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Goodnight Tokyo
Matsui is the driver of a taxi the colour of the night sky. Every night between the hours of 1 am and 4.30 am, Matsui guides his taxi around the streets of Tokyo, collecting passengers and their stories.
Seen through the eyes of a cast of colourful characters, Goodnight Tokyo takes the reader on an intimate journey around Tokyo after dark, when Tokyo's eccentrics and insomniacs emerge, and a small grain of madness begins to germinate in the city's night air. Confessions of intimacy and loneliness merge with the the funeral of an old telephone, the flea-market in which objects are bartered for that don't actually exist.
Told over a number of nights – and punctuated by Matsui's dawn arrival at his favourite canteen for a plate of their famous ham and eggs – Yoshida weaves a web of stories that prove to be intimately cand compellingly connected.
Seen through the eyes of a cast of colourful characters, Goodnight Tokyo takes the reader on an intimate journey around Tokyo after dark, when Tokyo's eccentrics and insomniacs emerge, and a small grain of madness begins to germinate in the city's night air. Confessions of intimacy and loneliness merge with the the funeral of an old telephone, the flea-market in which objects are bartered for that don't actually exist.
Told over a number of nights – and punctuated by Matsui's dawn arrival at his favourite canteen for a plate of their famous ham and eggs – Yoshida weaves a web of stories that prove to be intimately cand compellingly connected.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2018
574 people are currently reading
12482 people want to read
About the author
Atsuhiro Yoshida
41 books51 followersJapanese name: 吉田篤弘
A literary mainstay in Japan, Atsuhiro Yoshida is the author of over 40 books. He is also an innovative book designer and part of a creative design duo with his wife, Hiromi, under their company, Craft-Ebbing & Co. In 1994, the pair launched into the Japanese literary scene with an art exhibition featuring handcrafted covers for fictional books, gaining attention for their unconventional designs and thought-provoking titles. (Japan Times)
A literary mainstay in Japan, Atsuhiro Yoshida is the author of over 40 books. He is also an innovative book designer and part of a creative design duo with his wife, Hiromi, under their company, Craft-Ebbing & Co. In 1994, the pair launched into the Japanese literary scene with an art exhibition featuring handcrafted covers for fictional books, gaining attention for their unconventional designs and thought-provoking titles. (Japan Times)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 786 reviews
December 18, 2025
giving nightlife a whole new meaning
(get it? because this is about people living their lives at night?)
(i'm wasted on you guys.)
(anyway review to come)
(get it? because this is about people living their lives at night?)
(i'm wasted on you guys.)
(anyway review to come)
July 24, 2024
Bookbinder, graphic designer and prolific author Atsuhiro Yoshida hails from Tokyo and draws on his experiences of the city for his novel. Instead of a conventional, linear narrative Yoshida presents a series of interconnecting pieces centred on weary, middle-aged taxi driver Matsui and a cross-section of his nighttime customers, from regulars to casual passengers. The result’s an atmospheric slice-of-life piece with an off-kilter feel that reminded me of Midnight Diner - the Japanese TV show adapted from Yarō Abe’s manga. Like that, this is an offbeat depiction of Tokyo in the early hours: sometimes eerily quiet, slightly unsettling, but also somehow liberating for those still awake and travelling through its streets.
Matsui works for Blackbird taxis, it’s 2018 and business is bad, another casualty of the wider economic downturn. Yet Matsui’s just about managing to keep afloat helped by regulars like Mitsuki who sources props for a film company. Her last-minute orders to find loquat fruits for a morning shoot sets Yoshida’s story in motion. Mitsuki’s quest leads her and Matsui to a woman calling herself the ‘loquat thief’ harvesting loquats for homemade wine. This encounter interconnects with a late-night diner where a woman pines for a long-lost customer; and a detective frequenting all-night cinemas in an effort to track down movies featuring his father, former B-movie actor. Gradually Matsui and his numerous customers’ lives begin to overlap, hidden links between them emerge which might be sheer coincidence but could perhaps suggest the hidden hand of fate. Tokyo at night’s convincingly drawn, and I found elements of Yoshida’s plot unexpectedly charming and/or intriguingly eccentric – although some episodes were unsatisfyingly sketch-like. Translated by Haydn Trowell.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Europa Editions for an ARC
Rating: 2.5
Matsui works for Blackbird taxis, it’s 2018 and business is bad, another casualty of the wider economic downturn. Yet Matsui’s just about managing to keep afloat helped by regulars like Mitsuki who sources props for a film company. Her last-minute orders to find loquat fruits for a morning shoot sets Yoshida’s story in motion. Mitsuki’s quest leads her and Matsui to a woman calling herself the ‘loquat thief’ harvesting loquats for homemade wine. This encounter interconnects with a late-night diner where a woman pines for a long-lost customer; and a detective frequenting all-night cinemas in an effort to track down movies featuring his father, former B-movie actor. Gradually Matsui and his numerous customers’ lives begin to overlap, hidden links between them emerge which might be sheer coincidence but could perhaps suggest the hidden hand of fate. Tokyo at night’s convincingly drawn, and I found elements of Yoshida’s plot unexpectedly charming and/or intriguingly eccentric – although some episodes were unsatisfyingly sketch-like. Translated by Haydn Trowell.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Europa Editions for an ARC
Rating: 2.5
June 9, 2024
What a charming delight this book was. Following the night-shift taxi driver Matsui and his many customers, it paints the nighthawks of Tokyo in the early hours. Matsui collects the strange and surreal stories of those he picks up, all of whom are connected in unexpected ways. All of whom are also desperately seeking connection.
This dreamlike and quite lovely novel is perfect for fans of Murakami and Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
This dreamlike and quite lovely novel is perfect for fans of Murakami and Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
April 24, 2025
[3.5 stars]
Set in the early morning hours all across Tokyo, this collection of short stories details various intersections of the lives of its characters. The magical and mysterious nature of the evening brings about chance encounters and changed lives.
From a taxi cab driver to a movie set decorator, a diner owner to a crisis hotline operator, these characters are all searching for something whether literal or metaphorical.
There’s a really strong atmosphere to these stories. The late night setting lends itself to a quiet and nostalgic town. And the way these characters lives almost impossibly overlap is fun to piece together.
I do wish the stories had been a little deeper because on their own each chapter isn’t necessarily a complete story, but rather a small piece in a larger puzzle. I did like the ending in how it came together, though it wasn’t quite enough to pull this into the favorites category.
Set in the early morning hours all across Tokyo, this collection of short stories details various intersections of the lives of its characters. The magical and mysterious nature of the evening brings about chance encounters and changed lives.
From a taxi cab driver to a movie set decorator, a diner owner to a crisis hotline operator, these characters are all searching for something whether literal or metaphorical.
