“Off-beat and charming, [with] more complexity of flavor than you might expect.” – NPR – Fresh Air with Terry Gross

“Miso soup for the soul.” —Kirkus Reviews

If I hadn't searched for the 'flavors' of my memories, I think I would have spent my life endlessly chasing the past . . .

Down a Kyoto alleyway, near Higashi Honganji Temple, the Kamogawa Diner attracts lost souls. The father-daughter “food detective” duo of Chef Nagare and Detective Koishi help their clientele who seek meaning in their lives by helping them access lost memories through the food of their past.

From the onigiri gifted alongside cherished promises to the ginger pork that became a memory of unrequited love, the not-too-sour chilled noodles from grandma's house, and the macaroni gratin shared by a father and young son for the last time, there is no dish or memory too complex for father and daughter.  

Welcome to another delicious mystery. The Kamogawa Diner is a tonic for the soul, and its customers will leave with a warm belly and a full heart.

Story Locale:Kyoto, Japan

Series Overview: The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a Japanese bestselling series that follows a father-daughter chef-detective duo as they recreate recipes from their customers' most treasured memories—dishes that hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness.
 
Contributor Bio(s)
 
Hisashi Kashiwai was born in 1952 and was raised in Kyoto. He graduated from Osaka Dental University. After graduating, he returned to Kyoto and worked as a dentist. He has written extensively about his native city and has collaborated in TV programs and magazines.

Jesse Kirkwood is a literary translator working from Japanese into English. The recipient of the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators’ Prize, his translations include The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto and A Perfect Day to Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama.

Author Hometown: Kyoto, Japan