Goodnight Tokyo

"Rewards are plentiful."— Financial Times 

"A must-read for Murakami fans."— Hotlist 

Set in the early hours of the morning in and around Tokyo, this ingeniously constructed English language debut is an energetic fresco of nocturnal existence. Hailed as a mélange of Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, and Hieronymus Bosch, Goodnight Tokyo is a compelling reflection on human relationships in modern-day metropolises at the intersection of isolation and intimacy. 

Matsui is the driver of a taxi the colour of the night sky. Every night between the hours of 1 am and 4.30 am, when Tokyo's eccentrics and insomniacs emerge, he guides his taxi around the streets of Tokyo, collecting passengers and their stories. 

Yoshida's novel offers readers a unique and intimate take on Tokyo as seen through the eyes of a large cast of colourful characters whose lives are mysteriously but intricately interconnected and whose fates converge against the backdrop of the city's neon-lit streets and night-time alleys.



"The timeless quality of Tokyo in the wee small hours is evoked as taxi driver Matsui encounters eccentrics and insomniacs alike . . . rewards are plentiful."



"A bewitching nocturnal portrait of a mysterious, eerie and surreal Tokyo."



"This short novel is the perfect introduction if you've not encountered the world of Japanese fiction."



"Dream-like and elegant... These tales are compelling. All life is here, and Yoshida's writing is a perfect lens to see into the dark recesses of the heart."



"There is a whimsicality to this playful novel that vanishes in the harsh light of day."



"A charming collection of interlinked short stories that take place in the Japanese capital by night... it's a lot of fun, packing a lot of 'adventures' into its twelve stories."



"A charismatic reading experience. Exploring the fragility of human nature it examines the concept of fate and why, as individuals, and for whatever reason, we journey on a path that can take us on an unexpected yet, ofttimes, welcome adventure."



"I enjoyed this book very much. The matter-of-fact style, really quite spare and unpretentious, enables Yoshida to lay bare the yearning at the heart of these nocturnal creatures, and the reader is soon very much supportive of their journey to a more fulfilling life."



"There's something magical about these late-night fairy-tale interactions, every person unwittingly walking the city with the key to a stranger's mystery in their pocket."



"Best-selling Japanese writer Yoshida's English-language debut, enabled by Australian literary translator Haydn Trowell, is a delightful montage portraying strangers serendipitously connecting in the wee hours despite the vast anonymity of living in one of the world's busiest, most populous cities."



"A tender ode to life's unexpected moments of happiness."



"A quiet slice-of-night-life novel, Goodnight Tokyo explores the hushed surprises and understated mysteries enmeshed in daily human connectivity."



"Readers will be reminded of Jim Jarmusch's 1991 movie Night on Earth, which also takes place in the wee hours of the morning and threads together the stories of strangers."



"Satisfyingly uplifting and full of unexpected, magical moments."



"After closing this book, think of a friend or someone you know. Try to imagine their friends, the people they know whom you don't. Tokyo is made of such people. Definitely."



"A must-read for Murakami fans."



"Despite being full of lively characters, the most vibrant personality in Atsuhiro Yoshida's Goodnight Tokyo might be the city itself. . . It's easy to ignore the inner-workings of a city, to miss all of the cogs that need to be kept turning night and day, but Yoshida describes these processes with a fluidity that will likely keep readers engaged until the very end."



"A solid, atmospheric ensemble-piece, neatly meshed together, an engaging slice of Tokyo and its inhabitants (and, more generally, how individuals cope in an enormous and often impersonal metropolis) as seen from an unusual all-night vantage point."