There’s a really strong atmosphere to these stories. The late night setting lends itself to a quiet and nostalgic town. And the way these characters lives almost impossibly overlap is fun to piece together.
I do wish the stories had been a little deeper because on their own each chapter isn’t necessarily a complete story, but rather a small piece in a larger puzzle. I did like the ending in how it came together, though it wasn’t quite enough to pull this into the favorites category.
June 18, 2024
In der Millionenstadt Tokio ist Nachttaxifahrer Matsui mit seinem nachtblauen Auto unterwegs und chauffiert Fahrgäste aller Couleur. Um was für eine Art Menschen handelt es sich, die es Nachts aus ihrem Zuhause treibt? Wir lernen zum einen die Requisiteurin Mitsuki Sawatari vom Film kennen, die bis zum nahenden Morgen die skurrilsten Dinge für ein Filmset beschaffen muss und dabei auf eine Obstdiebin namens Kanako trifft, die bei der Telefonseelsorge arbeitet. Zum anderen einen nachtaktiven Händler Herrn Ibaragi mit seinem Geschäft für defektes Werkzeug oder einen Meisterdetektiv namens Shuro, der dem eigenen Vater hinterher spioniert, durch das Schauen von seinen alten Filmen und noch einige weitere liebenswürdig verschrobene Figuren.
Atsuhiro Yoshida schreibt diesen Roman in zwölf Kapiteln und jedes davon beginnt nachts um eins. Er trifft mit dem Tokioter Setting den richtigen Ton und baut gekonnt Metaphern ein. Die nächtliche Atmosphäre wird förmlich spürbar. Da das Büchlein nur 190 Seiten hat, ist es in kurzer Zeit lesbar.
Ich liebe japanische Literatur und von "Gute Nacht, Tokio" habe ich mich direkt angesprochen gefühlt: verschiedene Charaktere, deren Wege sich kreuzen, die für wenige Augenblicke, oder auch für länger, ihre Träume und Wünsche miteinander teilen. Die Figuren in diesem recht kurzen Episodenroman sind alle irgendwie speziell, sie sind Außenseiter, oft einsam, desillusioniert, haben ihre früheren Träume und Ziele aufgegeben. Fast immer sind sie auf der Suche nach etwas, ohne das unbedingt immer benennen zu können.
Der Autor führt diese Figuren auf etwas verschlungenen Pfaden zueinander. Sehr ruhig und warmherzig erzählt er ihre Geschichten, oft entbehren diese nicht einer gewissen Skurrilität. Der Schreibstil wirkt an manchen Stellen etwas unrund (der einzige Grund für meinen Sterneabzug), ob es an der Übersetzung liegen mag, wage ich nicht zu beurteilen. Die verschiedenen Episoden springen in der Zeit und zwischen den Figuren, so dass es manchmal kurz stockt, weil man erstmal wieder den Anschluss finden muss.
Atsuhiro Yoshida entwirft Schicksale, die sich perfekt in die Kulisse der Millionenmetropole Tokio einfügen. Sie sind anonyme Gestalten, die unerkannt an einem vorbeihuschen. Doch sie machen Tokios Vibe als pulsierende Stadt aus. Ohne sie würde etwas fehlen. Der Autor verbindet die einzelnen Figuren und ihre Geschichten miteinander, ihre sich kreuzenden Wege und ihre dadurch entstehende Weiterentwicklung. Sie verändern sich und zum Teil sogar ihr Leben - aus anfangs unzusammengehörenden Einzelteilen wird ein Ganzes, dass sich dem Leser erst zum Ende des Buches erschliesst. Alles steht letztlich miteinander in Verbindung.
Fazit: Wenn man nachts unterwegs ist, kann man einiges erleben und eine Begegnung mit Fremden kann völlig neue Perspektiven eröffnen.
Atsuhiro Yoshida schreibt diesen Roman in zwölf Kapiteln und jedes davon beginnt nachts um eins. Er trifft mit dem Tokioter Setting den richtigen Ton und baut gekonnt Metaphern ein. Die nächtliche Atmosphäre wird förmlich spürbar. Da das Büchlein nur 190 Seiten hat, ist es in kurzer Zeit lesbar.
Ich liebe japanische Literatur und von "Gute Nacht, Tokio" habe ich mich direkt angesprochen gefühlt: verschiedene Charaktere, deren Wege sich kreuzen, die für wenige Augenblicke, oder auch für länger, ihre Träume und Wünsche miteinander teilen. Die Figuren in diesem recht kurzen Episodenroman sind alle irgendwie speziell, sie sind Außenseiter, oft einsam, desillusioniert, haben ihre früheren Träume und Ziele aufgegeben. Fast immer sind sie auf der Suche nach etwas, ohne das unbedingt immer benennen zu können.
Der Autor führt diese Figuren auf etwas verschlungenen Pfaden zueinander. Sehr ruhig und warmherzig erzählt er ihre Geschichten, oft entbehren diese nicht einer gewissen Skurrilität. Der Schreibstil wirkt an manchen Stellen etwas unrund (der einzige Grund für meinen Sterneabzug), ob es an der Übersetzung liegen mag, wage ich nicht zu beurteilen. Die verschiedenen Episoden springen in der Zeit und zwischen den Figuren, so dass es manchmal kurz stockt, weil man erstmal wieder den Anschluss finden muss.
Atsuhiro Yoshida entwirft Schicksale, die sich perfekt in die Kulisse der Millionenmetropole Tokio einfügen. Sie sind anonyme Gestalten, die unerkannt an einem vorbeihuschen. Doch sie machen Tokios Vibe als pulsierende Stadt aus. Ohne sie würde etwas fehlen. Der Autor verbindet die einzelnen Figuren und ihre Geschichten miteinander, ihre sich kreuzenden Wege und ihre dadurch entstehende Weiterentwicklung. Sie verändern sich und zum Teil sogar ihr Leben - aus anfangs unzusammengehörenden Einzelteilen wird ein Ganzes, dass sich dem Leser erst zum Ende des Buches erschliesst. Alles steht letztlich miteinander in Verbindung.
Fazit: Wenn man nachts unterwegs ist, kann man einiges erleben und eine Begegnung mit Fremden kann völlig neue Perspektiven eröffnen.
August 3, 2024
I love Japanese Literature and I really wanted to like this novel of interconnected stories, but it just did not work at all for me. They drop Haruki Murakami's name on the cover, but the only connection I could find was the nationality of the author and a double moon in the 1Q84 vein. Too many characters to keep track of and too little time spent on each character to get invested. It chops and changes between their stories to the extent I found myself more interested what was happening anywhere else but in the book. The point of view constantly shifts and just as you are about to find focus on something it sends you hurtling off into another hotchpotch of unrelated ideas that make unsuccessful attempts at being philosophically deep and meaningful. The conversations between characters appear overdramatic and the narrative interspersing the dialogue does little to develop belief in the characters. The earthquake bit's connected to the peanut bit, the peanut bit's connected to the...To make any sense of it I think I'd have to read it again, but I really can't be bothered to waste another afternoon. I'm sure the translator did his best, and I wonder if it would read better in Japanese, but I think I've spent enough time on the Emperor's new pants for now.
