The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful, slice-of-life story that follows several characters who visit Mr. Hirasaka's magical photo studio that after death in order to see important memories from their life before passing on to the beyond. These characters are an old woman who lived boldly and fully, a middle-aged man with a troubled past, and a young child with a pure and un-jaded view of life. They come together in unique and interesting ways that highlight the ways that even the smallest of decisions affect those around us in ways we may never fully comprehend. This short book was contemplatively and simply written to create an emotionally impactful narrative with a beautifully bittersweet ending. It was admittedly slower than my usual tastes, but a wonderful story nontheless.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Sanaka Hiiragi for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

“The Lantern of Lost Memories” by Sanakan Hiitaginis a poignant story about what happens in the moment of death where it is said that your life flashes before your eyes. Mr. Hirasaka, the operator of the studio, guides the recently deceased through viewing the memories of their lives, via photographs. The three characters who are given a chance to relive one moment, one special memory, are vastly different people yet their lives are interconnected and the memories woven together in unexpected ways. The story is thoughtful and thought-provoking. The ideas of fate, memory, and what happens in those moments after death will linger with you long after you read that final sentence.

Have you ever wondered what happens after you die? In Lantern of Lost Memories, you meet three characters that "wake up" in a magical photo studio after passing. Their last task before they pass on is to make a lantern of memories, picking a photo for every year they were alive.
This book was everything I wanted it to be. What a beautiful way to deal with the topic of death. The three characters you meet live very different lives and react to death differently, but Mr. Hirasaki is so patient and kind. I think this is going to be one of those books i pick up to reread any time i need something cozy and bittersweet.

What a wonderfully quirky and touching story. It really gave me a new perspective on memories and how we hold onto things in our minds and hearts without even realizing it. I loved each character for different reasons and appreciated how they were all interconnected. I would highly recommend this book!

Please Step into Mr. Hirasaki’s magical photo studio, a cozy, dimly lit space filled with antique cameras. But this charming little studio is more than it appears…. it’s a gateway to the afterlife, the place between life and death where those who have departed have a chance get to revisit their lives through Hirasaki’s “spinning lantern of memories.”

I was so touched by how this book handles the idea of death with such care and grace. It’s a sweet reminder that we will always live on in the hearts and memories of those who truely love us, and that every single day truly matters.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC! 📚📷

If it’s true that your life passes before your eyes when you die, then The Lantern of Lost Memories is the story of how that precious reel of memories gets made – and more importantly, what that reel is made OF.

Mr. Hirasaki is the proprietor of a very special photo studio, a waystation on the journey between life and whatever comes after. Unlike the people who visit him, Mr. Hirasaki doesn’t remember who he was before he died. He also doesn’t know what comes after, because he’s stuck at his shop. It’s possible that he’ll move on someday, but he’s not eager to move on – at least not yet.

He’s still hoping that someone will come along who knew him in life, and can fill in the blank pages of his own memory. While he’s waiting, he helps others fill in theirs.

The story here is made up of three stories that interconnect – even if the individuals who have arrived at Mr. Hirasaki’s shop are not aware of it as they pass through. And neither is he.

From 92-year-old nursery teacher Hatsue, to the 47-year-old yakuza supervisor Waniguchi, to young Mitsuru, the process is the same. Just before each of his clients arrives, Mr. Hirasaki receives a shipment of photographs from the client’s life, one bundle for each year.

Needless to say, Hatsue’s box is considerably heavier than the others – but that’s as it should be.

For each person, the job is for the client to go through the photos and choose one picture from each year of their lives to represent that year. From those photos, the proprietor creates a lantern, perhaps a bit like an old fashioned zoetrope, and certainly a work of art.

The key part of each story isn’t the lantern – it’s the process of creation and the memory that goes into it. Each of the adults has one picture, an often referred to and much-loved picture – that is faded and worn because it’s been handled so often, even if just in memory. To refresh that one, precious photo, Mr. Hirasaki takes them back to the day it was taken, and spends 24 hours there with them where they can observe but not interact, refresh the photo, and tell him all about the specific memory, the day it happened, and the life that was wrapped around it.

None of which exactly works for the very young, abused to the point of absolute fear and almost complete silence, Mitsuru. It shouldn’t be her time to pass through his shop. But no one should have to go back to the situation she has only temporarily escaped from.

Which brings the story back around, full-circle, to the place it began, with Mr. Hirasaki, his shop of memories, and the reason he has none himself.

