What You are looking for is in the library - Michiko Aovama

Yet, another Japanese book, with cat on it's cover? In Japanese folklore, cats are the symbols of good luck and are said to have protective powers. Let's take the story of maneki-neko for example. Centuries ago a feudal lord, standing under a tree, saw a cat waving at him. Curious, he moved towards the cat and just then lightning struck the tree. Thus was born the story of maneki-neko .

Cats and Window makes us stand eye to eye with what lies inside us. It also helps us evaluate how meaningfully we are engaging with the world around us. 'One can almost hear Tiger, the feline protagonist from another Japanese best seller Cat Who Saved Books remind us, “Books have tremendous power.”

Another list of 65 books to read before I begin reading the book in hand : https://japanobjects.com/features/japanese-books; in addition to 'Details of the books mentioned in the book', listed below:

What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts, read inspired by Bindu Manoj's post in FB. This book is about the magic of libraries and the discovery of connection. 

This inspirational tale shows how, by listening to our hearts, seizing opportunity and reaching out, we too can fulfil our lifelong dreams.

Sayuri Komachi Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian is able to sense exactly what each visitor to her library is searching for, and provide just the book recommendation to help them find it as she kept felting and giving the right gifts with the book. According to her 'You may say that it was the book, but it's how you read a book that is most valuable, rather than nay power it might have itself. ' Nozomi Morinaga is following her and making cards for each of the visitors. This book has five examples:

A restless retail assistant looks to gain new skills - Tomoka, 21, Womenswear sales assistant

Felt like an extension of the previous book and was a bit confused with the similarity of Tomoka's life and name - both moving to Tokyo for a job in early 20s and their struggle. 

“In a world where you don’t know what will happen next, I just do what I can right now.”

 “The day that customer first appeared,I was so itching to take my break I didn’t give her my complete attention and I’m sure she sensed it.”

Mrs. Numauchi and  Magneta comes to her rescue. Kiriyama  who earlier worked in publishing company and now moved to glasses helped her.

 "What I do know is that there's no need to panic, or do more than I can cope with right now. For the time being, I plan to simply get my life in order and learn some new skills, choosing from what's available. I'll prepare myself, like Guri and Gura gathering chestnuts in the forest. Because I never know when I might find my own giant egg."

Book: 'Guri and Gura'  by Rieko Nakagawa- Each of the people who had read it, had a different take on the book and different learning. Again an extension from the previous book. 

A conscientious accountant yearns to open an antique store - Ryo, 35, Accounts Department of a Furniture Manufacturer

One day when I have enough money saved up, I will quit my job, find somewhere to open a shop and curate the shelves....One day...But will one day ever come....?

But if you need to know what lies beyond the dream, you need to know.

A parallel career means having two careers that are complementary, with neither being secondary to the other. (Being active in more than one field)

Most of the time we humans only look at the flowers or fruit of a plant, because we live above ground. We switch our attention to below ground only when the roots have a particular interest for us, as in the case of sweet potatoes or carrots. Yet from a plant's perspective, above ground and below ground are equally important and in perfect balance. Humans only see what suits them most, and make that their main focus, but for plants...Both are main. 

Yasuhara a writer : ' Before I  had this place, all I ever used to think about was quitting my office job, but now that job is what gives me the means to enjoy running this bookshop. If the bookshop was all I did, however, then I'd have to spend a lot more time thinking about sales strategies and so on. Which would be far more demanding. And I don't really want that.'

Job secures you a place in society. With parallel career, you can have two places, with neither a side business. ..Above ground and below ground - Plant world. 

One would give mental and emotional satisfaction, other would give money. Yes, that might reduce the time for other activities like travelling etc. 

Turn don't have time, money or courage into a goal. 

'Everybody is connected. And any one of their connections could be the start of a network that branches in many directions. If you wait for the right time to make connections, it might never happen, but if you show your face around, talk to people and see enough to give you the confidence that things could work out, then 'one day' might turn into 'tomorrow'. 'Timing is all important. Don't let the right moment slip by.'

Both are equally important. That could be true for a couple too. 

What makes the world go round?  - Rio: Love; Hina: Trust.

There are so many things to do, but I won't make the excuse that I have no time any more. Instead, I will think about what I can do with the time I have. 

Gift: A cat with a brown body. 

Book: 'How do worms work? A Gardener's colleciton of Curious Questions and Astonishing Answers' by Guy Barter. 

A mother tries to overcome demotion at work after maternity leave, - Natsumi, 40, former magazine Editor

'We all come to understand at some point in our lives that there is no Santa Claus. But the reason Santa Claus remains an integral part of Christmas celebrations is not for the sake of small children. It is because grown-ups who were once children themselves continue to hold the truth of Santa Claus in their hearts even after they become adults, and they live that belief. 

Futaba her daughter. Raising a child is like "the difference between thinking that Winnie-the-Pooh is cute, and actually living with a bear."