October 9, 2024
Subtelna, nastrojowa, bardzo przyjemna lektura.
February 5, 2024
«Buongiorno Tōkyō. Ormai è quasi mattina.
La mattina però si era fatta velocemente pomeriggio, poi sera, poi notte e sotto il cielo di Tōkyō ora la luce pallida della luna si riversava sul ristorante, sul bar, sul negozio di anticaglie, sugli studi cinematografici e sul centro di consulenze telefoniche.»
È possibile che di notte le città cambino la loro mappa, mutino topografia, assumendo dimensioni e vastità differenti?
È quello che sembra suggerire questa storia, sfaldata in tante piccole vicende parallele, tutte collegate le une alle altre.
Se la Tōkyō diurna è veloce e frettolosa, nella notte le sue stesse strade diventano un luogo dal tempo sospeso in cui, per strane coincidenze, è possibile l’incontro: con qualcuno che ancora non si conosce, con qualcuno che ritorna da un passato che pareva sepolto, con se stessi e propri desideri più autentici.
Le atmosfere oniriche di «Buonanotte Tōkyō» si dissolvono alle prime luci dell’alba, ma la dolce speranza, simile a quella che un bel sogno lascia al mattino, non svanisce con l’ultima pagina.
Lo consiglio a chi cerca una lettura leggera, talvolta ovattata e sospesa, ma che lascia qualcosa su cui riflettere e pensare.
La mattina però si era fatta velocemente pomeriggio, poi sera, poi notte e sotto il cielo di Tōkyō ora la luce pallida della luna si riversava sul ristorante, sul bar, sul negozio di anticaglie, sugli studi cinematografici e sul centro di consulenze telefoniche.»
È possibile che di notte le città cambino la loro mappa, mutino topografia, assumendo dimensioni e vastità differenti?
È quello che sembra suggerire questa storia, sfaldata in tante piccole vicende parallele, tutte collegate le une alle altre.
Se la Tōkyō diurna è veloce e frettolosa, nella notte le sue stesse strade diventano un luogo dal tempo sospeso in cui, per strane coincidenze, è possibile l’incontro: con qualcuno che ancora non si conosce, con qualcuno che ritorna da un passato che pareva sepolto, con se stessi e propri desideri più autentici.
Le atmosfere oniriche di «Buonanotte Tōkyō» si dissolvono alle prime luci dell’alba, ma la dolce speranza, simile a quella che un bel sogno lascia al mattino, non svanisce con l’ultima pagina.
Lo consiglio a chi cerca una lettura leggera, talvolta ovattata e sospesa, ma che lascia qualcosa su cui riflettere e pensare.
October 8, 2024
Haruki Murakami said in his novel After Dark: "Time moves in a special way in the middle of the night. And there's nothing we can do about it." And it really is like that. Cities live a special life after midnight until sunrise, when everything returns to normal, at least the daytime routine. Tokyo, like any other city, has its nightlife. The people who inhabit it: a taxi driver who always works the night shift, a loquat thief, a warehouse worker at a film studio, a woman who works in a call center for conversations and advice, a private detective about whom films are made, a group of women who run a diner that works only at night.
As a boy, Matsui read the picture book "The Car Is the Color of the Sky" in which a taxi driver named Matsui drives unusual passengers such as bears and foxes in his sky-colored taxi, which influenced him to become a taxi driver in a sky-colored taxi, but Matsui changes companies and vehicles looking for the sky-colored one. Alas, to no avail. He currently works in a company that only does night driving, and while one night he stands and looks at the night sky, he realizes that he has made his dream come true because his car is the color of the sky, albeit night sky, not clear blue day sky.
Mitsui works in the warehouse of a film studio, her job is to get props whenever it comes to the mind of one of the directors, and it is usually in the dead of night. Then she reaches out for the help of a friend and calls Matsui. On one of her quests, Matsui and her meet a loquat thief.
Kanako works in a call center, specifically the Tokyo No. 3 Consultation room. During the night, she receives strange calls and helps people with their problems while trying to solve her problem and find her brother who ran away from home a few years ago because of her excessive love and affection.
There's also Detective Shuro, a man who walks around with a bunch of keys to all the apartments he's lived in.
Then there are the four women who run "Yotsukado", a diner that only works at night, a place that serves as a crossroads where all the characters meet, where their stories intertwine. One of the women, Ayano, works there only to find Tashir, a magician she has never forgotten.
Maeda, in his old age, realizes his dream of becoming a bar owner and a bartender who serves people drinks.
Ibaragi, is the owner of an unusual antique shop that is home to things that have lost their function and are waiting for a new home where they will become something new.
They all share the night and loneliness. They are all looking for something, a person, advice, or a thing, it doesn't matter. The night connects them all.
"Good Night, Tokyo" is not a novel, it is not a collection of short stories, and yet it is also a novel and a collection of short stories, or as the author himself says, "these are 11 different novels from his head". Some chapters are intertwined, and some take place at the same time in different places. They even share the same characters, but each chapter starts at exactly 1 a.m., neither a minute before nor later, and lasts until 4:30 p.m. The whole plot of the novel lasts over several nights in one year, where in the end all the characters find what they were looking for, maybe not in the form they thought, but they found.
If you are a fan of Haruki Murakami and his lonely characters, or if you are a lover of the night, this is the perfect novel for you.
As a boy, Matsui read the picture book "The Car Is the Color of the Sky" in which a taxi driver named Matsui drives unusual passengers such as bears and foxes in his sky-colored taxi, which influenced him to become a taxi driver in a sky-colored taxi, but Matsui changes companies and vehicles looking for the sky-colored one. Alas, to no avail. He currently works in a company that only does night driving, and while one night he stands and looks at the night sky, he realizes that he has made his dream come true because his car is the color of the sky, albeit night sky, not clear blue day sky.
Mitsui works in the warehouse of a film studio, her job is to get props whenever it comes to the mind of one of the directors, and it is usually in the dead of night. Then she reaches out for the help of a friend and calls Matsui. On one of her quests, Matsui and her meet a loquat thief.
Kanako works in a call center, specifically the Tokyo No. 3 Consultation room. During the night, she receives strange calls and helps people with their problems while trying to solve her problem and find her brother who ran away from home a few years ago because of her excessive love and affection.
There's also Detective Shuro, a man who walks around with a bunch of keys to all the apartments he's lived in.
Then there are the four women who run "Yotsukado", a diner that only works at night, a place that serves as a crossroads where all the characters meet, where their stories intertwine. One of the women, Ayano, works there only to find Tashir, a magician she has never forgotten.
