What does "normal" mean?
A lighthearted exploration of modern existence, winner of the 155th Akutagawa Prize.

Keiko Furukura, 36, unmarried and without a boyfriend, is in her 18th year working part-time at a convenience store. She eats convenience store food daily, dreams of scanning items at the register, and feels that only when she is "the clerk" can she fit into the world’s machinery.

"Welcome!!"
With the sound of customers entering, she raises her voice once again, not to be outdone.

One day, a newcomer named Shiraha, who is there for marriage hunting, tells her that her convenience store life is embarrassing…

With over 1.7 million copies sold and translated into 40 languages (as of May 2024), this globally recognized bestseller was selected as one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2018 and has been widely read across the world.