Drink” or “Satan’s Drink.” It originated in Muslim countries and was widely consumed throughout the Islamic world until the beginning of the seventeenth century. Many people outside the Islamic world considered it an unclean drink until Pope Clement VIII took a sip and found it delicious. According to the story, he “baptized” coffee to remove its stigma, making it acceptable for Christians to drink.

About Days at the Torunka Cafe

A charming and poignant story set in a quiet Tokyo café, where customers find unexpected connections and experience everyday miracles.

About Days at the Torunka Cafe

Tucked away on a narrow side street in Tokyo is the Torunka Café, a neighborhood nook where the passersby are just as likely to be local cats as tourists. Its regulars include Chinatsu Yukimura, a mysterious young woman who always leaves behind a napkin folded into the shape of a ballerina; Hiroyuki Yumata, a middle-aged man who has returned to the neighborhood in search of the happy life he once gave up; and Shizuku, the café owner’s teenage daughter, who is still coming to terms with her sister’s death while falling in love for the first time.

While Café Torunka serves a perfect cup of coffee, it also provides these wandering souls with nourishment that lasts far beyond a single visit. Satoshi Yagisawa beautifully illuminates the moments in our lives when we feel lost—and how we eventually find our way again.

I originally wrote these notes as a journal for my own personal reflection. Over time, I realized that my thoughts were better shared with the outside world and with readers like you. I would truly appreciate it if you could leave a comment and share your own thoughts as well.

Together, let’s make the world a little better by reading one book at a time.