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The Persimmon Man
A grieving American. A tiny Japanese town. A fruit costume that saves them both.For fans of A Man Called Ove, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and anyone who’s ever fallen in love with Japan.
When Cal Mercer boards a train to escape his past, he doesn’t expect to end up in Yagi—a quiet, half-forgotten village tucked between mountains and memory. He certainly doesn’t expect to become the town’s unofficial mascot… or its accidental miracle.
But when a pop star rubs his giant persimmon head for luck and the moment goes viral, everything changes.
Suddenly travelers, students, and pilgrims from all over Japan flood the tiny town in search of hope, fortune, and a soft-spoken American in a fruit suit.
What begins as a bizarre misunderstanding grows into something a community healing itself, a widower learning to live again, and a small town rediscovering its soul.
Through the scent of incense and street food, tatami dust and train whistles, Cal finds himself drawn into the rituals, friendships, and fragile beauty of a place that treats grief not as something to escape—
but something to sweep gently, lovingly, every morning.
This is a story about ordinary people who do extraordinary things without noticing.
A story about starting over, even when you think life has already closed its doors.
A story about Japan—its warmth, its quirks, its patience, its food (yes, especially the food), and the quiet magic found in the most unexpected corners.
Above all, it is a love letter:
To Japan.
To community.
To the small acts of courage that remake a life.
Perfect for readers who set in Japan, from Tokyo side streets to rural towns
Heartfelt stories about healing, community, and rediscovering purpose
Travel fiction that celebrates culture with authenticity and awe
Emotional-but-funny character journeys
Stories where ordinary kindness changes everything
If you’ve ever visited Japan… or wished you had… this novel will feel like going home.Step into Yagi. Walk its lantern-lit streets. Meet the people who sweep their doorsteps at dawn and invite ghosts to dinner at Obon. Let The Persimmon Man remind you why small towns matter, why people matter, and why love—whether lost, growing, or rediscovered—is always worth chasing.
Brian Rosta is an American educator, writer, traveler, and lifelong storyteller who fell in love with Japan the way most good loves happen—unexpectedly, completely, and with a hunger that never fades. A retired educator and full-time wanderer, Brian spends his days exploring the small moments that make life a bowl of steaming udon, a quiet shrine at dusk, a smile from a stranger sweeping their doorway.
When he isn’t writing fiction, he’s documenting midlife reinvention, travel, culture, and the ways ordinary people find their way back to hope. He lives wherever the world feels interesting, alongside his beloved wife, Allison, who cheers loudly for every new chapter.
The Persimmon Man is his debut novel and his personal love letter to Japan—its people, its rituals, its humor, and the magic that hides in its smallest towns.
When Cal Mercer boards a train to escape his past, he doesn’t expect to end up in Yagi—a quiet, half-forgotten village tucked between mountains and memory. He certainly doesn’t expect to become the town’s unofficial mascot… or its accidental miracle.
But when a pop star rubs his giant persimmon head for luck and the moment goes viral, everything changes.
Suddenly travelers, students, and pilgrims from all over Japan flood the tiny town in search of hope, fortune, and a soft-spoken American in a fruit suit.
What begins as a bizarre misunderstanding grows into something a community healing itself, a widower learning to live again, and a small town rediscovering its soul.
Through the scent of incense and street food, tatami dust and train whistles, Cal finds himself drawn into the rituals, friendships, and fragile beauty of a place that treats grief not as something to escape—
but something to sweep gently, lovingly, every morning.
This is a story about ordinary people who do extraordinary things without noticing.
A story about starting over, even when you think life has already closed its doors.
A story about Japan—its warmth, its quirks, its patience, its food (yes, especially the food), and the quiet magic found in the most unexpected corners.
Above all, it is a love letter:
To Japan.
To community.
To the small acts of courage that remake a life.
Perfect for readers who set in Japan, from Tokyo side streets to rural towns
Heartfelt stories about healing, community, and rediscovering purpose
Travel fiction that celebrates culture with authenticity and awe
Emotional-but-funny character journeys
Stories where ordinary kindness changes everything
If you’ve ever visited Japan… or wished you had… this novel will feel like going home.Step into Yagi. Walk its lantern-lit streets. Meet the people who sweep their doorsteps at dawn and invite ghosts to dinner at Obon. Let The Persimmon Man remind you why small towns matter, why people matter, and why love—whether lost, growing, or rediscovered—is always worth chasing.
Brian Rosta is an American educator, writer, traveler, and lifelong storyteller who fell in love with Japan the way most good loves happen—unexpectedly, completely, and with a hunger that never fades. A retired educator and full-time wanderer, Brian spends his days exploring the small moments that make life a bowl of steaming udon, a quiet shrine at dusk, a smile from a stranger sweeping their doorway.
When he isn’t writing fiction, he’s documenting midlife reinvention, travel, culture, and the ways ordinary people find their way back to hope. He lives wherever the world feels interesting, alongside his beloved wife, Allison, who cheers loudly for every new chapter.
The Persimmon Man is his debut novel and his personal love letter to Japan—its people, its rituals, its humor, and the magic that hides in its smallest towns.
462 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2025
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