Convenience Store Woman

Meet Keiko Furukura, a 36-year-old Tokyo resident who has never quite fit in. But everything changes when, at eighteen, she starts working at the Hiiromachi branch of “Smile Mart.” Inside the convenience store, Keiko finally finds a sense of order and belonging.

For eighteen years, Keiko remains at the store while colleagues and managers come and go. To her, the job is more than work—it becomes her identity. But as the years pass, the world around her grows increasingly uncomfortable with her contentment. Family and friends pressure her to get married, find a “real” career, and move on. In response, Keiko makes a bold and unsettling decision that challenges the assumptions of those around her—and the reader.

Shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award.