What I Learned at the Kobayashi Bookstore

A Japanese novel about a young woman who finds her calling thanks to meeting the owner of a small bookstore. After graduating from university, Rika Omori accidentally lands a job at a large book agency, but faces a problem: she has never been interested in literature, doesn’t have a favorite writer, and has no desire to sell books. How can she find motivation in work she doesn’t like and overcome the first difficulties? Eight stories by a smiling bookstore owner help Rika gain confidence, fall in love with reading, and determine her own life path. This book is for those who enjoy Japanese culture and stories about bookshops, who want comfort and inspiration, and believe that books can change lives. The novel is based on real events from the life of Yumiko Kobayashi, the owner of a bookstore on the outskirts of the shopping district north of Tatebana Station in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. The author notes that Yumiko’s stories can be useful not only to those who work in the book trade, but to everyone who wants to do their job in the best possible way—and she shares these feelings through the book.