Miracles of the Namiya General Store

Miracles of the Namiya General Store

First edition (Japanese)
Author	Keigo Higashino
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Published	2012
Publisher	Kadokawa Shoten
Awards	7th  [ja]
ISBN	978-4-04-110136-0

Miracles of the Namiya General Store (ナミヤ雑貨店の奇蹟, Namiya Zakkaten no Kiseki) is a 2012 Japanese novel written by Keigo Higashino and published by Kadokawa Shoten.^[1][2]

Plot[]

In 1980, the Namiya General Store becomes popular with citizens after its owner, Yūji Namiya, accepts people’s advice letters seeking advice for anything troubling them, similar to an agony aunt. When the store is closed, people would drop their letters through a hole in the roll-up door, collected in a mailbox, and would receive a handwritten reply from Namiya in a milk box hung outside. In 2012, three delinquents, Atsuya, Shota and Kohei, take shelter in the abandoned Namiya General Store after committing some petty crimes. Staying until the morning, the boys' pillaging is mysteriously interrupted by an advice letter being dropped through the shutter, although nobody is outside. The letter is addressed to the General Store and traditionally was written by someone to consult about worries. Upon reading it, the boys realise it was written in 1980, 32 years ago. When Kohei decides to reply, the mysteries and secrets of the old General Store comes to light, as their letters transcend time and space to touch a variety of characters, revealing Namiya’s past, and follows the many miracles that intertwine the lives of the seemingly unrelated cast.

Characters[]

Atsuya[]

The leader of the delinquent trio, Atsuya is an orphan who left home. He has a somewhat condescending, cold response to the letters of advice. In the movie, he becomes a nurse after the incident.

Kohei[]

Atsuya's childhood friend and fellow orphan, he is sensitive and plays the mediator between Atsuya and Shota. Out of boredom, he triggers the story's chain of events by wholeheartedly replying to the advice letters. In the movie, he becomes a chef after the incident.

Shota[]

Atsuya's childhood friend and fellow orphan, he is headstrong and sometimes gets into arguments with Atsuya. In the movie, he becomes an aerospace technician after the incident.

Yūji Namiya[]

The benevolent owner and sole manager of Namiya General Store, who take it upon himself to respond to every troubled letter requesting advice that comes his way. As he struggles with pancreatic cancer, he dedicates the remainder of his life to reply to the letters, hoping that he can change the course of someone's life for the better.

Reception[]

The novel won the 7th  [ja].^[2] It has had sales of more than 1.6 million copies in China.^[1]

Film adaptations[]

Japanese film[]

A Japanese adaptation directed by Ryūichi Hiroki was released on 23 September 2017.^[1]

Cast[]

• Ryosuke Yamada as Atsuya
• Nijirō Murakami as Shota
• Kanichiro Sato as Kohei
• Toshiyuki Nishida as Yūji Namiya
• Machiko Ono as Harumi Tamura
• Kento Hayashi as Katsuro Matsuoka
• Riko Narumi as Akiko Minazuki
• Mugi Kadowaki as Seri
• Masato Hagiwara as Takayuki Namiya
• Kaoru Kobayashi as Takeo Matsuoka
• Rio Suzuki as young Seri
• Rio Yamashita as Mieko Kawabe
• Kazuko Yoshiyuki as Hideyo Tamura
• Panta as Yoshikazu Minazuki
• Tōru Tezuka as Mr. Kariya

Chinese film[]

A Chinese adaptation produced by Emperor Motion Pictures and Wanda Media was released on 29 December 2017. It stars Jackie Chan as the titular shop owner.^[3]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website (in Japanese)