Book Review: The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book thanks to the publisher. All opinions are my own. Pub Date: June 3

This book is a little bit cutesier than I normally read but, when offered, I requested an ARC because it sounded like a nice palate cleanser and it would count toward my attempts to read more translated work. (This is translated from the original Japanese by Allison Markin Powell.)

Set almost entirely on the Hankyu rail line between the towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, we meet several passengers as they are going about their day. Some in their normal routines, others very much not. We see a young man finally meet the young woman who always takes out the library books he wants. A grandmother and her granddaughter, a girl thinking about leaving her abusive boyfriend, a young woman who just left a wedding that she attended as a guest but dressed as a bride.

The passengers paths cross in varying and satisfying ways. They influence each other, sometimes without even realizing it. In the second half we see them all six months later and see how that day on the train changed their lives. It was, exactly as I expected, a sweet and easy story to read. There were some interesting cultural aspects that stood out to me and reminded me that this was a book set in Japan, written by a Japanese writer, and comprised of Japanese characters. A much stronger emphasis on respect and etiquette, particularly around elders. There was also one relationship between a girl in high school and a man who finished university that left me feeling uncomfortable. I expected that the age difference would be the focus but in the end, this seemed to be upheld as a healthy relationship.

Aside from that, the six month update didn’t offer much in the way of surprise but showed the characters mostly where I expected them to be. I might not sound like I’m praising this book hugely and, likely, I won’t remember it much in a couple more months. But if you’re looking for an easy and not stressful book, this might fit the bill.