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推しが門司港にやってくる!? コンビニ店員中尾はアイドルの来訪に歓喜するが、彼には深刻な悩みがあった。故郷を遠く離れ、ホームシックに陥った専業主婦の佳織は、男を豪快に振るド派手な女性に出会う。かつてツギを深く傷つけた魔性の女の要求は「偽装恋愛」で……。北九州門司港の小さなコンビニを舞台に、大人たちの物語が幕を上げる。元気がもらえる大人気シリーズ第三弾。
240 pages, Paperback Bunko
First published August 29, 2023
About the author
Sonoko Machida
24 books178 followersSonoko Machida (町田 そのこ) is a Japanese writer. Her story Cameroon no Aoi Sakana received the R-18 Literary Award in 2016. Her novel 52 Hertz no Kujiratachi won the 2021 Japan Booksellers' Award Grand Prize and sold over 400,000 copies in Japan.
Associated Names:
* Sonoko Machida (English)
* 町田 そのこ (Japanese)
* มาจิดะ โซโนะโกะ (Thai)
Associated Names:
* Sonoko Machida (English)
* 町田 そのこ (Japanese)
* มาจิดะ โซโนะโกะ (Thai)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group/Orion and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this ARC! The review is personal and unaltered by external factors.
5/5
“Our Friends at the Convenience Store by the Sea” by Sonoko Machida is the third instalment of “The Convenience Store by the Sea” series; similarly to the second book, this is also shorter, and has the continuity of the technical setting, that of several short stories that are ultimately beautifully intertwined within the little universe surrounding Tenderness. This novel has three short stories, each more intense than the other, the gradual significance of the psychological arcs being very skilfully built up.
As this is part of a longer series, we have our usual lovely cast making an appearance.
The first short story is from the perspective of my personal favourite character within the universe, Mitsuri. Our lovely lady is put in a major fangirling situation as one of her favourite idols visits the area as a local tourism ambassador. Her reaction to meeting an idol who is much younger but also shows an emotional depth beyond his years is an extremely charming dynamic to read and, as per usual, one thing leading to another, Saibara ends up interconnected to their small convenience store and Shiba. The story focuses on the idol, Saibara, and his existential crisis regarding his place in his band, along with trying to understand what defines him as a person. Being only twenty-two, his stress is quite normal at that age; however, the portrayal of the issue is sensibly done and, regardless of age, it touches the reader deeply. At some point, one way or another, everyone has felt this way, so Saibara’s troubles speak enormously.
« ‘What exactly is so wonderful about me? You say be yourself, but wrong is wrong. Be yourself is like watering only the flowers that are already in bloom. When it comes to the weeds, you just yank them out and you’re done. I’m a weed, you see? A weed, or a bird in borrowed feathers. You know that story? The bird in borrowed feathers?’
[…]
‘I think the other lesson of that story is that it’s important to work with what you already have. In other words, cultivate yourself. You don’t need someone else’s feathers.’ »
The second story follows Kaori, a newly married housewife at the tender age of twenty-three, who struggles with her new status in a completely new place, having moved to her husband’s hometown after the wedding. She struggles with her new identity, with figuring out who she is as a person once more after all these changes in her life. Kaori meets Takara and Jewel, the story evolving into a tender and heartwarming formation of a powerful and loving sisterhood between the three girls. Having similar issues to Kaori, all three struggle with finding and/or regaining their sense of being and their purpose in the wider world. The depiction of the psychological arc is extremely well-executed, the loss and recovery of a sense of self being portrayed surprisingly raw and vivid.
« ‘It’s a good thing to be able to chart your own course in the world, to make discoveries on your own, using your own power. I admire people who can do that. For sure. But not everyone in the world is like that. Sometimes, no matter how much you fret or suffer, you can’t do it on your own. Sometimes you need another person. And until you meet them, you can’t seem to get started on your journey. At least, that’s how it was for me. And maybe it’s true for you too, Jewel. Maybe there’s someone you have to meet, but you just haven’t met them yet.’ »
The third and final story follows Hirose, our straightforward young gem, and a recurring character, Hana. When in need of a date for her sister’s wedding, Hana approaches Hirose and over the duration of the party, the two end up getting to know one another on a deeply personal and intimate level from a psychological perspective. Hana’s life story is extremely painful and controversial, her frustrations with her family being very realistic yet quite sad. Her selfishness is, to an extent, understandable, and it is, perhaps, a cry for help, a plea for attention. I enjoyed her complexity as a character, and the overall style of this last short story — it is quite rather a modern social fresco, and a more profound experience, considering that otherwise the series does not deliver such tragic situations. I enjoyed finding out Tsugi’s backstory too.
« ‘That’s the thing with that girl. She holds it all inside her. The things she wants to say and the things she’s allowed to say and the things she needs to say – she puts other people’s feelings first, and holds it all inside.’ »
A special mention for the Shiba side-story sprinkled around the entire novel as a whole, with him being possessed by a ghost. It was quite hilarious and honestly suits the entire early autumn/September atmosphere of the novel.
