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'travelling cat' chronicles friendship, loss and life on the road.

Ilana Masad

The Travelling Cat Chronicles

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When I first started The Travelling Cat Chronicles — by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Philip Gabriel -- I was admittedly skeptical. I am a cat lover, obsessed with my own kitties as well as the myriad cat memes and wholesome videos that pepper my social media, but I wasn't sure how to react to what seemed, at first, like a schmaltzy novel partially voiced by a proud male stray. But soon I realized what the trouble was — and it wasn't with the book, but with me. My busy, cynical, constantly enraged mind didn't know what to do with a book that was, at its core, joyful. As a book critic, I tend to engage with so-called Serious Books that take on Big Issues. But The Travelling Cat Chronicles is no less valuable for facing issues of friendship, family, loss, and grief with an optimistic and loving outlook. In fact, the book's greatest strength is that it allows its readers to experience vicarious happiness even as a sense of impending loss begins to creep through the pages.

It was easy to stick with the book, as it's full of cat logic gems. When the novel's central character Satoru asks a cat he's just met, "I guess you want something in exchange for being stroked?" the cat responds with his signature haughty style: "Quick on the draw, this one. Quite right. Got to get something in return for having my sleep disturbed." When this cat is hit by a car, he crawls up to Satoru's silver van, hoping to be helped, and is rewarded not only with medical care but with a home, too. Satoru takes the cat in and names him Nana — seven in Japanese — because of how his tail crooks to one side and looks like that number. The pair live together happily for a few years before, due to unforeseen circumstances, Satoru is forced to try to find a new home for Nana, and sets off on a series of brief road trips to visit friends and loved ones from his past.

Here, Kitty, Kitty: Even Dog Lovers Should Read 'The Guest Cat'

'The Friend' Is No Shaggy Dog Story

Satoru first visits a childhood friend, Kosuke, whose wife has recently moved back in with her parents. It is during this chapter that we switch out of Nana's point of view — he narrates about half the book — and into an omniscient narrator who tells us about the boys' friendship and how they bonded with a cat called Hachi (which means eight) when they were both in elementary school. Soon after, though, during a school trip, Satoru was called home — his parents had both died in a tragic accident, and he was forced to move in with a childless aunt who couldn't take Hachi in as well.

The second friend Satoru visits is Yoshimine, now a farmer. Yoshimine and Satoru have been friends since their junior high days, where they were both new students who'd moved to the district due to family difficulties — Satoru's parents died, and Yoshimine's were both so busy with work that they sent him away to live with his grandmother. The third visit Satoru makes is to a couple he's been friends with since high school and university days, Sugi and Chikako. He once had a crush on Chikako, but Sugi, in love with her himself, begged Satoru to keep his crush to himself.

None of them — Kosuke, Yoshimine, Sugi and Chikako — are a good fit to take care of Nana, for a variety of reasons, all of which Nana contributes to, not wanting to be left behind. He's a proud cat, but he's loyal and loving. On a ferry trip, when he's forced to stay in an animals-only room, Nana is shamed by the other animals, accused of being pampered because of how often Satoru visits him, asking if he's lonely. Until, that is, a chinchilla cat tells them all to shut up: "Don't you understand? It's his master who's the lonely one?"

Indeed, Satoru is the lonely one, but with Nana by his side, it appears he can muster up the energy for one last tour of Japan, one last meeting with beloved friends. At each turn, in each history of friendship revealed to us readers, it's clear that Satoru has always been a cheerful person, despite his hardships. He's been loving and attentive and has always tried to do his best for those around him. He is a study in kindness, a true cat fanatic — as Nana correctly identifies him — and his story winds to an end in a beautiful, loving, heartbreaking way. I found myself sobbing through the last 40 pages or so, unable, unwilling, to let this joyful little book go. I doubt many readers — as cynical and hardened as they may be — will get through it dry-eyed themselves. And you know what? Sometimes a good happy-sad cry is just what the doctor ordered.

Ilana Masad is an Israeli-American fiction writer, book critic, essayist, and editor for hire.

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Review: The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

The Summary

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he’s going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru’s old friends. He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There’s even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species.

But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won’t say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break…

Synopsis by Goodreads

The Review:

This book reminds me of something Robin Williams says in one of my all time favorite movies, Dead Poet’s Society: “Sometimes, the most beautiful poetry can be about simple things, like a cat or a flower, or rain. You see, poetry can come from anything with the stuff of revelation in it.” Maybe it was just the cat reference, but I think this observation could totally apply to The Travelling Cat Chronicles – minus the poetry part! 

At a glance, the story is simple. It’s about a cat-loving guy named Satoru and the cat he adapts from off the street who he names Nana. Also, Hiro Arikawa’s writing is so charming, this book could have been placed in the children’s section of the library and I would have been none the wiser. 

However, once I dove further into the story, I was struck by how observant a writer she is – particularly when it comes to cats! Sections of this book are narrated in the first person by Nana. His voice is so distinctly and delightfully, well, cat-like!  Near the end of the book Satoru’s aunt offers Nana a larger, better cardboard box so she can get rid of the small, beat-up one he likes. Nana rejects it, telling the reader, “cats the world over prefer to discover things they like on their own and rarely go for anything that’s been provided for them.”

What really solidified this as a 5 star read for me is“the stuff of revelation” within this book. In particular, one of the main themes of the story is the fear being alone. It quickly becomes apparent, that while Satoru is a kind and thoughtful person who has many friends, he also emotionally and physically isolated from them. He is not entirely able to communicate, or receive what he needs from his human friends and family. The only character who is able to truly connect with him, and be there for him, is Nana. One of the loneliest things about life is that only you can live it. Even the most introverted amongst us need companionship. We all need a Nana along in our own life’s journey!  

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a fantastic little book that made me laugh many times, tear up a few times, and ultimately left me so happy (and  possibly re-thinking my own currently cat-less existence)! 

For more Japanese literature please also be sure to  check out our review of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata.  

I am a freelance writer who works in the financial sector by day. I hold a B.A. in English which is just a fancy way of saying I like to read a lot! When I am not writing for Literary Quicksand I can be found on Instagram @the_book_ends where my brother and I share our current reads and literary exploits. I can also be found at jessicawerre.com .

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles: The life-affirming one million copy bestseller Paperback – 2 November 2017

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THE PERFECT CURL-UP READ FOR CAT LOVERS 'Bewitching... as self-possessed and comforting as - well, a cat' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A book about kindness and love, and how the smallest things can provide happiness' STYLIST ___ It's not the journey that counts, but who's at your side. Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van. Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn't know why and Satoru won't say. Set against the backdrop of Japan's changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana's story explores the wonder and thrill of life's unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take. At the heart of this book is a powerful message about the importance of kindness. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives. ___ What readers are saying: 'Delightful, insightful, full of warmth with plenty of humour.' 'Uplifting and heart wrenching in equal measure.' 'It had me in floods of tears but filled me with hope too.'

• Print length 256 pages
• Language English
• Publication date 2 November 2017
• ISBN-10 0857524194
• ISBN-13 978-0857524195
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• Language ‏ : ‎ English
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Travelling Cat Chronicles (Arikawa)

The Travelling Cat Chronicles   Hiro Arikawa, 2015; U.S., 2018 (trans., Philip Gabriel) Penguin Publishing 288 pp.  ISBN-13: 9780451491336  Summary A life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice, The Travelling Cat Chronicles shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy . We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts… An instant international bestseller and Indie Bestseller, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has charmed readers around the world. With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe… With his crooked tail—a sign of good fortune—and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love. ( From the publisher .)

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles Hardcover – October 29, 2018

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• Print length 247 pages
• Language English
• Publisher DOUBLEDAY
• Publication date October 29, 2018
• Dimensions 5.31 x 1.02 x 8.03 inches
• ISBN-10 0857526332
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ DOUBLEDAY (October 29, 2018)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 247 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0857526332
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0857526335
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.31 x 1.02 x 8.03 inches
• #359 in Friendship Fiction (Books)
• #1,825 in Cozy Animal Mysteries
• #4,272 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa review – superior pet lit

C onsider two famous facts about cats. One: on the night of 30 April 1915, the ship’s cat of the RMS Lusitania went awol in New York. The next day, the ship sailed for Liverpool without him; a week later it was torpedoed by U-boats and sunk. Two: in the ruins of Pompeii, there have been found no cat remains, although mosaics and statues indicate that cats were favoured pets. Countless people perished in the destruction of Pompeii, as did hapless dogs. But when they died, they did it cat-less.

I mention these feline feats of scarpering in times of crisis because the reader needs to be warned: Hiro Arikawa’s bestselling Japanese novel features a cat with a heart , who feels loyalty and gratitude and would never abandon his loving human master – not at the first rumble of an erupting volcano; not even on hearing rumours of enemy submarines lurking in the Irish Sea. So we must start with a question. Is this a book for cat lovers who can’t handle the truth?

Nana is the protagonist. A stray cat in Tokyo with a strong survival instinct, he is taken in by a young man named Satoru after being hit by a car. Nana finds he has fallen on his feet. Satoru is a cat lover from youth; gentle and intuitive, he still mourns his first cat Hachi, from whom he was traumatically separated as a child. The name “Nana” derives from na , the Japanese word for seven – the shape of Nana’s tail; Hachi was named after the number eight because of markings on his head. Nana is scornful of Satoru’s literal-mindedness when it comes to naming cats, but he has the usual feline instinct for knowing which side his crispy chicken is battered, and decides to stick around.

Five happy years of cohabitation pass in a single sentence, and then Satoru tells the cat that they must make a journey. They will visit Satoru’s childhood friend Kosuke, with the purpose of rehoming Nana. Satoru is not forthcoming about the reason. “We just can’t live together any more,” he says. I wrote “Oh no, is Satoru ill?” in the margin, but that’s me; I’ve seen a lot of films. At this stage, Satoru’s motives are officially unclear. The reunited Kosuke and Satoru reminisce about the number-eight cat, and we learn about Satoru’s talent for friendship and the shock of his parents’ death. But does Nana stay with Kosuke?

The structure of The Travelling Cat Chronicles is deceptively simple. With alternating sections of third-person and Nana-the-cat narration, it consists of three journeys to friends, followed by a pilgrimage across a beautifully evoked landscape. There is then a heart-breaking last journey that left me in bits. I’ve rarely changed my mind so much about a book in the course of reading it. I started out quibbling with the translation (would a cat that exclaims “Good lord” also say “yada yada”?), but before long, I had surrendered to Arikawa’s powerful emotional agenda, according to which a human’s love for his cat is not delusional but self-fulfilling, just as all loving sacrifice is its own reward.

People who love animals are often made to feel bonkers. To be fair, we ask for it. But the desire to consider the happiness of a four-legged friend is not ignoble; it is humane. And we do get something back. This book reminded me of Caroline Alexander’s Mrs Chippy’s Last Expedition (1997) – narrated by the carpenter’s cat aboard Shackleton’s ship Endurance, when it was marooned in Antarctic ice. In that excellent novel, the cat narrator seems at first gimmicky; but it becomes movingly clear that the presence of a cat to feed and look after is what keeps the men going. In The Travelling Cat Chronicles , Nana is at one point left with other caged animals on a ferry, and Satoru keeps checking up on him. Other animals mock Nana for being pampered, but a cat speaks up. “Don’t you understand? It’s his master who’s the lonely one?”

What Nana observes and experiences through their journeys is Satoru’s huge, lifelong capacity for quiet consideration, which is moving enough in itself. But when the cat responds to his love – well, you ought to laugh, but I couldn’t. “Cats are not so heartless,” declares Nana. “How could I ever leave him?” I know, I know. What a sap I am. But anyone who has ever unashamedly loved an animal will read this book with gratitude, for its understanding of an emotion that ennobles us as human beings, whether we value it or not.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is published by Doubleday. To order a copy for £7.64 (RRP £8.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.

Lynne Truss’s The Lunar Cats is published by Arrow.

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THE PERFECT CURL-UP READ FOR CAT LOVERS 'Bewitching... as self-possessed and comforting as - well, a cat' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A book about kindness and love, and how the smallest things can provide happiness' STYLIST ___ It's not the journey that counts, but who's at your side. Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van. Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn't know why and Satoru won't say. Set against the backdrop of Japan's changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana's story explores the wonder and thrill of life's unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take. At the heart of this book is a powerful message about the importance of kindness. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives. ___ What readers are saying: 'Delightful, insightful, full of warmth with plenty of humour.' 'Uplifting and heart wrenching in equal measure.' 'It had me in floods of tears but filled me with hope too.'

• Print length 256 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Doubleday
• Publication date 2 November 2017
• Dimensions 12.6 x 2 x 19.8 cm
• ISBN-10 0857524194
• ISBN-13 978-0857524195
• See all details

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday (2 November 2017); Doubleday
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0857524194
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0857524195
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 220 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.6 x 2 x 19.8 cm
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India
• Importer ‏ : ‎ Doubleday
• Packer ‏ : ‎ Doubleday
• Generic Name ‏ : ‎ Book
• #119 in Myths, Legends & Sagas
• #207 in Action & Adventure (Books)
• #414 in Crime, Thriller & Mystery (Books)

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Philip gabriel.

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The travelling cat chronicles.

2018 ‘旅猫リポート’ Directed by Koichiro Miki

Satoru is a young man with a warm heart. He has a cat named Nana, but, due to circumstances, he can't raise cat Nana anymore. He travels with Nana to find a person who will take care of Nana. During his travels, he meets various people like his childhood friend and his first love. His unknown past and secret are revealed.

Sota Fukushi Mitsuki Takahata Yûko Takeuchi Alice Hirose Takuro Ohno Ryosuke Yamamoto Tomoya Maeno

Director Director

Koichiro Miki

Producer Producer

Ryûta Inoue

Writers Writers

Emiko Hiramatsu Hiro Arikawa

Original Writer Original Writer

Hiro Arikawa

Alternative Titles

Tabineko Ripoto, Tabineko Report, 旅猫日记, The Travelling Cat chronicles, 고양이 여행 리포트, 旅猫リポート, 旅貓日記, ผม แมว และการเดินทางของเรา

Releases by Date

26 oct 2018, 29 nov 2018, 09 may 2019, releases by country.

• Theatrical G

South Korea

• Theatrical All

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Popular reviews

Review by Allison M. 🌱 ★★★½

The film is about a cat and its "catservant". It's very wonderfully done, but several things unfold as if it's a soap opera or Hallmark movie. That being said, I didn't find it very cheesy and it played out very cinematically. The cinematography is great and we even have a chance to see Mt. Fuji. All in all, it's a semi-feel-good movie about a cat, although sad things are added for dramatic tension.

Criticisms: -There's a point at a B&B where cats are having a dialogue and the voices sound exactly the same. -A child gets a keychain and when he is an adult, he still has it. I'm not sure I've ever had a keychain that doesn't break eventually.…

Review by Maria ★★★ 1

Did I impulse-buy a ticket to this, not knowing anything about it, exclusively because it has “cat” in the title (and on the poster)? Yes, yes I did. And it turned out to be a great decision. Because being in a room full of fellow cat lovers was such a wonderful theatre/festival experience; we all collectively laughed, aw-ed (cats are really cute), and weeped. 😻😻😻

Review by AlexandreFR ★★★½ 1

Je suis pas mal pile poil* le public cible d'un tearjerker japonais à thématique féline qui sent bon le fromage bien sincère.

* : T'as pognes-tu? Poil. C'est une joke de chat. J'essaie de rire pour cacher le fait que j'ai pleuré.

Review by JAWSH 🌃 ★★★½

Book Club - Literary Cinema 📖📚🌟

Japanuary Challenge 2023 🇯🇵

CATURDAY 🐈 ✨ 📺

The melodramatic, low-key, slice of life tale in The Traveling Cat Chronicles, based off the book of the same name, is essentially what you’d expect from a story like this one.

Nana, a street cat who becomes the pet of a young man with a medical condition, Saturo, follows his companion up and down Japan as Saturo revisits important people from his past and remembers the life he’s led so far.

Nana, as a cat, is merely the through-line to Saturo’s story. Saturo, a kind-hearted person no stranger to tragedy, keeps his spirits up through the help of the animals he comes to deeply care for.…

Review by Natalie

emotionally compromised/wrecked by a cat and his human and i am not even a cat person

Review by dirtylaundri ★★★★

Excellent old-fashioned melodrama about a man who never really was part of the world of the living, but who manages to grace a few lifes with his presence; and about his own life being graced by a cat. Takes its time in registering the construction of feelings, simple as they sometimes may be. We only have one life, anyway. ( A dog film could never hit that hard...)

Review by dooorick ★★★½

Berkisah tentang perjalanan kucing, namun lebih mengasyikan perjalanan majikannya. Alunan soundtrack-nya aduhai, meski agak over melankolis.

Tapi tetap, menjadi film yang patut ditonton buat pecinta kucing manapun.

Review by Venn ★★★★★

The reason why this movie gets a five is because I fucking love cats

Review by Elymathew Suryaninggusti ★★★½

i can't believe i cried just because of a freaking cat's monologue.

Review by a ★★★½

Even though you’re gone, you’re connected to the people you loved.

just as lovely and heartwarming as the book 🥺

Review by sofafilms ★★★★★

First of all I’m upset I wasn’t the one to make this movie.  Second of all this cat deserves an Oscar.

Review by Jason Rainey ★★★

Read this book a while ago, and finally made time to seek out this film adaption. It's not quite as good... It's got middling production values and the sentiment is sugar-cane sweet. But in the end, I still cry over the final scenes between Satoru and his beloved cat. I'm too much a sucker for that mushy feline content.

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• April 26, 2024 (United Kingdom)
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