The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood

I enjoyed this short, engaging novel of six connected stories, a bestseller in Japan. The stories are set in Kyoto, which is fondly described, with mentions of notable tourist sites such as the Higashi Hongangi Buddhist Temple. Weather and seasons are highlighted, including cold winter breezes from the surrounding mountains, many rainy days, and the stunning beauty of the spring Cherry Blossom Festival. But the focus of the novel is the Kamogawa Diner, and the small detective agency, both run by retired police officer Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi, in her 30s. The diner, with four tables and 5 seats at the counter, is hard to find, but always smells enticing.

Other than some regular customers, most diners are clients seeking a nostalgic dish from long ago. Koishi interviews them, then Nagare travels throughout Japan to source ingredients, search for chefs or customers of closed restaurants, and finds long-lost relatives and friends in search of the desired recipe and ambience. Two weeks later, the clients return for their requested meal, and a story, along with greetings from friendly cat Drowsy. The food is lovingly detailed, and isn’t all traditionally Japanese. Among the requests are Napolitan Spaghetti with frankfurters, eaten by a 5-year-old girl on a trip with her grandfather, a widower looking for his wife’s secret recipe, and a favorite meal for a loved one who is ill. This charming novel is a very good rainy-day comfort read. In Japan, the book has seven sequels. The first sequel, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes, will be published here in October. Enjoy!

Brenda