Escape Rating B: I’ve been making my way through a whole series of books very much like this one. They follow a similar pattern in which the location is magical or magic-adjacent, the function of that place allows for a semi-detached proprietor to serve a variety of people whose stories function as a series of vignettes within an overarching theme. Some of those stories have happy endings, but the overall tone is often bittersweet, as those vignettes are little slices of life – and not all lives are happy ones.

On a kind of magical realism spectrum, The Lantern of Lost Memories is closest to The Dallergut Dream Department Store and Water Moon, where the location is fully magical and adjacent to the real world but not part of it. A place that can only be found if all the circumstances are met, and if it needs you as much as you need it.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Full Moon Coffee Shop take place in locations where there is a bit of magic but are fully a part of the ‘real world’, while What You are Looking For Is In the Library and The Kamogawa Food Detectives are fully ‘real’ and easy enough to find and yet, something magical happens out of their very normalcy.

As I said, I’ve been reading books like this a lot this year, and I have more coming. They are all very much hot cocoa, warm fuzzy blankets and warm purring cat kind of books. Not too long, not too short and just right all the way around.

This one tripped me up just a bit, as I was looking for that interconnectedness and wasn’t in the least sure that I found it – not until the very end. It helps to make this story make more sense if, as part of one’s willing suspension of disbelief, the reader also sets aside the idea that time is linear – because that may be our reality but isn’t what’s happening here.

In these interconnected stories, time is a möbius strip that turns back on itself until the end is the beginning and the beginning is the end. Then it makes a whole lot more sense AND gets that much more magical, all at the same time.

Really enjoyed this. The book was an easy read with a lot of depth. The writing flows comfortably and the subject was original and heartfelt. Is possible the translation was a little stiff at times but it worked out ok for the story. Leaves the reader with quite a lot to think about.

Devastatingly beautiful.

They say that in times of danger, you can see your life flash before your eyes, and that becomes the premise of these stories.

When you die, you move on first to a magical photo studio where you quite literally see your life in images flashing before your eyes.

The stories in this novel are both cozy and heartbreaking. It makes me reflect so much on my life - the people who have touched my life and the people my life might have touched.

I can’t say too much without giving away spoilers, but this book was a great change of pace for me. I absolutely loved it.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book to read. All opinions here are my own.

I am so heartbroken. That was one of the most beautiful book I have ever read.

The Lantern of Lost Memories is a story about a place where people go after they die, but before they actually reach the afterlife. There is a saying that when you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes - and that is exactly what happens here! The Lantern of Lost Memories will show the person the memories from their life, and the person will get to watch them before they go to the afterlife. This is just the general idea - I do not want to spoil much.

The book consists of three short stories, and if you notice the little things in each story, you will realise they are related to one another. Every story is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

I don't think I will be able to move on from these stories for a while, and if I do, I will always remember these stories fondly.

If you have read similar books of Japanese literature such as What You Are Looking For Is in the Library or Before the Coffee Gets Cold then you should know what to expect. And if you love the books I mentioned, you will absolutely love The Lantern of Lost Memories.

I am so happy to have received this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I've been eagerly anticipating this book, and it met all my expectations!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing.

What a perfect, cozy fantasy! I loved every moment of this short story and by the end I was dying for more!

This is the story of the peculiar and magical photo studio owned by Mr. Hirasaka, a collector of antique cameras. When you die, you are transported to his photo studio, where you will pick out one photo for each year of your life, which you will make into a lantern. You will watch the lantern as the photos fly by, detailing the story of your life, and once the story is over, you will proceed on to the afterlife. Mr. Hirasaka also offers guests a second gift: a chance to travel back in time to take a photo of one particular moment in their lives that they wish to cherish in a special way.

In this heartwarming story you will meet three individuals - Hatsue, a ninety-two year old woman who worked as a nursery teacher, the rowdy Waniguchi, a yakuza overseer in his life who is also capable of great compassion, and finally Mitsuru, a young girl who has died tragically young at the hands of abusive parents.

This book was excellent. It is a fairly quick read, but that doesn't diminish the impact it will leave upon you. I will admit I teared up a little towards the end. I loved the idea of the spinning lantern, and watching your life "flash before your eyes" so to speak. This would make an excellent book club read. I highly recommend it!

The Lantern of Lost Memories is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time. It made me think of The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Under the Whispering Door. I'm always interested in stories that imagine what happens after death, especially ones with such interesting premises.