Maeda, in his old age, realizes his dream of becoming a bar owner and a bartender who serves people drinks.
Ibaragi, is the owner of an unusual antique shop that is home to things that have lost their function and are waiting for a new home where they will become something new.
They all share the night and loneliness. They are all looking for something, a person, advice, or a thing, it doesn't matter. The night connects them all.
"Good Night, Tokyo" is not a novel, it is not a collection of short stories, and yet it is also a novel and a collection of short stories, or as the author himself says, "these are 11 different novels from his head". Some chapters are intertwined, and some take place at the same time in different places. They even share the same characters, but each chapter starts at exactly 1 a.m., neither a minute before nor later, and lasts until 4:30 p.m. The whole plot of the novel lasts over several nights in one year, where in the end all the characters find what they were looking for, maybe not in the form they thought, but they found.
If you are a fan of Haruki Murakami and his lonely characters, or if you are a lover of the night, this is the perfect novel for you.
April 8, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
Was geschieht in Tokio um ein Uhr nachts? Was für Menschen treibt es da auf die Straßen? Wie sehen ihre Leben aus und wie sind ihre Schicksale in diesen Stunden verbunden?
Ein Taxifahrer, eine Telefonfürsorgerin, eine Requisiteurin, ein Meisterdedektiv und ein Kramladenbesitzer lassen uns einen Blick in ihren ungewöhnlichen Alltag und ihre Sorgen werfen.
Eine schöne Lektüre für Zwischendurch Stellen, die ans Herz gehen und solchen, die einem ein Schmunzeln hervorkitzeln.
Mehr im Lesemonat Februar:
https://youtu.be/NjihXBWrYM4
Viel Spass bei der Lektüre.
Was geschieht in Tokio um ein Uhr nachts? Was für Menschen treibt es da auf die Straßen? Wie sehen ihre Leben aus und wie sind ihre Schicksale in diesen Stunden verbunden?
Ein Taxifahrer, eine Telefonfürsorgerin, eine Requisiteurin, ein Meisterdedektiv und ein Kramladenbesitzer lassen uns einen Blick in ihren ungewöhnlichen Alltag und ihre Sorgen werfen.
Eine schöne Lektüre für Zwischendurch Stellen, die ans Herz gehen und solchen, die einem ein Schmunzeln hervorkitzeln.
Mehr im Lesemonat Februar:
https://youtu.be/NjihXBWrYM4
Viel Spass bei der Lektüre.
January 21, 2024
Buonanotte Tokyo è un libro coccola. È delicato, sopra le righe, a volte magico.
Ogni capitolo è dedicato a una diversa notte, durante le quali si intrecciano le vite di numerosi personaggi. Ho trovato che ognuno di loro, nonostante la brevità del libro, fosse descritto alla perfezione. In pochissime pagine, l’autore ti delinea il personaggio, nelle sue contraddizioni, incertezze e peculiarità. Ognuno di loro sta affrontando sfide diverse. È bellissimo vedere come tutti, nel loro piccolo, tentano di aiutarsi, come anche con una semplice parola riescano a motivare, a dare una mano. È un libro che ci mostra come un piccolo gesto di gentilezza da parte nostra, per l’altro possa essere un uragano. Un bellissimo messaggio di semplicità, unità e meraviglia. Davvero davvero bello. Come mangiare le fragole con la panna.
Ogni capitolo è dedicato a una diversa notte, durante le quali si intrecciano le vite di numerosi personaggi. Ho trovato che ognuno di loro, nonostante la brevità del libro, fosse descritto alla perfezione. In pochissime pagine, l’autore ti delinea il personaggio, nelle sue contraddizioni, incertezze e peculiarità. Ognuno di loro sta affrontando sfide diverse. È bellissimo vedere come tutti, nel loro piccolo, tentano di aiutarsi, come anche con una semplice parola riescano a motivare, a dare una mano. È un libro che ci mostra come un piccolo gesto di gentilezza da parte nostra, per l’altro possa essere un uragano. Un bellissimo messaggio di semplicità, unità e meraviglia. Davvero davvero bello. Come mangiare le fragole con la panna.
November 28, 2024
The premise of this book sounded good but the execution was kind of flat I really didn’t care much for any of the characters or what was really going on. All the endings to the short stories were pretty much predictable. I was just hoping for something more and there’s not a whole lot in there there’s an audience out there for this book it just felt really flat for me.
October 13, 2024
Unbelievable. I bought this earlier today on a whim because I saw the cover and fell in love. Later that same day, I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting and falling in love with it. Turns out you can judge books by their covers.
This is a collection of intersecting short stories, which, if you know me, I do not like short stories. But what makes this different from regular short stories is that all of these short stories blend together seamlessly to tell the tale of one novel. And it's beautifully done. Even though it's a rather short book less than 200 pages, each character feels so true and honest, and the entire book just feels like a love letter to the Tokyo city nights, and I fell completely in love with it. This book also has me YEARNING to go back to Japan so bad.
I honestly think this is quite a simple book. There's not much that goes on, and it doesn't really have any deep hidden meaning at all. I think overall, it's a short and sweet book that talks about fate, human connection, and how lost things can always be found by looking somewhere else unexpected. It's such a cute and heartfelt book that I'm actually so sad I finished this book so quickly because I want to spend a little more time with these characters now.
Now, if you know me, I hate books with a huge cast of characters. Surprisingly, this book has a HUGE cast of characters, and yet, I loved it all. I think this book is a perfect example of giving each character meaning to the story, and giving each character the proper development for the reader to become attached to them. Every single character in this book is beautifully described, and each of them adds something new and different to the late night scenes of Tokyo. I love every single character in this book and I would be best friends with every single one of them if I could.
Tokyo is almost a character in this novel itself. Tokyo is present on every single page, and it's just such a beautiful depiction of the city and its people. I loved it.
If I could compare this book to another, I think this book gives the same vibes as Evenings and Weekends by Oisin Mckenna. Evenings and Weekends is a book that almost feels like a love letter to London, featuring a large cast of characters that are beautifully intertwined with one another, and I think Goodnight Tokyo gives the same effect. Except that Goodnight Tokyo is a little bit more wholesome and happy lol.
I genuinely love this book so much. I honestly did not think I would fall in love with this book that much. Judging on past reviews for this book on Goodreads, I thought I would give this book 4 stars because it doesn't seem to have that many 5 star ratings, but idk girl. Something about this book really clicked with me. I will definitely be rereading this book, especially since I'm planning on going back to Japan in the summer (eeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!)
