Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop

Hidden away in the Ginza neighbourhood is a venerable stationery shop. Inside is everything your stationery-loving heart desires, from the most delicate paper to fountain pens that fit exactly to the shape of your hand. Ken Takaranda, the owner, intuits your every need, inviting you to take a seat at a small wooden table on the top floor to write. Here you'll find the words flowing, helping you unlock memories, secret longings and your own mysteries. To this shop comes a young man searching for a connection to his past; the hostess of an elegant club, desperate for advice; the lovelorn vice-captain of a high-school archery team; an ageing businessman regretting his choices, and a formerly homeless sushi chef. With his warmth and impeccable manners, Ken helps each of them with more than just their stationery needs. Ken takes cares of his customers with genuine fondness. But while his shop has many visitors, who will look after him?

Kenji Ueda is a Japanese novelist known for blending fantasy with the charm of everyday life. Born in Tokyo in 1969, he made his debut as a writer in 2021 with Teppan (The Iron Griddle), the revised version of a work he wrote in 2019 for the 1st Japan Delicious Fiction Award.