Children don't just come into the world, do they?' she said. 'Giving birth was a huge event in your life, wasn't it?

It gave great respect to all mothers in the world........While it was hard work for mother to give birth, it also took me every ounce of my own strength to endure the extremely difficult process of being born. ....thrust into an entirely new and strange environment. 

Count your blessings and think - Wasn't that worth all the effort of being born? Everything else that comes afterwards is nowhere near as hard. If you can survive the ordel of being born, you can get through anything. 

Book: 'Moon Petals' or 'Door to the Moon' by Yukari Ishii . 'In the world of astrology the moon signifies mothers, wives, incidents from childhood, emotions, the flesh, changes and so on. ' 

'The Heart has two eyes toe perceive that which is not visible to the eye. One is the 'Sun Eye', which sheds a bright light on our understanding of things from a rational and logical perspective. The other is the 'Moon Eye', which perceives things through instinct or emotion, in our imagination or dreams, such as seeing ghosts in the dark or entertaining a secret love. Both eyes exist in our hearts. 

'When one reads or writes a novel, it is the Moon Eye that is in play. But when one works on a manuscript to help get it into shape before sending it into the world, the Sun Eye comes to the fore. Both eyes are essential. From now on, I will try to keep both of mine wide open, letting them work together, neither at the expense of the other. 

From big things to little, there are somethings we simply cannot force to go to plan, no matter how hard we try. 

Like Komachi's felting, she one can start again half way through, changing direction.

Perpetrator and Victim. Make own choices. Cant we have both? Is it too much to want to have a child and a satisfying career? Am I not allowed to voice my dissatisfaction?

Madam Mizue, who published her book with the help of Natsumi tells her: 'The merry-go-round, it's a very common condition', 'Singles are envious of those who are married, and married couples envy those with children, but people with children are envious of singles. It's an endless merry-go-round. But isn't that funny? That each person should be chasing the tail of the person in front of them, when no one is coming first or last. In other words, when it comes to happiness nothing is better or worse - there is no definitive state. 

Life is one revelation after another. Things don't always go to plan, no matter what your circumstances. But the flip side is all the unexpected, wonderful things that you could never have imagined happening. Ultimately it's all for the best that many things don't turn out the way we hoped. Try not to think of upset plans or schedules as personal failure or bad luck. If you can do that, then you can change, in your own self and in your life overall. 

'The playground is big. Madam Mizue's words still rang in my head. Had she been suggesting I get off the merry-go-round and try out something else in the playground? Never swerving from a path is not necessarily a virtue -isn't it better sometimes to be honest about what you really want.'

'Things change, even if you want them to stay the same. At the same time, you can try to change, but you will still remain the same. '

Kiriyama - from the first part who earlier worked in publishing company and now moved to glasses helped her but said. " There is no 'why', its just the way things turned out. Isn't it a good thing to want more great books in the world? I want to read them too.'

The Santa claus that parents teach is not a lie, but part of a larger truth. Likewise do the eyes of the sun and moon on our hearts cooperate, without denying each other's existence, in formulating our perceptions of the world. 

She sends out an email 'I would like to open a new door with you'. 

The Earth goes around. We gaze at the moon, illuminated by the sun. Feet on the ground and facing the sky, we go forward, changing as we do. In order to deliver a larger truth to the person looking down at an open page. 

Hiroya, 30, NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training)

Goes in search of 21 Emon, text and illustrations by Fujiko.

His gift was not a manga as we wished, but a plane with a tiny grey body, white wings and a cool green tail. 

Book : 'Evolution: A visual Record by Robert Clark and Joseph Wallace - a book of photographs of the natural world.

Favourable variations would tend to be preserved and unfavourable ones to be destroyed. 

Komachi also adds "When reading biographies and history... You have to remember that it is merely one version of events and only the parties involved can ever know the real truth. There are always numeroud interpretations and hearsay, about who said or did what. Misunderstandings occur even in real time; you can see that on the internet. So when it comes to events deep in the past, it's very difficult to be sure of what is accurate."

Seitaro, friend of Hiroya who finally publish his book says: "My job with the waterworks Bureau is the reason I could keep writing. I'm not quitting. "

A recently retired salaryman searches for newfound purpose - Masao, 65, Retired. 

In Komachi’s unique book recommendation, they will find just what they need to achieve their dreams.

Book: Genge and Frogs by Shinpei Kusano - 20th century Japanese poetry collection. Wanting to get a book on 'Go' a game. 

What am I looking for? What am I looking for?

A new way to live from now on, perhaps. 

'When you are in contact with the poets soul and their attitude to life, your response to their poetry becomes even more powerful. You can, in a sense , even enter into the life of the poet and feel moved in the same way. '             - You start writing poetry.   

'Books belong to everybody: the creators, the sellers and the readers. That's what society is all about, I believe.' - Says his daughter Chie working for a publishing company. 

Library.

What a nice sounding word.

So comforting.

I feel like I'm a student again.

Library...

"Am I allowed to borrow books?"