Title: The Passengers on the Hankyu Line
Author: Hiro Arikawa
Year Published: 2025
Genre: Fiction, Social Commentary
Setting: Japan
My Rating: 
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line: An Overview
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line explores the lives of various passengers as they intersect on the titular Hankyu Line. Told in two main parts–the outward journey and the return journey six months later–we watch these characters confront and resolve emotional turmoil in their lives.
Like in real life, there are all kinds of passengers. There are several young people navigating relationships, ranging from starting new ones to escaping abusive ones. There are elderly people taking charge of their lives and doling out advice for younger people. And there are those who have just begun journeys toward emotional closure.
All intersect–however briefly–and have an impact on the others. Told through alternating third-person perspectives over a span of six months, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is perfect for people who love slice-of-life stories with a Love Actually or Valentine’s Day type setup.
My Thoughts
I put a hold on this book as soon as it became available at the library, and it took a few months to be able to read it. Funnily enough, as it worked out, I read it right after finishing Alexander McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street. Although set halfway across the world from each other and written about 20 years apart, there were more than a few similarities. Both were comical, gentle social commentaries, and both felt warm and cozy. The Passengers on the Hankyu Line was much shorter than 44 Scotland Street at about 150 pages, but it delivered the same enjoyable escape.
Each mini storyline was enjoyable, but my personal favorite was that of Shoko, a woman betrayed by her fiancé who is navigating the emotional fallout of such an emotional wound. In this story arc, the author perfectly explores the kaleidoscope of emotions that accompany an intelligent, proud woman navigating a romantic betrayal, and she gives her a happy, realistic ending, as well.
That was, perhaps, my favorite aspect of the story. It was by no means a plot-driven novel, but rather an exploration of the lives and problems of these people. Although short, it gave us an intimate look into the characters’ emotional lives. The central metaphor of the train and the stations as the journey through life worked very well, and it had me reflecting on my own thoughts as I take the metro or train: where are the people around me going? How is life different in this neighborhood? What are those papers in their hands? What are they doing at this stop?
Travel + Human Connection
As our lives become increasingly more demanding and more digital, it feels like the human connection is fading. When you take any means of public transportation, most people are just looking down at their phones. And sure, there are a ton of things they could be doing, many of which are productive. But it still feels increasingly like we’re all in our own separate little worlds.
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line took this feeling away for a brief moment, or at least made me feel like other people are as nosy as I am when they’re on public transportation. This idea that we can briefly interact with, influence, and impact our fellow travelers is one that rings true, and I think its message resonated now more than ever.
A Final Word
If you’re in the mood for a short, charming story that feels like drinking a warm cup of tea, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is for you. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a few hours on one of Japan’s lovely train lines.
Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts!