I loved the idea of the lantern which literally is used to make people's lives flash before their eyes before they pass on. This book had me thinking of my own past and the pictures I could find in such a place. I love how Mr. Hirasaka brings each person back in time to an important moment in their lives to take the perfect image for their lanterns. Each of their stories were wonderful to read and added even more to the work.

There's something about books like this that get me to be introspective, for obvious reasons. I love how heartwarming, bittersweet, joyful, and sentimental the entire story is. Also, it was great and surprising to see how the stories each connected. By the end it hits you hard.

I hope there will be more books from this world. I'd love to learn more about Mr. Hirasaka and the people who come through his magical photo studio. The Lantern of Lost Memories is perfect for magical realism lovers. This is getting compared to the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, so now I know I have to read those books too. I highly recommend picking this book up.

Mr. Hirasaki runs a magical photo studio to usher in those who have passed as they are about to take their next step into the unknown. These people have a chance to reflect on the entirety of their lives and pick out the moments that meant the most to them, so it is a bittersweet and heartwarming exploration of what meaning we put into our lives if given a chance to reflect.

There is a certain vein of short fiction in Japan that one could describe as sentimental magical realism. I love these kind of explorations of thought, feeling, and humanity. I also love that these works tend to be short and not overly wrought in prose. These a dry directness that is both sincere and endearing. I think this novel will stay with me for a long time.

I've never read Japanese literature before, so this book was a first for me. I really enjoyed it. The characters were well developed. The plot was interesting. It was beautifully written. I loved how all of the stories within the book were related to one another. I found it to be an interesting take on the afterlife. All around a great read.

This is a nice little story, but I thought the translation was a little confusing and awkward. The story is sweet and lovely. If you like slice-of-life stories, then this book will melt your heart. It was a little corny but overall, I thought the book was cozy and heartwarming.

I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one but it was very charming, interesting, and surprisingly compelling. It took me a little bit to be convinced that it was a book for me but once I decided to really commit, I flew through the rest of it. There are three big sections that are only split by little page breaks rather than actual chapters but those breaks still have little breathers if you’re like me and have to find a good stopping point for the night. The first character seemed perhaps a little uninteresting at first glance but as the rest of the book unfolded, I really enjoyed how each story connected to the others. The small details became important in unexpected ways. If you don’t mind a slow unfolding of events and like a book that feels low key in action but not necessarily impact, then give this one a try. I’m also reading Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin right now and think these two books probably have very similar audiences.

A cozy and quick little read if you’re looking for something charming, sentimental, and bittersweet. I really enjoyed the slice of life aspect of these stories.

What if you could revisit long lost memories and even re-live your most pivotal day after you die?

Hirasaka works at a very special photography studio - one that occupies the space between this life and the afterlife. He acts as a guide to help transition recently departed souls in their final act: selecting the collection of photos that represent their life.

Check out this book if you like photography, Tokyo Revengers, or The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!

This was such a lovely book. Perfect for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. After death, each person arrives in a photo shop where they find a kindly gentleman and one photo from every day of their life. Their final task before moving on is to select one photo (memory) for each year to put in their lantern. This is such a beautiful reflection on what matters in a life and the things we want to remember most in the end. Each of the 3 stories in this book was touching in a different way and I sincerely hope this becomes a series like Before the Coffee Gets Cold and continues with more books. The premise is an easy one to add to and I would love to read more of these stories as well as learn more about the keeper of the photo shop.

In this novel, when you die, you get to review your life via pictures. You appear in a photo studio with a picture for every day of your life and you choose one for each year. These are displayed to you before you move onto the next stage. The man who runs the studio can take you back to your life for one day to retake one photo of your choice. This is the story of 3 people who die and end up in the studio to get this life review: an elderly former teacher, a murdered yakuza, and an abused girl (yes, warning for description of abuse). The life review and visit to the past are touching and interlinked in ways not revealed until the end of the book. This was a touching story of how lives have meaning and how others can help us see that. Sweet, warm, quick read. I wish there were more stories, but I also appreciate the interlinking that was possible with the limited scope. The author was able to bring closure in a way that wouldn't be possible in a larger story. Still, each story was rewarding in its own right.

Cozy death stories? I mean, I wasn't expecting it but was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable of a read this was. Soft and warm and I loved how each persons story felt like a novella inside a larger novel.