Anyway, this is such a delightful book, and even though it's small, it tells the story of Tokyo at night so incredibly well. I loved the discussion of love, of loneliness, of human connection, and of lost things/people, and most of all, I just loved the characters. It's an absolute beautiful book. I don't know if I would say it's a must-read, but it's definitely a wholesome read that you could just cuddle up and devour in one sitting if you want something cozy to read late at night (which I did!!!! It's currently 3in the morning when I finished the book!!!). Ok bye!!!!!!!
This is a collection of intersecting short stories, which, if you know me, I do not like short stories. But what makes this different from regular short stories is that all of these short stories blend together seamlessly to tell the tale of one novel. And it's beautifully done. Even though it's a rather short book less than 200 pages, each character feels so true and honest, and the entire book just feels like a love letter to the Tokyo city nights, and I fell completely in love with it. This book also has me YEARNING to go back to Japan so bad.
I honestly think this is quite a simple book. There's not much that goes on, and it doesn't really have any deep hidden meaning at all. I think overall, it's a short and sweet book that talks about fate, human connection, and how lost things can always be found by looking somewhere else unexpected. It's such a cute and heartfelt book that I'm actually so sad I finished this book so quickly because I want to spend a little more time with these characters now.
Now, if you know me, I hate books with a huge cast of characters. Surprisingly, this book has a HUGE cast of characters, and yet, I loved it all. I think this book is a perfect example of giving each character meaning to the story, and giving each character the proper development for the reader to become attached to them. Every single character in this book is beautifully described, and each of them adds something new and different to the late night scenes of Tokyo. I love every single character in this book and I would be best friends with every single one of them if I could.
Tokyo is almost a character in this novel itself. Tokyo is present on every single page, and it's just such a beautiful depiction of the city and its people. I loved it.
If I could compare this book to another, I think this book gives the same vibes as Evenings and Weekends by Oisin Mckenna. Evenings and Weekends is a book that almost feels like a love letter to London, featuring a large cast of characters that are beautifully intertwined with one another, and I think Goodnight Tokyo gives the same effect. Except that Goodnight Tokyo is a little bit more wholesome and happy lol.
I genuinely love this book so much. I honestly did not think I would fall in love with this book that much. Judging on past reviews for this book on Goodreads, I thought I would give this book 4 stars because it doesn't seem to have that many 5 star ratings, but idk girl. Something about this book really clicked with me. I will definitely be rereading this book, especially since I'm planning on going back to Japan in the summer (eeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!)
Anyway, this is such a delightful book, and even though it's small, it tells the story of Tokyo at night so incredibly well. I loved the discussion of love, of loneliness, of human connection, and of lost things/people, and most of all, I just loved the characters. It's an absolute beautiful book. I don't know if I would say it's a must-read, but it's definitely a wholesome read that you could just cuddle up and devour in one sitting if you want something cozy to read late at night (which I did!!!! It's currently 3in the morning when I finished the book!!!). Ok bye!!!!!!!
September 5, 2025
There was nothing wrong with this book; it was interesting in its own way, but I just couldn't connect with the characters.
July 25, 2024
3.5 stars. I love this style of narrative, where we have individual stories that overlap. Another solid, heart warming read about people being people.
January 6, 2025
I'll start off by saying I am not a very critical reader at all; I always try to find something I enjoy or appreciate about the books I read and try to learn from them. Goodnight Tokyo, however, is so badly written and has so little going for it that it baffles me it even got published at all. How this has become the international bestseller it is, with mostly positive reviews on here, is simply beyond me.
I just couldn't buy the story because I kept being distracted by the awful writing. Therefore: one star, and to justify the rare brutality of this rating, here's a possibly disproportionate list of gripes plus examples.
On a sentence-level, the pages are riddled with sloppy formulations such as:
All of a sudden, the temperature had suddenly plunged a full two degrees.
This man might have what it takes to be a better detective than he himself did, Shuro thought with a grin.
Being night-blind since birth, dark places looked to her completely black.
There is a lot of repetition between the narrator, interior monologue and dialogue, not only giving everything the same voice, but also clumsily exposing that it all springs from the same (the author's) mind. Often one character starts talking precisely about what another character happened to be thinking:
Was the man a detective? He didn't look the part, but even so...
"Have you ever heard of detective Shuro?" the man asked.
Then there's the inconsistencies. The four ladies are "racked with indecision" about what to name their new diner, yet decide on the first suggestion after ten short lines of dialogue.
More examples:
"That's an earthquake," he said calmly. [...] Like an animal whose wild instincts had been awakened, Medea ducked low to the ground.
Moriizumi, halfway to her feet, returned to her seat.
Mitsuki wasn't a strong drinker. Half a beer was usually enough to leave her red-faced and tipsy [...] [...] By the end of it, her face would turn deathly pale, and she would end up gasping for air. [...] As such, she had to be incredibly careful around alcohol. Not a strong drinker seems a bit of a euphemism here, I would think.
One of the biggest issues for me is that the author spells everything out for the reader. There is not a single connection, conclusion or reference, no matter how simple (and they're all simple) left to our own intelligence or memory. Everything is made explicit and over-explained. The most extreme example:
Next to her private number was another belonging to the Tokyo No. 3 Consultation Room.
And then, one sentence later: The number, of course, was the main line at the Tokyo No. 3 Consultation Room.
The dialogue is wooden and forced. The vast cast of characters all seem interchangeable and there is a ludicrous amount of "Um", "Huh?" and "Well" going on. A lot of non-sensical interactions such as:
"What about you, Ayano? How's everything on your end?"
"Me? With work, you mean?"
"When is it not work with you?"
"What do you mean?"
[...]
"Hey. Are you okay?" Ichiko asked, speaking more loudly in response to Ayano's long silence.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"About what I must have been thinking."
"So you did have something else in mind?"
"Probably, yes."
And then there's the stuff that just doesn't make sense. The detective deducts someone is forty-eight years old and must have married late because he clearly had a five-year-old daughter, as there is a piece of paper [...] taped to the corner of the dashboard, emblazoned with freshly learned, clumsy handwriting. That's quite the conclusion given that he has no idea how long the paper has been there for.
So here we go, my first one-star-review in years.
I just couldn't buy the story because I kept being distracted by the awful writing. Therefore: one star, and to justify the rare brutality of this rating, here's a possibly disproportionate list of gripes plus examples.
On a sentence-level, the pages are riddled with sloppy formulations such as:
All of a sudden, the temperature had suddenly plunged a full two degrees.
This man might have what it takes to be a better detective than he himself did, Shuro thought with a grin.
Being night-blind since birth, dark places looked to her completely black.
There is a lot of repetition between the narrator, interior monologue and dialogue, not only giving everything the same voice, but also clumsily exposing that it all springs from the same (the author's) mind. Often one character starts talking precisely about what another character happened to be thinking:
Was the man a detective? He didn't look the part, but even so...
"Have you ever heard of detective Shuro?" the man asked.
