Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop - a page from my thoughts
five love letters to paper and words
Write a letter, heal your heart - an invitation and a promise by Kenji Ueda
This book made me want to go out, find beautiful hand-made paper and write letters to everyone who has ever impacted my life to thank them. I’m not saying I’ve suddenly become a better person and want to express gratitude more freely - but I really just want any excuse to write down my thoughts, stick a beautiful stamp on it and post it.
I also want to buy a filofax to organise all my work-papers (which I never receive because everything is a discord message or an email), a memo pad for all my notes and create a night-time routine where I transfer them to a hardbound notebook at the end of each day. I wish everyone I’ve sent postcards to, keeps them and looks back at them years from now. I also wish others in my circle would read this book and send me postcards. (If you’re reading this, you all know who you are, please send some my way).
One of the fun parts of reading this book was that in two of the stories, I got the gender and age of the main characters wrong and realised it only halfway through. And in one of them, Notebooks, I kind of wish I had been right! Will not spoil it further though.
I want to say I wish I had Ken-Takaradas and Ryokos in my life but it also makes me wonder - do I even know my community well enough to say that people like them don’t already exist? Everyone talks about how the digital age has disconnected us from real life relationships and I felt it more than ever while reading this book. Working from home has me spending most of my days holed up inside my room, occasionally going out in the evening for a walk. I long to drop by a cafe like Hohozue after a day’s work and chat with the staff. I long to meet people during my commute and become friends with them. (I say this while being an extreme introvert so what I really mean is that I long for people to chat me up during my commute.)
Comparing Similar Books
Many have compared this book to Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. In fact, on Goodreads, the book description starts with “For lovers of Before the Coffee Gets Cold..”
I’d like to differ slightly and say that Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop takes its own path - it’s not just a setting but is deeply integrated in the community. The stories don’t always start there and there’s almost nothing about the characters working in the shop. The stories gradually lead to Shihodo with a lot of focus given to the main character and their journey. I was always looking forward to seeing how the stationery shop would play into each story.
If you liked the Hyunam Dong Bookshop, you’ll probably like this too. They are both slow-paced and require some patience to read. I certainly took my time with this book, even though it only has five stories. They focus on life’s quieter moments outside work, although Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop actually has a strong emphasis on work itself. Even the story of the teenager revolved around a school club (considered to be work equivalent for a high-schooler, I’d say).
While Hyunam Dong romaniticizes stepping away from work for a slower and more intentional life, I felt like these stories were more realistic. I say so only from my perspective, at the moment, as someone who can not just get up and abandon everything - even though it seems very attractive and liberating. It felt good to read stories of people I could relate to and see them having these experiences!
A Glimpse into Shihodo
I loved the way each story ended, leaving me with a very warm feeling. Adding the last lines from each below:
The rain was unlucky. But in one corner of Ginza, Tokyo, at Shihodo Stationery, a soft, warm atmosphere seemed to indicate there was good weather ahead.
✒️ Fountain Pen
On a clear day during the transition between autumn and winter, the “Closed Today” sign was up at a little stationery shop in one corner of Ginza, and the sales floor was enveloped in silence.
📔 Organiser
At the stationery shop Shihodo in one corner of Ginza, the atmosphere enveloping the two couples’ exchanges was gentle and soft.
📖 Notebooks
In one corner of Ginza, Tokyo, the manager of Shihodo Stationery and his childhood friend began to close the vague distance between them. The shop was filled with the warmth and affection of the people quietly watching over them.
📮 Postcards
In one corner of Ginza, the venerable old stationery shop, Shihodo. This day, too, it seemed liable to be busy with regulars attracted by the personality of manager Ken Takarada.
🗒️ Memo Pads
Related Recommendations (not books)
I came across The Whispering of the Pages website while looking for some more information on this book (there’s awfully little on the internet about it). Lily, who runs the site, has some really well-written book reviews. I’ve added some of her recommendations to my list on Goodreads.
The last story, Memo Pads, follows the life of a Sushi Chef and his journey reminded me of a tv series I recently binged - The Bear. I am planning to rewatch it because there was so much in it beyond entertainment and I think I need to give these three seasons the attention they deserve.
Let's begin the post card economy again <3