Hiro Arikawa’s latest English-translated release is a departure from her last two books—one of them being The Travelling Cat Chronicles. Instead of featuring cats like her last two books, her latest translated work, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line, features 10 characters going about their daily lives on the Imazu Line, which is part of the Hankyu Railway Line in the Kansai area. All of them are unsuspecting about how they will end up affecting the lives of the strangers they meet.
“All manner of people from every walk of life—solo passengers, friends, couples, families, work colleagues—traverse the concourse at a brisk pace,” Arikawa writes before the start of her book. “But as they cross paths, the contents of each traveler’s heart are a mystery known only to themselves.”
Arikawa seems to be toying with a premise that plays with our ego, and the thought has probably crossed our minds at some point—perhaps a small connection we made with a stranger, no matter how fleeting or transient, has influenced or changed another person’s life. Through her use of the parallel narrative structure, Arikawa seems to be encouraging her readers to engage with the outside world. Any interaction big or small may be the start of a ripple effect that might end up changing someone’s life.
Serendipitous moments such as these are found all throughout the Hankyu Line as the characters board the train. Masashi, an office worker, bumps into Yuki, a woman he secretly thought of as his library rival in the Takarazuka Central Library since their similar taste in books always had her snatching up the hot new releases before he could get to them. Keichi, a college student who had been teased for his deep interest in the army, meets Miho Gondawara, a woman whose masculine name doesn’t seem to fit her but is thrilled by the discovery of unusual things.
If Arikawa meant for there to be a central character in her mix of storylines, it might be Tokié, a woman often seen with her young granddaughter. Though her husband had already passed and she does not feel welcome in her daughter-in-law’s home, she has enough security and wherewithal to ignore trivial slights and focus on her health and well-being.
It is from this position of clarity she doles out advice to Shoko, a woman who lost her fiancé to a conniving coworker, and to Misa, a female college student staying in an abusive relationship. Through both instances, the characters discover they “owe a certain debt of gratitude to strangers” as they find the grace and courage to let go of grudges and bad relationships, giving them the chance to become a better version of themselves and opening up opportunities for better things to enter their lives.
Misa even finds herself paying homage to Tokié and paying her kindness forward by giving advice to Yasué, a middle-aged woman who wants to part with friends whose values are different from hers. She also sparks a friendship with an unexpected person from the train.
Released on June 3, 2025, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is sure to delight Arikawa fans, as well as fans of the uplifting and heartwarming cozy genre of the Japanese and Korean variety. As the world seems to get more dystopian every day, her book is a reminder to everyone that we can make a difference on the most basic level, and that words, even expressed as a remonstrance, are powerful and can start the course of change. Get ready to enjoy a pleasant trip on the train with Arikawa’s latest book.