Then there's the inconsistencies. The four ladies are "racked with indecision" about what to name their new diner, yet decide on the first suggestion after ten short lines of dialogue.
More examples:
"That's an earthquake," he said calmly. [...] Like an animal whose wild instincts had been awakened, Medea ducked low to the ground.
Moriizumi, halfway to her feet, returned to her seat.
Mitsuki wasn't a strong drinker. Half a beer was usually enough to leave her red-faced and tipsy [...] [...] By the end of it, her face would turn deathly pale, and she would end up gasping for air. [...] As such, she had to be incredibly careful around alcohol. Not a strong drinker seems a bit of a euphemism here, I would think.
One of the biggest issues for me is that the author spells everything out for the reader. There is not a single connection, conclusion or reference, no matter how simple (and they're all simple) left to our own intelligence or memory. Everything is made explicit and over-explained. The most extreme example:
Next to her private number was another belonging to the Tokyo No. 3 Consultation Room.
And then, one sentence later: The number, of course, was the main line at the Tokyo No. 3 Consultation Room.
The dialogue is wooden and forced. The vast cast of characters all seem interchangeable and there is a ludicrous amount of "Um", "Huh?" and "Well" going on. A lot of non-sensical interactions such as:
"What about you, Ayano? How's everything on your end?"
"Me? With work, you mean?"
"When is it not work with you?"
"What do you mean?"
[...]
"Hey. Are you okay?" Ichiko asked, speaking more loudly in response to Ayano's long silence.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking."
"About what?"
"About what I must have been thinking."
"So you did have something else in mind?"
"Probably, yes."
And then there's the stuff that just doesn't make sense. The detective deducts someone is forty-eight years old and must have married late because he clearly had a five-year-old daughter, as there is a piece of paper [...] taped to the corner of the dashboard, emblazoned with freshly learned, clumsy handwriting. That's quite the conclusion given that he has no idea how long the paper has been there for.
So here we go, my first one-star-review in years.
May 11, 2025
I loved the sleepy night time vibes, but I really struggled to keep up with the cast of characters.
October 21, 2023
Die 27jährige Mitsuki Sawatari arbeitet als Requisiteurin beim Film und muss häufig in letzter Minute ein Requisit besorgen, ohne das die Dreharbeit undenkbar wäre. Tag und Nacht kann sie sich auf ein bewährtes Netzwerk verlassen, das vom Stamm-Taxifahrer reicht bis zu Herrn Ibaragi, der im gleichnamigen Geschäft antiken Werkzeugen eine neue Bedeutung andichtet. Der Stadtteil, in dem dieses Netz gespannt ist, gleicht einem Dorf, in dem jeder jeden kennt. Das gilt nur solange Atsuhiro Yoshidas Figuren Arbeitskleidung tragen oder an ihrem Arbeitsplatz zu finden sind. Am falschen Ort oder im unerwarteten Outfit wären sie sich vermutlich fremd.
Der nur 190 Seiten lange Episoden-Roman lässt typische Nachtarbeiter aufeinandertreffen wie Kanako von der Telefonseelsorge, Moriizumi, die im Zweitjob nachts überflüssige Festnetztelefone „bestattet“ oder die vier patenten Frauen, die gemeinsam das Bistro Drehkreuz eröffnen. Yoshidas teils exzentrische Figuren balancieren offenbar auf dünnem Seil; denn ihre Existenz baut darauf, dass Nachtarbeiter und ihre Stammgäste füreinander berechenbar bleiben. Würden dem Kino die Räume gekündigt oder Kunden und Dienstleister ihre Absprachen nicht einhalten, bedrohte das Existenzen. Besonders fragil wirkte das Geschäft des Nacht-Taxifahrers Matsui auf mich, der Konkurrenz von einem flinkeren handyaffinen jungen Kollegen zu fürchten hat. Neben dem beruflichen Zusammenhang eint die Figuren, das sie sich in ihrem Leben verirrt haben oder auf der Suche nach dem letzten Puzzlestück sind, ohne das ihr Leben sinnlos bleiben wird. Besonders berührend fand ich die Symbolik des überflüssigen Festnetztelefons, an das Erinnerungen geknüpft sind, die so mancher Kunde nicht loslassen kann.
Dass die Begegnung mit Fremden völlig neue Perspektiven eröffnen kann und dabei ohne plumpe Ratschläge auskommt, macht den Roman zu einer zeitlosen Wohlfühllektüre, die viel zu schnell endet.
Der nur 190 Seiten lange Episoden-Roman lässt typische Nachtarbeiter aufeinandertreffen wie Kanako von der Telefonseelsorge, Moriizumi, die im Zweitjob nachts überflüssige Festnetztelefone „bestattet“ oder die vier patenten Frauen, die gemeinsam das Bistro Drehkreuz eröffnen. Yoshidas teils exzentrische Figuren balancieren offenbar auf dünnem Seil; denn ihre Existenz baut darauf, dass Nachtarbeiter und ihre Stammgäste füreinander berechenbar bleiben. Würden dem Kino die Räume gekündigt oder Kunden und Dienstleister ihre Absprachen nicht einhalten, bedrohte das Existenzen. Besonders fragil wirkte das Geschäft des Nacht-Taxifahrers Matsui auf mich, der Konkurrenz von einem flinkeren handyaffinen jungen Kollegen zu fürchten hat. Neben dem beruflichen Zusammenhang eint die Figuren, das sie sich in ihrem Leben verirrt haben oder auf der Suche nach dem letzten Puzzlestück sind, ohne das ihr Leben sinnlos bleiben wird. Besonders berührend fand ich die Symbolik des überflüssigen Festnetztelefons, an das Erinnerungen geknüpft sind, die so mancher Kunde nicht loslassen kann.
Dass die Begegnung mit Fremden völlig neue Perspektiven eröffnen kann und dabei ohne plumpe Ratschläge auskommt, macht den Roman zu einer zeitlosen Wohlfühllektüre, die viel zu schnell endet.
October 3, 2024
Lubicie filmy Jima Jarmuscha? Ja uwielbiam. Przypomniałam sobie o nich podczas lektury "Dobranoc, Tokio", bo tu klimat jak wyjęty z dzieł Jima J. Taksówkarz, który jest tu jedną z osi opowieści - jak w "Nocy na ziemi". Rozmowy o wszystkim i o niczym jak w "Kawie i papierosach". Nietuzinkowi bohaterowie, którzy - poznani w jednym rozdziale - pojawiają się później, by łączyć rwane wątki, jak w wielu filmach Jarmuscha. I przede wszystkim klimat, niespieszny rytm, zwyczajność podszyta magią...
"Koniec nocy był najspokojniejszą porą w Tokio".
