I really enjoyed this slice of life story from Hiro Arikawa. I loved seeing the different points of view from all the different characters, but also having them converge at different points. It was very interesting, and I loved all the characters. Very cozy.

This series of related vignettes was a very pleasant, relaxing read. It's the kind of thing that works well with reading just before bed. The characters are interesting and the setting is unique.

I chose this book specifically because of the face that it has the Hankyu Line in the title. I've ridden on the line every time I've been to Kyoto, so I just had to find out what this book was about!

I enjoy how the author centered the story on the interlocking lives of passengers who encounter one another while riding the Hankyu line. The manner in which they interact or are even influenced by the others was quite clever. Some of the stories were rather endearing or heartwarming, while others were a bit more sad or wistful.

Ultimately the story reminds us that we're all humans living our own lives as best as we can, part of a much larger, interconnected story. I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting of the book, but it was a worthwhile read.

When I lived in Osaka, my daily commute train was on the Keihan Line. I only took the Hankyu Line a handful of times, usually to go to Koshien Stadium to watch the Hanshin Tigers play, or to go sightseeing on the west side of the river in Kyoto or on to Kobe. The distinctive retro design of the maroon Hankyu line cars, with their interior wood paneling and peridot upholstery, is pretty cool, I have to agree.

Anyway, I loved this book. Building on the train setting, the novel's themes center around beginnings, endings, and the things realized between those two points through external connection, as well as internal connection with the self. The passengers interact both directly and indirectly with one another in ways that are usual, surprising, and occasionally inspiring. I loved being back in the crisscross environment of Japanese railway travel.

I enjoyed all the storylines and appreciated the outcomes, some of which I could really celebrate and some of which gave me pause for thought. But they were perfectly in keeping with the notion that we're all just trying to do life together and sometimes it works out great, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes there's a middling line that has to be found. Brilliant and memorable storytelling.