Meet Me at the Convenience Store by the Sea

The Convenience Store by the Sea #2

by Sonoko Machida, Bruno Navasky (Translator)

After a broken heart, Nagata Shino skips high school and meets her grandmother in an unexpected place.

Part-time store clerk Hirose Taro thinks of himself as a boring guy... until a beautiful girl begins to disrupt his daily life.

Why did his best friend leave? Murai Mizuki faces reality and takes a courageous step.

A heartwarming story about a small 24/7 convenience store in Mojiko, Kitakyushu, where everyone's story matters.

Genres: Fiction, Japanese Literature, Japan, Slice Of Life, Cozy, Contemporary, Asian Literature

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2021

About the author

Sonoko Machida (町田 そのこ) is a Japanese writer. Her story Cameroon no Aoi Sakana received the R-18 Literary Award in 2016. Her novel 52 Hertz no Kujiratachi won the 2021 Japan Booksellers' Award Grand Prize and sold over 400,000 copies in Japan.

Associated Names:
* Sonoko Machida (English)
* 町田 そのこ (Japanese)
* มาจิดะ โซโนะโกะ (Thai)

Reviews

[Sadie E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's SO soft. Not in a boring way. In a “I might start crying in a car park because somebody was kind to me once” kind of way.

The atmosphere absolutely carried me away: salty sea air, warm snacks, fluorescent convenience store lights at 2 am, instant coffee, Sleep-deprived strangers silently projecting their emotional damage onto the beverage aisle. CINEMA to me. It all feels intimate in this painfully human way, where every interaction matters because everyone's carrying around some small private ache they don’t quite know what to do with. And the book manages to be comforting without pretending life is easy. There’s loneliness, disappointment, missed connections, uncertainty about the future, but there’s also this quiet insistence that small moments still matter anyway. Maybe a shared meal matters. Maybe someone remembering your usual order matters.

What really got me is how small and contained the story feels. No dramatic twists or world-ending stakes. Just people trying to survive exhaustion, regret, grief, and the horrifying experience of having feelings. Every interaction felt meaningful and every tiny kindness hit me like a truck. Someone handing another person food? DEVASTATING. Somebody remembering a detail about someone else? I need to lie down.

Also the convenience store itself became my favourite character. Not to be dramatic, but I would die for her. The store becomes this emotional sanctuary where broken and exhausted people keep washing up like driftwood and finding tiny reasons to keep going. I wanted to move in immediately. Give me my tiny rice balls and my emotional devastation, please.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a little Tenderness is all you need.

I enjoyed this book a lot and think it was a successful sequel. Through a series of short stories centered around a convenience store with a handsome manager, we get a book that manages to capture the human experience in a heartwarming way. I would describe reading this as chicken soup for the soul. It's comforting and warm, but doesn't lie about the difficulties that come with being human.

Each chapter is its own little vignette that somehow ends up back at the convenience store, and through prose, gentle lessons, and setting, we get a story that feels nostalgic and like a slice-of-life anime in the best way. Each story delivered on some soft, feel-good vibes, but my favorite story by far was On Love and Grandmothers.

While I did not enjoy the stories in this book as much as the first one, mostly because two of the three stories centered around high schoolers and the last story felt just a bit too dramatic, it was still enjoyable overall and delivered on that soul-balming feeling that made me love the first book. I will absolutely be reading the third installment when it comes out later this year.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet 🍬

[traceyxon · Rating 3 out of 5]

좋긴한데 1권 만큼은 아니다.
역시나 청량감 넘치는 프롤로그부터 스토리까지 재밌다.

[Lysandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Shino thought, a really incredible love can come to you at any age, and can make you happy no matter how old you are.
I wonder if I'll find a healing love like that someday.

Exquisite sequel, let it be too short! Especially after that last chapter — I cannot wait for the third instalment!

Beautiful prose and translation, and the delicacy and sensitivity with which all feelings, grievances and development are represented is excellently expressed.

Genuinely one of my comfort series.

[Akansha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ending the month with a five star read 💜

This one has some of the best quote I have read in a while. I also liked all the stories. Compared to the first one this is comparatively shorter but we have more coming in this series. And I can't wait to continue the series.

I am not really interested in the woman who keeps visiting the store in the prologue but we will also get more of what happened with Tsugi and I am here for it.

[Amalie Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Carina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy read. A tv drama in form of a book, highly entertaining!

[Ana Barajas Gómez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mira que el primero me encantó

[Joe Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy read. Love the introduction of the hot store managers equally hot sister. Those are some genes!

