The Passengers on the Hankyu Line, by Hiro Arikawa

 

A steady stream of strangers straighten out their lives while travelling the Hankyu Train Line.   

In the author’s preface to Hiro Arikawa’s The Passengers of the Hankyu Line, we learn that Hankyu is a private railway that services the area around Kyoto in Japan. Arikawa concentrates her story on the Imazu Line, a lesser known line within Hankyu. A loose collection of characters bump into and interact with each other as they commute on the line, sometimes their fates coming to intertwine. 

Shoko is dealing with the grief of being a jilted bride. Misa, a student, is having trouble with her violent boyfriend. Tokie and her granddaughter discuss the merits of getting a dog. Kei’ichi in an accidental encounter meets Miho and the two tentatively move towards a relationship. Yasue, a housewife unhappy with her friendship circle, decides to step back from their expensive outings and lunches to concentrate on her family. 

First published in 2008 and now translated into English by Allison Markin Powell, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a gently written novel about everyday lives and where they intersect in public places. If there’s a theme, you could say it’s the kindness of strangers. Sometimes people behave badly in public - there are scenes of loud school girls and boisterous women grabbing seats - but in the long run humanity tends towards kindness and loving relationships. 

A pleasurable, companionable read that will make you feel that despite life’s troubles, all is good with the world.

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line, by Hiro Arikawa. Published by Doubleday. $34.99

June 2025