I received a digital advance reader’s copy (ARC) of The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai (and translated from the Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood) tells the story of Nagare and Koishi, a father-daughter duo running a tucked-away restaurant in Kyoto. When the right customer finds them, they transform from mere chefs to “food detectives,” helping their clients find a lost or forgotten dish from their past through a combination of research and deduction. And in doing so, they see how each person has a story to tell, and a future ahead full of possibilities.

This is a very sweet book! It’s structured as several short stories, each focusing on a different client of the detective agency. Each story is basically the same, in that a customer will arrive, seek help from Koishi and Nagare, then receive their dish. But each character has their own background and personality, and each takes away something different from their experience, and I don’t just mean the food. Everyone learns something, about themself or about their past or about life itself.

But speaking of food, this really made me want to learn more about traditional Japanese cuisine, because some of these sounded fascinating and delicious! It’s obvious that Kashiwai has a deep love for food, and as a food lover myself, this was so much fun. I especially want to try tonkatsu!

As for the themes, there’s a lot of wholesome, uplifting themes about connection, compassion, and love. We see people of all ages from all walks of life, each given a different voice. It’s a fun cast to interact with, especially the recurring regular customers who pop up in most of the stories. And I really enjoyed Nagare and Koishi’s bond; they’re a delightful united front with fun banter, and a constant thought for Koishi’s mother, who passed away years ago. It’s lovely to see how they keep her memory with them as they go through life together.

In the end, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a lovely book. It’s a simple bunch of stories, but I mean that in the best way. There’s nothing wrong with a book that shows how enjoying the little things can improve any person’s life. I can see why this book was a bestseller in Japan, and am glad to have had the chance to read it in English!

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is available as of this past Tuesday, February 13th!