49 pages • 1 hour read
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
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Part 1, Chapters 5-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 1, Chapter 5 Summary
The Kanda Used Book Festival happens over the course of a week in October. Takako and Tomo attend, and Takako makes sure they run into Takano while they peruse the stores. Takano joins them and the trio have a great time finding used books across the neighborhood.
At one point, they run into Sabu, who shops with his wife. His wife laments that Sabu owns too many books, and Sabu panics when she suggests he get rid of some. Takako, Tomo, and Takano spend the entire day together, and at dinner that night, Takako is impressed with Takano’s knowledge of foreign literature.
Part 1, Chapter 6 Summary
After Takako and Satoru close up their shop on the final night of the festival, they have their own little post-festival party in Takako’s room. Satoru tells Takako that she can stay there forever if she wants. When she asks why he is so kind to her, he tells her that he loves her and that she saved his life.
Satoru explains that when he was younger, he was depressed and felt lost in the world. When he was at his lowest point, Takako was born, and when Satoru met her, he felt a joy that inspired him to find himself. He began travelling the world and eventually discovered that where he belonged was home, at the bookshop. He wishes that his wife, Momoko, liked the store as much as he does, but he knows it is the place for him to be.
After he leaves, Takako reflects on how calm and happy the bookshop makes her feel, but knows that she must leave soon. She does not want to be too dependent on the shop and to stop growing. Despite this decision, she continues to live at the bookshop, waiting for a sign.
Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary
Two days after the New Year, Takako finds a voicemail on her phone from Hideaki, asking to see her. She deletes the message but feels the loneliness and sadness from the breakup return. Takako did not plan to tell anyone, but when Satoru notices that something is wrong, Takako realizes that she needs someone to depend on. They sit up into the night and Takako explains what happened with Hideaki to Satoru. When she finishes, Satoru declares that they are going to find Hideaki and make him apologize.
Takako at first begs him not to go, particularly after Satoru says that he will fight Hideaki for her. It is late and she does not want to confront him. Satoru tells Takako that she cannot heal without resolution. Satoru explains that he loves Takako and only wants to protect her.
Satoru and Takako take a taxi to Hideaki’s apartment. When he answers the door, Satoru pushes Hideaki to apologize to Takako for being so heartless, but Hideaki refuses, acting as if he did nothing wrong. When his fiancée comes to the door, Takako cannot take it anymore and declares that she wants Hideaki to apologize. She tells him that she is a person, and that he took advantage of her very real love for him. Hideaki refuses to acknowledge Takako’s feelings and acts as if he doesn’t know what she is talking about.
On the ride home, Satoru is mad about Hideaki’s refusal to take accountability, but Takako assures him that it was enough for her. She tells him that this was the first time that she ever confidently stood up for herself. Takako feels grateful that Satoru helped give her the chance to confront Hideaki, and realizes that she does have someone to protect her. She revels in the feeling that, despite her extended isolation, Satoru is always there for her.
Part 1, Chapter 8 Summary
After her confrontation with Hideaki, Takako makes plans to leave the bookshop. She tells Satoru that she enjoyed the time with him but that it is time for her to find out where she belongs. She begins preparing to leave, telling her new friends that she is going.
Takano tells her that he took Tomo on a date, and that though they are not yet dating, he is hopeful. To Takako’s surprise, Hideaki’s fiancée asks her to meet. She apologizes to Takako, saying that though she had suspicions, nothing was confirmed until Takako and Satoru appeared. Takako tries to apologize, but Hideaki’s fiancée will not let her. She tells Takako that the wedding is off, and that Takako need not blame herself. Satoru later agrees that Takako holds no blame and begs her to remain open to love, urging her not to let this experience rob her of future happiness.
On the day of her departure, Takako bows to the bookshop in gratitude, acknowledging how much she grew while staying there. Outside the shop, Satoru begs Takako not to go. She walks away, knowing if she doesn’t, she will never leave. When she looks back, she sees Satoru waving and begins to cry, though she does not care what other pedestrians think of her happy tears.
Part 1, Chapters 5-8 Analysis
When Takako first arrives at the Morisaki Bookshop, she is wary of her uncle, remembering him as being unserious. As she emerges from her depression and actually spends time with him, she discovers a very different man from the one she initially remembered. She and Satoru grow closer, and one night, Satoru shares details of his life’s journey that Takako does not know. Satoru explains that he felt lost and wandered through life, until Takako was born: “I could feel the mystery of life filling my heart. The idea of this child growing up, experiencing so many things for the first time, absorbing so much—all of it brought me as much joy as if it were happening to me” (49).
Takako’s birth is a pivotal moment in Satoru’s life, and when he meets the baby, he feels the loneliness that plagues him disappear. Though it is just one person, the connection Satoru forges with Takako at this young age shows the impact Building Community to Combat Loneliness can have. Through his family network, Satoru finds purpose in life and stops wandering, instead approaching life with confidence. This moment leads to him meeting his wife Momoko in Paris, as well as taking over the Morisaki Bookshop. The important role Takako plays in a young Satoru’s life is later reciprocated when Takako comes to stay at the bookshop: Her relationship with Satoru also helps her overcome her loneliness and find more direction in her adult life.
As Satoru explains to Takako how she saved his life when she was a baby, he also explains how he ended up taking over the Morisaki Bookshop from his father, invoking The Role of Literature in Self-Discovery. Part of Satoru’s loneliness was that he did not know what he wanted from life or where he wanted to be. He did not want to settle down, especially not close to home. However, as time went on, Satoru realized that the place where he belonged already existed:
No matter where I went, no matter who I was with, if I could be honest with myself, then [the bookshop] was where I belonged […] I went back to my favorite harbor, and I decided to drop anchor. For me, this is a sacred place. It’s where I feel most at ease (51).
Satoru not only loves to read and be around books but also realizes that he is his best self when surrounded by literature. His return to the bookshop is a moment of personal growth for him, as it is a place where he feels he can be most honest with himself. This realization, however, is only possible through his love of literature.
The longer Takako stays and works at the Morisaki Bookshop, the closer she and Satoru grow. A consequence of this is Takako discovering how fiercely protective her uncle is of her, which in turn helps her rediscover her own sense of self-worth. When Satoru demands that they confront Hideaki and force him to apologize, Takako at first hesitates. Even though Takako believes that she is growing from the heartbreak, she still suffers from The Detrimental Impact of Heartbreak on Confidence. When she does confront Hideaki, however, Takako surprises herself by standing up for her feelings and what she believes in: “You might have just been playing around, but it wasn’t like that for me. I really loved you. I am a person, I have feelings. You might look at me and see just a woman you can take advantage of, but I think about things, I breathe, I cry” (60). Takako defends herself when she confronts Hideaki, demanding he recognize her as a person who loved him, rather than just someone he can be with.
The effort with which this confrontation demands of her demonstrates Takako’s growth. At first, Takako is unsure that she can even face Hideaki because of the pain she feels from his betrayal and the low self-esteem the experience left her with. However, with the support of her uncle and her newfound confidence in herself, she finally finds herself able to advocate for her needs, even if Hideaki dismisses them. The confrontation thus forms a significant moment in her character arc, revealing that Takako has now regained a sense of self that does not depend on Hideaki for validation or support.
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