Hika Harada – författare

A whimsical, charming novel about a mysterious library in Tokyo that opens after dark, following the employees who bond each night over special meals inspired by the books on the shelvesThe Night Library on the outskirts of Tokyo isn't your ordinary library. It's only open from seven o'clock to midnight. It exclusively stores books by deceased authors, and none of them can be checked out -- instead, they're put on public display to be revered and celebrated by the library's visitors,  akin to a book museum.Otoha Higuchi, the newest employee, has been recruited to work at the library by the mysterious anonymous owner. There, Otoha meets the other staff, comprised of former librarians and booksellers who, like her, have been damaged in some way by the rocky publishing industry – yet none of them have ever given up on their dedication to books.Night after night, Otoha bonds with her colleagues over meals in the library café, each of which are inspired by the literature on the shelves. When strange occurrences start happening around the library that may bring the threat of closure, it forces Otoha and the staff to rethink their entire relationship with work and what they really want in life.

Meet your next Japanese fiction obsession – perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and Convenience Store WomanWhat does the way you spend a small amount of money say about your life?In How to Use 3,000 Yen, Hika Harada weaves a warm, wise and deeply relatable story of three generations of women navigating love, work, family—and the quiet anxieties of money. From a young woman confronting the fragility of financial independence, to a mother managing a household on a single income, to a grandmother facing the uncertainty of old age, each must rethink what security, freedom and happiness really mean.As their lives intersect, small everyday choices begin to carry extraordinary weight. Can careful saving shape a better future? And when life refuses to go to plan, what truly matters most?Blending gentle humour with sharp insight, this uplifting novel offers not just a story, but a fresh perspective on money, modern life and the ties that hold us together. Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

Meet your next Japanese fiction obsession perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and Convenience Store WomanWhat does the way you spend a small amount of money say about your life?In How You Use Three Thousand Yen, Hika Harada weaves a warm, wise and deeply relatable story of three generations of women navigating love, work, familyand the quiet anxieties of money. From a young woman confronting the fragility of financial independence, to a mother managing a household on a single income, to a grandmother facing the uncertainty of old age, each must rethink what security, freedom and happiness really mean.As their lives intersect, small everyday choices begin to carry extraordinary weight. Can careful saving shape a better future? And when life refuses to go to plan, what truly matters most?Blending gentle humour with sharp insight, this uplifting novel offers not just a story, but a fresh perspective on money, modern life and the ties that hold us together. Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

Meet your next Japanese fiction obsession – perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and Convenience Store WomanWhat does the way you spend a small amount of money say about your life?In How You Use Three Thousand Yen, Hika Harada weaves a warm, wise and deeply relatable story of three generations of women navigating love, work, family—and the quiet anxieties of money. From a young woman confronting the fragility of financial independence, to a mother managing a household on a single income, to a grandmother facing the uncertainty of old age, each must rethink what security, freedom and happiness really mean.As their lives intersect, small everyday choices begin to carry extraordinary weight. Can careful saving shape a better future? And when life refuses to go to plan, what truly matters most?Blending gentle humour with sharp insight, this uplifting novel offers not just a story, but a fresh perspective on money, modern life and the ties that hold us together. Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

The perfect next comfort read for fans of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa and What You Are Looking For is In the Library by Michiko AoyamaWhen Sango Takashima inherits her beloved brother's second-hand bookshop in Tokyo's famous Jimbocho book district, she leaves behind her quiet life in Hokkaido to keep his dream alive.She knows nothing about the rare-book trade. But as customers wander through the shop in search of forgotten cookbooks, obscure classics, childhood favourites and impossible-to-find treasures, Sango discovers that the right book always seems to find the right reader.Together with her great-niece Mikiki, a literature student searching for her own future, Sango begins to build an unlikely community of booksellers, publishers, students and lost souls, each carrying burdens that a single conversation – or a single book – might help to lighten.Tender, wise and utterly charming, The Second-Hand Bookshop Cafe is a celebration of the stories that shape our lives, the meals we share, and the unexpected places where we find home.

The perfect next comfort read for fans of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa and What You Are Looking For is In the Library by Michiko AoyamaWhen Sango Takashima inherits her beloved brother's second-hand bookshop in Tokyo's famous Jimbocho book district, she leaves behind her quiet life in Hokkaido to keep his dream alive. She knows nothing about the rare-book trade. But as customers wander through the shop in search of forgotten cookbooks, obscure classics, childhood favourites and impossible-to-find treasures, Sango discovers that the right book always seems to find the right reader. Together with her great-niece Mikiki, a literature student searching for her own future, Sango begins to build an unlikely community of booksellers, publishers, students and lost souls, each carrying burdens that a single conversation – or a single book – might help to lighten. Tender, wise and utterly charming, The Second-Hand Bookshop Cafe is a celebration of the stories that shape our lives, the meals we share, and the unexpected places where we find home.

For fans of What You Are Looking For is in the Library and Days at the Morisaki BookshopTranslated by Philip Gabriel, the translator of The Travelling Cat ChroniclesThe Night Library is no ordinary library.Within it are found the rarest and most unusual collections – the books of deceased famous writers: the books they wrotethe books that inspired themthe books they lovedAll Otaha Higuchi wants to do is work with books. However, the exhausting nature of her work at a chain bookstore, combined with her paltry salary and irritating manager quickly bring reality crashing down around her.She is on the verge of quitting when she receives a message from somebody calling themselves ‘Seven Rainbows’, inviting her to apply for a job at a library with no name, a place referred to simply as ‘The Night Library’.After successfully passing the interview, Otaha arrives at The Night Library and her sunny personality immediately earns her comparisons with Anne of Green Gables. For the very first time she feels she has found her place in the world. As well as a treasure trove of books, the library houses a group of likeminded literary misfits, including a legendary chef who prepares incredible meals for the library’s employees at the end of each day.Together they embark on a series of bookish adventures. But when the library’s mysterious owner decides to temporarily close the library, Otaha and her friends fear that it may not reopen and that the peace they have found there will be lost to them forever. Is their friendship and their faith in the value of books strong enough to save it? And what will remain if it isn’t?  Dinner at the Night Library is a heartwarming literary mystery, filled with quirky characters, Japanese culture and the mouthwatering meals. It asks why books matter and offers a cheer of encouragement to everybody who believes they do. Ultimately, it is a paean to reading and the relevance of books through the ages—past, present, and future.

For fans of What You Are Looking For is in the Library and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop Translated by Philip Gabriel, the translator of The Travelling Cat ChroniclesThe Night Library is no ordinary library.Within it are found the rarest and most unusual collections – the books of deceased famous writers: the books they wrotethe books that inspired themthe books they loved    All Otaha Higuchi wants to do is work with books. However, the exhausting nature of her work at a chain bookstore, combined with her paltry salary and irritating manager quickly bring reality crashing down around her. She is on the verge of quitting when she receives a message from somebody calling themselves ‘Seven Rainbows’, inviting her to apply for a job at a library with no name, a place referred to simply as ‘The Night Library’. After successfully passing the interview, Otaha arrives at The Night Library and her sunny personality immediately earns her comparisons with Anne of Green Gables. For the very first time she feels she has found her place in the world. As well as a treasure trove of books, the library houses a group of likeminded literary misfits, including a legendary chef who prepares incredible meals for the library’s employees at the end of each day. Together they embark on a series of bookish adventures. But when the library’s mysterious owner decides to temporarily close the library, Otaha and her friends fear that it may not reopen and that the peace they have found there will be lost to them forever.  Is their friendship and their faith in the value of books strong enough to save it? And what will remain if it isn’t?  Dinner at the Night Library is a heartwarming literary mystery, filled with quirky characters, Japanese culture and the mouthwatering meals. It asks why books matter and offers a cheer of encouragement to everybody who believes they do. Ultimately, it is a paean to reading and the relevance of books through the ages—past, present, and future.      

For fans of What You Are Looking For is in the Library and Days at the Morisaki BookshopTranslated by Philip Gabriel, the translator of The Travelling Cat ChroniclesThe Night Library is no ordinary library.Within it are found the rarest and most unusual collections – the books of deceased famous writers: the books they wrotethe books that inspired themthe books they lovedAll Otaha Higuchi wants to do is work with books. However, the exhausting nature of her work at a chain bookstore, combined with her paltry salary and irritating manager quickly bring reality crashing down around her.She is on the verge of quitting when she receives a message from somebody calling themselves ‘Seven Rainbows’, inviting her to apply for a job at a library with no name, a place referred to simply as ‘The Night Library’.After successfully passing the interview, Otaha arrives at The Night Library and her sunny personality immediately earns her comparisons with Anne of Green Gables. For the very first time she feels she has found her place in the world. As well as a treasure trove of books, the library houses a group of likeminded literary misfits, including a legendary chef who prepares incredible meals for the library’s employees at the end of each day.Together they embark on a series of bookish adventures. But when the library’s mysterious owner decides to temporarily close the library, Otaha and her friends fear that it may not reopen and that the peace they have found there will be lost to them forever. Is their friendship and their faith in the value of books strong enough to save it? And what will remain if it isn’t?  Dinner at the Night Library is a heartwarming literary mystery, filled with quirky characters, Japanese culture and the mouthwatering meals. It asks why books matter and offers a cheer of encouragement to everybody who believes they do. Ultimately, it is a paean to reading and the relevance of books through the ages—past, present, and future.

What does the way you spend a small amount of money say about your life?In How to Use 3,000 Yen, Hika Harada weaves a warm, wise and deeply relatable story of three generations of women navigating love, work, family—and the quiet anxieties of money. From a young woman confronting the fragility of financial independence, to a mother managing a household on a single income, to a grandmother facing the uncertainty of old age, each must rethink what security, freedom and happiness really mean.As their lives intersect, small everyday choices begin to carry extraordinary weight. Can careful saving shape a better future? And when life refuses to go to plan, what truly matters most?Blending gentle humour with sharp insight, this uplifting novel offers not just a story, but a fresh perspective on money, modern life and the ties that hold us together.Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.