The prose is delicate and beautiful as per usual — it is one of my favourite aspects of the series; the translation is flawlessly done, soft and tender yet sharp enough to maintain the direct yet gentle style of such a typically Japanese slice-of-life series. Considering the psychological arcs were a bit heavier this time around, particularly in Hana’s story, the overall experience was delivered especially elegantly.
Very much looking forward to the fourth volume!
5/5
“Our Friends at the Convenience Store by the Sea” by Sonoko Machida is the third instalment of “The Convenience Store by the Sea” series; similarly to the second book, this is also shorter, and has the continuity of the technical setting, that of several short stories that are ultimately beautifully intertwined within the little universe surrounding Tenderness. This novel has three short stories, each more intense than the other, the gradual significance of the psychological arcs being very skilfully built up.
As this is part of a longer series, we have our usual lovely cast making an appearance.
The first short story is from the perspective of my personal favourite character within the universe, Mitsuri. Our lovely lady is put in a major fangirling situation as one of her favourite idols visits the area as a local tourism ambassador. Her reaction to meeting an idol who is much younger but also shows an emotional depth beyond his years is an extremely charming dynamic to read and, as per usual, one thing leading to another, Saibara ends up interconnected to their small convenience store and Shiba. The story focuses on the idol, Saibara, and his existential crisis regarding his place in his band, along with trying to understand what defines him as a person. Being only twenty-two, his stress is quite normal at that age; however, the portrayal of the issue is sensibly done and, regardless of age, it touches the reader deeply. At some point, one way or another, everyone has felt this way, so Saibara’s troubles speak enormously.
« ‘What exactly is so wonderful about me? You say be yourself, but wrong is wrong. Be yourself is like watering only the flowers that are already in bloom. When it comes to the weeds, you just yank them out and you’re done. I’m a weed, you see? A weed, or a bird in borrowed feathers. You know that story? The bird in borrowed feathers?’
[…]
‘I think the other lesson of that story is that it’s important to work with what you already have. In other words, cultivate yourself. You don’t need someone else’s feathers.’ »
The second story follows Kaori, a newly married housewife at the tender age of twenty-three, who struggles with her new status in a completely new place, having moved to her husband’s hometown after the wedding. She struggles with her new identity, with figuring out who she is as a person once more after all these changes in her life. Kaori meets Takara and Jewel, the story evolving into a tender and heartwarming formation of a powerful and loving sisterhood between the three girls. Having similar issues to Kaori, all three struggle with finding and/or regaining their sense of being and their purpose in the wider world. The depiction of the psychological arc is extremely well-executed, the loss and recovery of a sense of self being portrayed surprisingly raw and vivid.
« ‘It’s a good thing to be able to chart your own course in the world, to make discoveries on your own, using your own power. I admire people who can do that. For sure. But not everyone in the world is like that. Sometimes, no matter how much you fret or suffer, you can’t do it on your own. Sometimes you need another person. And until you meet them, you can’t seem to get started on your journey. At least, that’s how it was for me. And maybe it’s true for you too, Jewel. Maybe there’s someone you have to meet, but you just haven’t met them yet.’ »
The third and final story follows Hirose, our straightforward young gem, and a recurring character, Hana. When in need of a date for her sister’s wedding, Hana approaches Hirose and over the duration of the party, the two end up getting to know one another on a deeply personal and intimate level from a psychological perspective. Hana’s life story is extremely painful and controversial, her frustrations with her family being very realistic yet quite sad. Her selfishness is, to an extent, understandable, and it is, perhaps, a cry for help, a plea for attention. I enjoyed her complexity as a character, and the overall style of this last short story — it is quite rather a modern social fresco, and a more profound experience, considering that otherwise the series does not deliver such tragic situations. I enjoyed finding out Tsugi’s backstory too.
« ‘That’s the thing with that girl. She holds it all inside her. The things she wants to say and the things she’s allowed to say and the things she needs to say – she puts other people’s feelings first, and holds it all inside.’ »
A special mention for the Shiba side-story sprinkled around the entire novel as a whole, with him being possessed by a ghost. It was quite hilarious and honestly suits the entire early autumn/September atmosphere of the novel.
The prose is delicate and beautiful as per usual — it is one of my favourite aspects of the series; the translation is flawlessly done, soft and tender yet sharp enough to maintain the direct yet gentle style of such a typically Japanese slice-of-life series. Considering the psychological arcs were a bit heavier this time around, particularly in Hana’s story, the overall experience was delivered especially elegantly.
Very much looking forward to the fourth volume!
October 17, 2025
2.3점
그냥 일본 감성 느끼고 싶을때 가볍게 시간 때우기용으로 읽기 좋다.
그냥 일본 감성 느끼고 싶을때 가볍게 시간 때우기용으로 읽기 좋다.
June 17, 2026
I went in with great expectations and came away sorely disappointed. The story was painfully dull. Surely the creators should have known when to quit while they were ahead.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews