Kanako Nishi Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

Kanako Nishi is a published author.

She was born in 1977 in Tehran, Iran. This is where her family relocated for her father’s job. Kanako would go on to reside in Japan for a few years in Osaka Prefecture before she moved with her family to Cairo, Egypt. That is where she spent four out of her total elementary school years. This is somewhat paralleled with the early life of the male protagonist in her novel Saraba! (So Long!).

She was twenty-five years old when she started writing fiction on her own. She also was able to make her literary debut in 2004 with Aoi (Blue), her short story collection. In 2006, Kanako was able to win the Oda Sakunosuke Prize for Tsutenkaku (Tower to Heaven), her novel. In 2012, she got the Kawai Hayao Prize for her novel Fukuwarai (Funny Face).

She made her debut as a novelist with Aoi in 2004, not long after graduating from Kansai University with a law degree. The next year, her sophomore novel (Sakura) would become a best-seller. She is known as well for her novels Tsutenkaku, Kofuku Midori no, and Entaku.

Her novel Saraba! has action that takes place all across places that she has lived, whether it’s Iran, Egypt, Osaka, or Tokyo. It got her the prestigious Naoki Prize as well. The author being able to show the alienation that characters with strong personalities experience has gotten her a wide following. Kanako is also a fan of professional wrestling.

Sakura is a 2005 book by Kanako Nishi. This international bestseller is finally available in English and has come from one of the most revered and acclaimed authors in Japan. It is the story of a family who has been broken who is dealing with the pain of the past to try and live in the present, all while helped by a dog who becomes their lifeline.

One family out there is very happy until they are not. Going back and forth in time, the story first starts when Kaoru the narrator gets a letter from his estranged father. He announces that he is going to be home in Osaka and get there in time for New Year’s. The letter ends up motivating Kaoru to return to his childhood home. Even though he is worried about returning, he finds that his spirits have been lifted when he is greeted by the family dog Sakura.

When they were growing up, the Hasegawas were the living embodiment of a picture-perfect family. Kaoru’s parents were very loving and doting and they loved paying attention to their children. His younger baby sister Miki was cute and would win everyone over. Then there was his older brother Hajime, who was an athlete, charmer, and natural leader, as well as a superstar.

Middle child Kaoru was adequate when it came to school, but he was not necessarily the type of student that is a star. He was always friendly with the girls, but you would not typically describe him as being popular. He was just happy to exist in the shadow of his older brother and occasionally get a little of his light, but then was involved in a horrible accident that ended up fracturing the family. Now the Hasegawas are finding that they might not have enough to keep them together outside of melancholy and memories.

Coming home, Kaoru along with his family are going to have to look within themselves and see if they can find the strength that they need to deal with the past as well as lean down to look at their lives and to pick up the pieces. Thankfully there is also Sakura, who has managed to stay happy and content through all of this. They wonder what her secret is. The Hasegawas are also doing their best to try and let it go and they are finding that Sakura out of all of them might be the key that is helping them to move forward.

This book was a huge bestseller in Japan, and now it is available in English. It is a funny and bittersweet story that is all about the mystery and the magic that comes from family love from one of the top writers in Japan. This book was translated from Japanese thanks to Allison Markin Powell. Check it out to see what you think and how Sakura helps this family through some of their toughest moments!