The Convenience Store by the Sea

The quirky, charming Japanese sensation with over half a million copies sold worldwide.

"An unexpected treasure." —Laurie Gilmore, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe

Welcome to Tenderness!

A quaint seaside town in Kitakyushu, Mojiko is full of hidden delights. And one unexpected treasure is the 24/7 convenience store, Tenderness.

Sure, it's a bit odd that the incredibly handsome manager has his own fan club. And perhaps the customers are somewhat eccentric, if not entertaining. But there's a warmth about the store that draws you in.

The truth is, Tenderness is different. Operating only in Kyushu, Tenderness stands firm and proud by its motto “Caring for People, Caring for You”, no matter the cause. And for Mitsuhiko, dishing out delicious food is simply the appetizer to his unsolicited but hearty wisdom on the town’s shenanigans.

An international bestseller with over half a million copies sold between Japan and South Korea, The Convenience Store by The Sea tells the delightfully quirky and heartfelt stories of the store’s customers and employees, offering us all a unique recipe for a good, fulfilling life.

My favorite

I have really come to enjoy what I think of as cozy or slice of life books from Japan and this one is my favorite. Rather than a series of chapters all following the same pattern, There are separate story threads for several characters which all come together at the end in a satisfying way and all of the characters here are fully fleshed out and interesting. There is a lot of heart in this book, without being at all saccharin, a portrait of what "community" can be when neighbors truly care for each other. I've listened three times now and it always reminds me it's okay to just live my life as it comes. Very comforting.