First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

Between the two beautiful towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, in a stunning mountainous area of Japan, rattles the Hankyu Line train. Passengers step on and off, lost in thought, contemplating the tiny knots of their existence. On the outbound journey, we are introduced to the emotional dilemmas of five characters, and on the return journey six months later, we watch them find resolutions.

A young man meets the young woman who always happens to borrow a library book just before he can check it out himself. A woman in a white bridal dress boards looking inexplicably sad. A university student heads home after class. A girl prepares to leave her abusive boyfriend. And a grandmother discusses adopting a dog with her granddaughter.

With stories that crisscross like the railway lines, the Hankyu train trundles on, propelling the lives and loves of its passengers ever forward.

Happy Friday, everyone! Technically, it is already Saturday. We have survived yet another tedious week at the office! I hope everyone survived the workweek and ended it on a high note. It’s time to ditch those baggy corporate clothes and wear some comfortable articles of clothing. I hope the weekends, as brief as they come, will provide everyone with the break they need, especially those whose workweek ended on a sour note. I hope everyone is diving into the weekend without much worry. I hope everyone was able to accomplish everything they wanted to achieve during the week. I hope everyone gets to spend their weekend wisely. spending their weekends with their loved ones, running errands, or pursuing the things they are passionate about. More importantly, I hope everyone is doing well, in body, mind, and spirit.

Wow. Time is zooming past us. Time simply takes its natural course, flowing with no regard for anyone. Just like that, we are already in the final stretch of the sixth month of the year. In no time, we will already be midway through the year. By the way, how has your year been? I hope 2025 is treating everyone kindly. May it bring you favors and guide you closer to your goals and aspirations. I hope the rest of the year will shower everyone with good tidings, kindness, and overall positive energy. If your year has been difficult, I hope a reversal of fortune in the coming months will bless you. The coming months beckon with hope. And if you’re still figuring things out, take your time. I hope you achieve your goals this year. May positive energy, blessings, and good news flow into your life in the months ahead.

Anyway, back to the purpose of this weekly reading update. First Impression Friday – even though I am almost always a day late – has certainly become a mainstay in my book blogging. Currently, I am in the final stretch of my venture into Asian literature, a reading journey that I started in January when I spent the entire first quarter of the year reading works of East Asian literature. I have since shifted to the rest of the continent, although without design, my venture has lasted longer than I initially planned. Regardless, I have been enjoying the ride. Ironically, I am reading a work by an East Asian writer; after all, East Asia is still part of Asia. It was in 2019 when I first encountered Japanese writer Hiro Arikawa. Her novel, The Travelling Cat Chronicles, was ubiquitous, prompting me to read it. Lo and behold, the book not only charmed me but left me teary-eyed.

Needless to say, The Travelling Cat Chronicles turned me into a fan of Arikawa’s writing. In late 2023, I read The Goodbye Cat. Imagine my surprise when I learned that Arikawa was releasing a new work this year. I believe it was during my travel to Singapore. Without ado, I acquired a copy of the book – it was immediately available here in the Philippines – and immersed myself in it the moment I was given the opportunity. The novel’s premise is quite simple. It is the story of a diverse cast of characters who boarded the Hankyu Line, one of the many train lines that riddle the Japanese landscape. The Hankyu line is one of the lines that intersect the Kansai region, providing a means of transportation for the people of major urban areas like Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is aboard this train that we meet interesting characters from all walks of life.

What immediately stands out to me in the book is its structure. Rather than a straightforward plot, Arikawa provides a rich tapestry. Each character has his or her own concern. This echoes the same structure and even premise of some recently translated Japanese literary works, such as Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking For Is In the Library and Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. The characters converged on the wagons of the train line, carrying with them the weights and pressures of the world they live in. Tokie, a grandmother, for instance, was contemplating purchasing a pet dog. You see, because of her husband’s traumatic experience when she introduced him to her family, she never got to have a dog. Misa, a student, was reconciling the image she had of her boyfriend when she first met him and who he is now.

The characters’ plights humanize them. They have concerns we all can relate to. It also underlines how we carry the burden of the world wherever we go, may it be in the library, a cafe, or even on the train line. The most mundane locations are places to ponder life in general. I guess this is one of the subtler wonders of contemporary Japanese slice-of-life stories. The glimpses into the inner worlds of a diverse cast of characters. We can connect with them as they try to resolve their individual concerns. This is what makes the book so compelling. On the other hand, the quick insights into the characters’ lives can leave so much to be desired. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to how the characters resolve their concerns and become better for it. Because of the accessible writing, I just might finish the book during the weekend. How about you, fellow reader? What book or books have you read over the weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend!