Sweet Bean Paste

Sweet Bean Paste is a quietly moving novel about unlikely friendships, second chances, and the small joys that give life meaning. Sentaro, a lonely man with a criminal record, runs a modest dorayaki (sweet bean pancake) stand with little passion—until an elderly woman named Tokue asks for a job.

Though her hands are disfigured and her past mysterious, Tokue possesses a gift: a way of making red bean paste that transforms Sentaro’s business. As their bond deepens, Tokue teaches him not just the art of cooking, but how to truly listen—to others, to nature, and to himself. Yet Tokue’s past soon resurfaces, revealing the painful legacy of a society quick to cast people aside.

Written with tenderness and quiet insight, Sweet Bean Paste is a celebration of dignity, empathy, and the healing power of sharing food. It’s a gentle reminder that it’s never too late to change the course of a life—or to touch someone else’s.

Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa’s beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.