Wtedy można szukać dziwnych rekwizytów do filmów. Odwiedzać sklep z każdym możliwym rupieciem na składzie (z zapomnianymi marzeniami włącznie). Prowadzić rozmowy w telefonie zaufania. Zajmować się pochówkiem przedmiotów. Być taksówkarzem, wprawdzie nie w taksówce koloru nieba, ale i tak jako powiernik i dobry duch dla potrzebujących. Tu wreszcie każdy znajduje swój brakujący element.
Tokio nocą rządzi się swoimi prawami. Ludzie dzielą przestrzeń z wronami, które podobno są duchami zmarłych, powracających w tęsknocie do miasta.
W tej szkatułkowej powieści niby niewiele się dzieje, a przecież dzieje się wszystko - ktoś podejmuje decyzję, ktoś się odnajdzie, ktoś zrozumie.
Podobało mi się.
"Koniec nocy był najspokojniejszą porą w Tokio".
Wtedy można szukać dziwnych rekwizytów do filmów. Odwiedzać sklep z każdym możliwym rupieciem na składzie (z zapomnianymi marzeniami włącznie). Prowadzić rozmowy w telefonie zaufania. Zajmować się pochówkiem przedmiotów. Być taksówkarzem, wprawdzie nie w taksówce koloru nieba, ale i tak jako powiernik i dobry duch dla potrzebujących. Tu wreszcie każdy znajduje swój brakujący element.
Tokio nocą rządzi się swoimi prawami. Ludzie dzielą przestrzeń z wronami, które podobno są duchami zmarłych, powracających w tęsknocie do miasta.
W tej szkatułkowej powieści niby niewiele się dzieje, a przecież dzieje się wszystko - ktoś podejmuje decyzję, ktoś się odnajdzie, ktoś zrozumie.
Podobało mi się.
September 23, 2025
I wish I saw the "a must read for Murakami fans." Comment before I started this book because I would've never started it! I could see the Murakami resemblance with the vibe that the book was trying to give which I do like to be fair to both authors they execute it very well. However, the downside of the Murakami resemblance was the characters lacking any depth or complexity, they were very one dimensional and their stories didn't really give anything for me to hold on to. At least Murakami usually idealizes an arrogant main character and gives him all his efforts, this book didn't even have that.
I loved the idea and really wanted to like this book but the execution did not appeal to me at all.
I loved the idea and really wanted to like this book but the execution did not appeal to me at all.
August 29, 2025
A wholesome read. Lots short interconnecting stories. The only downside was that there was a lot of characters for such a short book so it was hard to keep up.
October 20, 2024
“𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀”
Goodnight Tokyo is a collection of interconnected short stories set in nighttime Tokyo. The book follows diverse characters whose lives intertwine unexpectedly and are centered around a taxi driver called Matsui. Each chapter begins at 1 a.m., and although the stories may seem unrelated at first, they are all connected.
This book is filled with many captivating stories. There's the tale of Ayano and Shuro reuniting after parting ways when Ayano closed her shop. Next is the story of Kanako and Ren, siblings who went separate ways because Ren believed he needed to stand on his own. Additionally, there's the inspiring story of four friends coming together to open a diner despite not being close initially—also the story of a man, Shuro, who began searching for information about his father. Not to forget the narrative of Eiko, venturing into the world of acting and bravely tackling the challenges that come with it.
The characters face various challenges, such as regret, love, fate, loneliness, and searching for meaning. My favorite story is about the four women who open a diner together. Their chapter discusses regret, the one thing you don’t want to give up in life and life. I love this discussion even though they are talked surface only.
The book features a diverse cast of characters and multiple storylines, which can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. However, taking notes helped me keep track of everyone.
Despite finding the pace slow at times, I enjoyed the way the author brought the characters together and explored their interconnectedness. I loved how the characters began appearing in each other's stories and the odd little things that connected them all by the end. The way their lives intertwined and affected each other was really intriguing. It was fascinating to see how the subtle details in one character's story would later become significant in another's. I thoroughly enjoyed this interconnectedness and found it to be exciting!
Overall, "Goodnight Tokyo" is a charming read that delves into human connections and the complexities of life. The characters' experiences are set against the backdrop of nighttime Tokyo; although the stories are pretty mundane, something captivating about the way the characters navigate their human experiences will keep you engrossed in the narrative and make for an intriguing and enjoyable read.
Thank you, Times Reads, for the review copy!
Goodnight Tokyo is a collection of interconnected short stories set in nighttime Tokyo. The book follows diverse characters whose lives intertwine unexpectedly and are centered around a taxi driver called Matsui. Each chapter begins at 1 a.m., and although the stories may seem unrelated at first, they are all connected.
This book is filled with many captivating stories. There's the tale of Ayano and Shuro reuniting after parting ways when Ayano closed her shop. Next is the story of Kanako and Ren, siblings who went separate ways because Ren believed he needed to stand on his own. Additionally, there's the inspiring story of four friends coming together to open a diner despite not being close initially—also the story of a man, Shuro, who began searching for information about his father. Not to forget the narrative of Eiko, venturing into the world of acting and bravely tackling the challenges that come with it.
The characters face various challenges, such as regret, love, fate, loneliness, and searching for meaning. My favorite story is about the four women who open a diner together. Their chapter discusses regret, the one thing you don’t want to give up in life and life. I love this discussion even though they are talked surface only.
The book features a diverse cast of characters and multiple storylines, which can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. However, taking notes helped me keep track of everyone.
Despite finding the pace slow at times, I enjoyed the way the author brought the characters together and explored their interconnectedness. I loved how the characters began appearing in each other's stories and the odd little things that connected them all by the end. The way their lives intertwined and affected each other was really intriguing. It was fascinating to see how the subtle details in one character's story would later become significant in another's. I thoroughly enjoyed this interconnectedness and found it to be exciting!
Overall, "Goodnight Tokyo" is a charming read that delves into human connections and the complexities of life. The characters' experiences are set against the backdrop of nighttime Tokyo; although the stories are pretty mundane, something captivating about the way the characters navigate their human experiences will keep you engrossed in the narrative and make for an intriguing and enjoyable read.
Thank you, Times Reads, for the review copy!
November 13, 2024
Goodnight Tokyo, After Dark (Murakami) and Midnight Diner (Japanese TV Series), all share that quiet, introspective vibe, immersing you in the nocturnal heartbeat of Tokyo city.
It’s like exploring a different world, filled with hidden stories and poignant moments. The way the author and screenwriter capture the essence of night, the solitude, and the unspoken connections between people is just mesmerizing.
The vibes always have a beautiful way of romanticizing the small moments in life. The people, the conversations, the friendship, and of course food, those late-night tales do have a special kind of magic.
Highly recommended (all above) 🤭
It’s like exploring a different world, filled with hidden stories and poignant moments. The way the author and screenwriter capture the essence of night, the solitude, and the unspoken connections between people is just mesmerizing.
