Days of Bread, Soup, and Cats

A moving story about grief, love, and loneliness — and how simple, truly delicious food can heal.

After her mother’s death, Akiko quits her publishing job and returns to her old family izakaya to breathe new life into it by turning it into a cafe.

Regulars don’t accept change: instead of the familiar coziness, there’s a restrained interior, no television, and at the center of the menu are only soup and bread. Where are the noisy feasts? How do you eat without fiery spices? But for Akiko, this isn’t a whim—it’s an attempt to learn how to see what matters and feel more deeply without scattering herself on what’s unnecessary. Despite her doubts and others’ disapproval, she carries out her work calmly, cherishing quiet conversations with her only kitchen assistant and peaceful evenings at home with her cat, Taro.

This is how her understated, clear everyday life takes shape—both sad and bright.

A Japanese bestseller translated into several languages.

For fans of the books “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop,” “The Convenience Store Man,” and the film “Perfect Days.”