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need a bit of Tenderness...and by that I mean the convenience store by the sea, where the manager and his siblings could pass for movie stars. It also happens to be an unassuming place of healing and reflection. A grandmother and granddaughter grow closer, a store employee discovers himself, and a school girl finds herself receiving the same treatment she once gave others.

I was hanging out for this sequel for months. Happily, I can report that it did not disappoint in the slightest. Machida delves so deeply into her characters and their psyches that you feel like you have formed an intimate acquaintance with each and every one of them. I was particularly moved by Mizuki's tale. What incredible character growth...and her new friendship actually made me teary. Now can November please hurry up and arrive? I want the next book's English translation...NOW.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been anticipating this book since I read the first one, to finally have it in my hands brought me utter joy. I loved this book so much, each chapter had me engrossed and I love how each character shows growth within or with those involved in the Tenderness store. I am so excited for the next book to come out with english translation and can’t wait to see how the plot thickens after that epilogue.

[SummeroftheSeasons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't love this one as much as the first, but it was still undeniably sweet and certainly leaned more on the romantic themes. Can't go wrong with translated healing literature. Always looking forward to the next book in this series!

[malaika ‎‍✮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 maybe 3 ⭐️
A lot less boring than the first book and I actually really liked taros story and the last chapter
The first chapter was so boring though I dont even remember what happened in it

It was also easier to keep up w the characters this time
We are never getting Shibas lore 😓

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice to return to a familiar cast of characters and get introductions to new characters as well as those from the last book…just didn’t enjoy quite as much as the first book!

[pola :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet and moving like the first part of the series! Can‘t wait for the next part :)

[SDG Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - too twee

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the previous book in this series, The Convenience Store by the Sea when I read it last year. It was very cosy and utterly delightful with its combination of quirky characters and resolution of problems. I would strongly recommend reading the first book before reading this slimmer sequel as it does assume some familiarity with the characters and the setting.

Tenderness is the name of a convenience store chain across Kyushu in Japan, and the story focuses on the employees and visitors to a particular store situated on the ground floor of a block of apartments for the elderly. The manager Mitsu is incredibly handsome and has his own fan club made up of predominantly elderly women. Mitsu is also incredibly welcoming and nice to all who enter Tenderness. The first of the three stories focuses on a high school student who leaves school after finding out she’s been dumped. She finds her grandmother, who has recently got a new lease on life with Mitsu’s fan club. Along the way, she learns some things about being yourself. The second story is about Tenderness employee, Taro Hirose and his ex-girlfriend who keeps showing up with her new boyfriends who seem convinced that Tsubaki is going to leave them for him. Taro’s determination to resolve the problem is affirming. The final story is about one of the high school students we met in the first book and her attempt to fit in at her new school, which ends up with her new and old friends dumping her. But at Tenderness she meets a classmate who is quirky and individual, learning that she should perhaps care less about what others think. The story ends with a showdown in Tenderness between a woman and Mitsu’s sister Jewel. The woman just happens to be Mitsu’s ex…will there be more in the third book, Our Friends at the Convenience Store by the Sea? (It’s due for release in November 2026 and suggests that we will be hearing more).

Although this book is about one hundred pages shorter than the first book, it’s still delightful. It’s heartwarming to be back in Tenderness and to read about their food offerings once again. It’s a gentle story where you know that most things will be resolved and the characters will find their way once again. The translator, Bruno Navasky, captures the almost whimsical feel of the seaside town and its characters. It’s lovely to escape the real world for the store where the staff care for their customers and everything will be alright when there are delicious sweets and iced tea on offer.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Lyn Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we are again at our favourite convenience store by the sea, Tenderness.

At Tenderness, small acts of kindness go a long way, as we read from these three stories.

Just like how I enjoyed reading the first book, this sequel is a cosy read, with stories to learn from. I loved how Chapter 1 tells us the meaning of loving someone, and most of all, how loving someone teaches us to love ourselves.

I resonated the most with Chapter 2. Taro’s self-doubt and lack of self-esteem blinded him of his own charm. As he soon finds the courage to face his doubts, he also learns the meaning to shine. I loved the way Taro closes his chapter with Tsubaki; very mature, and he did not only heal himself, he also heals Tsubaki who has always felt insecure with her boyfriends.

What caught my attention in chapter 3 was “paying it forward.” I liked that kindness is shared, and paying it forward does not only heal you, but also other people who may be suffering because of you.

Now, the ending is giving me hope for its third book. The epilogue shares the encounter between a mysterious woman and Jewel, who is very upset to see her, indicating a dark past between the woman and Tsugi. As Tsugi is my favouritest character in this series, I’m definitely looking forward to reading how his story unfolds.