The vibes always have a beautiful way of romanticizing the small moments in life. The people, the conversations, the friendship, and of course food, those late-night tales do have a special kind of magic.
Highly recommended (all above) 🤭
November 21, 2024
Goodnight Tokyo, takes you on a journey through the streets of Tokyo after dark, where you meet its “insomniacs and eccentrics”. Twelve short stories are intertwined with its characters overlapping, thus making the book feel like a complete novel rather than short stories.
This book was beautifully written, fantastically translated & well received. I was instantly transported into this world of Tokyo after dark and felt as though I was immersed into these stories and watching them unfold in front of me. To me the short stories were bizarre but the more I read the more I loved these very outlandish tales.
If you enjoy Haruki Murakami & the Before the coffee gets cold series, then this book will be your vibe!
“… 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦𝘴 - 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 - 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 - 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵. “
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦… 𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 …”
This book was beautifully written, fantastically translated & well received. I was instantly transported into this world of Tokyo after dark and felt as though I was immersed into these stories and watching them unfold in front of me. To me the short stories were bizarre but the more I read the more I loved these very outlandish tales.
If you enjoy Haruki Murakami & the Before the coffee gets cold series, then this book will be your vibe!
“… 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘶𝘻𝘻𝘭𝘦𝘴 - 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 - 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 - 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵. “
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦… 𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 …”
February 19, 2024
Un grande boh
September 14, 2024
Selalu suka sama cerita yang nunjukin kehidupan kita tuh selalu berpapasan sama orang lain. Goodnight Tokyo berisi kumpulan cerpen yang berhubungan satu sama lain. Tokoh-tokohnya seringkali saling berpapasan di cerita masing-masing hingga akhirnya bertemu di chapter terakhiran.
Bagus sih aku suka buku-buku slice of life no plot just vibes gini. Sempet agak bosen dikit di tengah karena gatau akan dibawa kemana ceritanya tapi setelah jeda bentar akhirnya aku menyelesaikan buku ini.
Full review akan aku up di ig seperti biasa ya
4/5⭐️
Bagus sih aku suka buku-buku slice of life no plot just vibes gini. Sempet agak bosen dikit di tengah karena gatau akan dibawa kemana ceritanya tapi setelah jeda bentar akhirnya aku menyelesaikan buku ini.
Full review akan aku up di ig seperti biasa ya
4/5⭐️
August 24, 2024
Eclipsed in the dark nights of Tokyo, taxi driver Matsui drove the midnight sky taxi in the quiet nights picking up passengers that roamed the streets in the deserted hours. Goodnight Tokyo was a charming book with interconnected stories of people who are still awake throughout the nights, from the film prop procurer, Mitsuki, Matsui, the taxi driver, a call centre consultant working the night shift, a detective searching for his father's old movies to watch, young part timer classic film enthusiast working in the theater, four women running a midnight diner, the secondhand shop that opened late night, a woman disposed the telephone and the young actresses living in dormitory. These characters somehow interconnected with each others in a way that the book pulled their stories to complete one story. Its atmospheric, slice of life narrative with a touch of longing & nostalgia permeated the whole plot made it such a pleasant read.
Revolving the story on the midnight hours where each chapter opened at 1am, there is this magical vibes surrounding this dark, early morning hours that always feels like a portal to another world. The dreamlike quality of some of these characters's situation especially the Detective Shuro's story which is the most interesting to me. He lived flittingly throughout finding his footing in life through various part time jobs and end up as a detective which his ownself inspired a movie character based on him, a film that is being produced by Mitsuki's film studio. He tried to search for any movies that his father acted in as he tried to reconnect with the memories of his father. I love Kanako's story too on her work as call centre consultant listening to lonely people's concerns & struggles. At its core, Goodnight Tokyo is a story on reconnection, the personal affection for shared memories with loved ones & the nostalgia these memories are.
I love the simplicity of the proses even if there aren't anything much in terms of plot but the vibes reminded me a lot of magical realism of Midnight Diner.
Thank you to Times Reads for the review copy.
Revolving the story on the midnight hours where each chapter opened at 1am, there is this magical vibes surrounding this dark, early morning hours that always feels like a portal to another world. The dreamlike quality of some of these characters's situation especially the Detective Shuro's story which is the most interesting to me. He lived flittingly throughout finding his footing in life through various part time jobs and end up as a detective which his ownself inspired a movie character based on him, a film that is being produced by Mitsuki's film studio. He tried to search for any movies that his father acted in as he tried to reconnect with the memories of his father. I love Kanako's story too on her work as call centre consultant listening to lonely people's concerns & struggles. At its core, Goodnight Tokyo is a story on reconnection, the personal affection for shared memories with loved ones & the nostalgia these memories are.
I love the simplicity of the proses even if there aren't anything much in terms of plot but the vibes reminded me a lot of magical realism of Midnight Diner.
Thank you to Times Reads for the review copy.
January 12, 2025
At first, I thought it would be a story about taxi driver picking up customers with fascinating stories, sort of like a traveling therapist and the passengers arrive at their destination, feeling refreshed. It is a collection of related stories of 12 individuals, who were somehow connected to one another, either through mutual acquaintances or distant relationships. The stories are told in a nonlinear temporal manner and can be confusing at times, but at I continue reading, the details slowly made sense.
In fact, halfway through the book, when I began to realise that that particular chapter is a different time and connected to the story of another character, I began to enjoy playing detective. The back story of a person in one particular main character’s memory is someone important to the main character of another chapter story, or even the main character in a chapter story. This book echoes how we are all main characters, supporting characters or passersby in the society, depending on the story of the person.
I particularly enjoy the evolving relationships of certain characters, as well as how lonely individuals in the night streets of Tokyo are still working hard while everyone else is already asleep. There are some parts which are quite cloying but overall, I enjoy the introspection and therapeutic chats littered around in the book. It has really reflected the concerns and troubles of different classes in contemporary society.
In fact, halfway through the book, when I began to realise that that particular chapter is a different time and connected to the story of another character, I began to enjoy playing detective. The back story of a person in one particular main character’s memory is someone important to the main character of another chapter story, or even the main character in a chapter story. This book echoes how we are all main characters, supporting characters or passersby in the society, depending on the story of the person.
I particularly enjoy the evolving relationships of certain characters, as well as how lonely individuals in the night streets of Tokyo are still working hard while everyone else is already asleep. There are some parts which are quite cloying but overall, I enjoy the introspection and therapeutic chats littered around in the book. It has really reflected the concerns and troubles of different classes in contemporary society.
February 3, 2024
Ich liebe Episoden-Romane. Dieser war sehr cute und flott und liest sich schnell runter. Mochte ich!
November 20, 2024
Only 175 pages. If I hadn’t read this book before going to bed and gotten lost in the various characters, I might have enjoyed it more.
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