Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
I found this title on a list of must read books. I can't remember where but I quickly dismissed everything else on it. Having recently returned from a fabulous trip to Japan and having made some purchases in the abundance of Japanese convenience stores on every corner, I was intrigued.
Keiko, at age eighteen takes a part time job in the Smile Mart on its opening day. Having never found acceptance in her life, she finds happiness in the structure of the Smile Mart as laid out in its operation manual. She greets every customer, stocks the shelves and is the top seller of the daily specials. Managers come and go and Keiko stays. Suddenly she finds herself at 36 still working in the convenience store.
Convenience Store Woman is a quick read with not much of a plot. It's translated from Japanese so keep in mind it was initially written for a different audience. I found these stores in Japan to be clean, with good food and efficient check out. While 7 Eleven does have a Japanese version, an American store, it is not. Not even close.
I loved being immersed back into the Japanese culture I had come to love. But you have to keep an open mind if you plan on understanding what it's like to be a Convenience Store Woman.
I found this title on a list of must read books. I can't remember where but I quickly dismissed everything else on it. Having recently returned from a fabulous trip to Japan and having made some purchases in the abundance of Japanese convenience stores on every corner, I was intrigued.
Keiko, at age eighteen takes a part time job in the Smile Mart on its opening day. Having never found acceptance in her life, she finds happiness in the structure of the Smile Mart as laid out in its operation manual. She greets every customer, stocks the shelves and is the top seller of the daily specials. Managers come and go and Keiko stays. Suddenly she finds herself at 36 still working in the convenience store.
Convenience Store Woman is a quick read with not much of a plot. It's translated from Japanese so keep in mind it was initially written for a different audience. I found these stores in Japan to be clean, with good food and efficient check out. While 7 Eleven does have a Japanese version, an American store, it is not. Not even close.
I loved being immersed back into the Japanese culture I had come to love. But you have to keep an open mind if you plan on understanding what it's like to be a Convenience Store Woman.
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