Comparatively, Meet Me At The Convenience By The Sea has significantly fewer mention of the recurring characters, such as Shiba, Tsugi and Old Red. I hope we can read more of their appearances in the next book. It would also be nice to have all the Shiba siblings (including the two other brothers) appear. I can’t imagine the chaos they will bring to the convenience store.

Author: Sonoko Machida
Translator: Bruno Navasky
Publication Date: 30 April 2026

[esme☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑒 𓆝 ⋆.

The best way I can describe this book series? Like slowly eating your fav ice cream on a peaceful summer afternoon while time seems to slow down around you..𓆝 ⋆.

Meet me at the convenience store by the sea, is the second book in the series by Sonoko Machida is filled with warmth, comfort, and nostalgia..
Set in 24/7 convenience store called TENDERNESS in the seaside town of mojiko, the book follows a collection of interconnected stories exploring the lives of staff and customers brought together by the store.

I always say this, but stories about people healing and finding their spark again will always always be my fav! May be that's why this series is so close to my heart.. Japanese healing fic always has a way of slowing you down and helping you escape all the noise and rush of everyday life, and this book was no exception. It felt familiar, comforting, and full of warmth...
Through each chapter, it beautifully shows how even the smallest act of kindness can change someone's life, and how the world would be much more beautiful place if we all tried to understand each other a lil better and shared a bit more warmth..

The story about the high school student and her grandma had my whole heart. it was so sweet and touching, and it brought soo many memories of my own grandma..

If you're looking for something heartwarming, comforting, and full of cozy vibes, this book is definitely for you<3 🍜

Ps: Although you can read it as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first book in thr series to get better understanding of the characters..

⋆.˚ 𓇼⋆｡𖦹°⋆⋆.˚ 𓇼⋆｡𖦹°⋆⋆.˚ 𓇼⋆｡𖦹°⋆⋆.˚ 𓇼⋆｡𖦹°⋆𓆝 ⋆.

Check out my page for book edits and quotes. (Cafeliaember.books)

[Bookworm Denz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Me at the Convenience Store by the Sea
Author : Sonoko Machida
Translator : Bruno Navasky

This is the second novel to the deliberately put up 24-hour convenience store, famously known as Tenderness, located at the Golden Villa apartments. This Mojikō Koganemura branch is a premier location of an outpost of a chain of local convenience stores operating in North Kyushu, an island in Japan, with its motto "Caring for People, Caring for you = Tenderness" & is continuously managed by the beloved & strangely attractive manager of the shop, Mr. Mitsuhiko Shiba (Mitsu).

First of all, what was up with that comedy skit at the Prologue?! I literally felt like I was in some anime-like buffoonish scene between Oishi Waka, Makio & the openly-confused store manager Shiba. Hilarious! 🤣🤣

Like the first book, this novel is also composed of interconnected stories of different individuals w/ their respective sundry background stories, all revolving around the convenience store named Tenderness.

From a high school student whose first love since primary school & late boyfriend dumped her to a student whose parents were on the verge of divorce. Also got a glimpse of Hirose Tarō's backstory & it was pretty interesting! The Epilogue was a total cliffhanger though, UGH! Now I want to know Tsugi's backstory too!

All in all, I can definitely say, I enjoyed this book!

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

P.S.
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[Amy Capewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet me at the Convenience Store by the Sea is the third book in the Tenderness Convenience Store series, but I don’t feel that you need to have read the other books in the series before diving into this instalment and it works well as a stand alone novel.

This is such a gentle and comforting book that feels like it wraps you in a warm hug as you work your way through. The translation is very good and the story flows beautifully from scene to scene, character to character.

Machida is an expert at linking together people’s stories in a beautifully intricate, interlocking jigsaw - each character’s story working in harmony with others. Mitsue, Shino, Tarō Hirose, Kurihara - each of their stories cross, brought together by the Tenderness Convenience Store at the Golden Villas apartment complex and the Shiba family.

There is no rush to a dramatic climax so if you are looking for something fast-paced with swerving plot twists then this is not the book for you, but if you are looking for a quirky, cosy, uplifting and comforting read, that is short and engaging enough to devour in one sitting, then this may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Having investigated the other books in this series it seems that the other convenience store books have more focus on the beautiful food description, which I love, so I’m looking forward to returning to Mojikō and the Tenderness convenience store very soon.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the charming coastal town of Mojiko, Kitakyushu, this heartwarming story centres around a 24/7 convenience store where every customer’s journey matters. The narrative unfolds through interconnected chapters, exploring the lives of Hirose Taro, a man who feels he lacks a "spark"; Nagata Shino, who is navigating a broken heart and Murai Mizuki, who finds the courage to move forward after losing her friends. It is a tale of how a simple, everyday location can become a sanctuary for those at a crossroads.


This was my very first Japanese translated novel! Even though I haven’t read the first book yet (it’s currently waiting on my TBR!), I really loved the "feel-good" atmosphere of this story. It swept me away and made me want to jump on a plane to explore Japan and find a "Tenderness Convenience Store" of my own.

​I really enjoyed the structure of the short stories and how they are all linked by the shop and its lovely employees. The themes of kindness, love and building self-esteem are handled so gently, making the whole experience feel very "healing." My only small gripe was the ending; I was hoping for a slightly more satisfying conclusion that tied the three individual stories together in a different way.

​In Short:
A charming and tender exploration of human connection found in the most ordinary of places.
​
​Note: You can read this as a standalone, but I suspect it might feel even more meaningful if you pick up the first book first.

[Lowardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley


If you like slice of lice, translated japanese fiction, where we are following a couple of characters with loosely interconnecting life, I'm sure you will enjoy Meet Me at the Convenience Story be the Sea as well.

I started reading the book just the night before the publication day and I was swept away by work and the contrast between by days (working) and nights (reading) were pretty jarring. The last 50% I've read in one sitting and I feel I connected a little more with the characters as I got to know them. (It was also at this point where I realized that this is actually a series, so I'll look up the first one to hopefully meet familiar characters.)

In my experience so far, with fiction of any type, I'm enjoying the experience more when I'm able to be curious about a character or a mystery, if I get to wonder and ponder about their days or their past, to live life with them for the couple hundred pages I have with them.

I have found in Meet Me at the Convenience Store by the Sea many characters that seem to grow up in front of our eyes, from teens to adults of all ages and I wanted to shake a lot of shoulders to wake them up sooner and see themselves as they really are and not the way they think they are.

[Hasliza Rajab · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Tenderness convenience store is situated at the charming seaside town of Mojiko and this store is more than just a place for people to stop and buy groceries, snacks, or other daily necessities. Instead, beneath these ordinary transactions lies something much deeper.

This book follows a cast of interconnected characters, including employees and customers, each facing personal challenges. I was happy to return to the second book and meet the familiar characters such as the store manager, Mitsuhiko Shiba. However, I do feel something was missing this time. The stories do not revolve around the store as it was in the first book.

Well, three meaningful insights from this book that I wanna share here:
- a reminder not to judge people based on outer look. We don't know what kind of difficulties each person is carrying.
- it highlights on insignificant gestures that we might take it for granted such as a simple conversation, a word of encouragement, a smile, yet those could have a profound impact on someone's life.
- it celebrates slow growth and reminds us readers that progress is still a progress, even when it feels really small.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend this book to fans of cosy fiction. Who knows, you might take it way more than I did!

[Raikeehime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to The Convenience Store by the Sea, a series centered around Tenderness, a 24/7 convenience store in the seaside town of Mojiko, Kitakyushu, and its beloved manager, Shiba.

The book opens with a prologue by the same character from the first installment who unexpectedly found way to Tenderness. From there, we once again meet the familiar faces from the previous book, but this time many of the side characters get their own stories. Characters like Hirose and Murai who previously appeared on the sidelines, finally step into the spotlight. I have a terrible memory when it comes to sequels, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I remembered and connected everyone through their stories.

Just like the first book, this was such an easy and enjoyable read. I love how the stories intertwine, creating a sense of community around the convenience store and the people whose lives cross paths there. There’s something very comforting about returning to these characters and seeing where life has taken them.

The ending especially left me curious about Tsugi aka “Whatever Guy”. His story feels like it’s only just beginning, and now I really want to know what happens next.

It looks like we’re getting a third book later this year, and I’ll definitely be continuing this series. If you enjoy interconnected stories and books that are easy to sink into, this is a wonderful series to pick up.

[Milly Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in this series where everything is centred around the Tenderness convenience store with its charismatic and very handsome manager, Shiba. Like the first book, we have interconnected stories about different individuals which revolves around Tenderness. The manager, Shiba, with his fan club of elderly ladies and his brother, Tsugi, are in the background of these stories - the focus is upon the characters in the stories. We have a high school student who has been dumped and her grandmother whose actions have shocked her family. We also find out a little more about one of the assistants in Tenderness - Hirose Taro - as he finally gets to know his own self. And finally another student - and here we meet someone from the first book - who finds herself on the receiving end of treatment that she herself had given in the past. An interesting selection that looks at loneliness and uncertainty but is uplifting and comforting. As the epilogue throws us a bit of a cliff-hanger, I think I’m going to be queuing for book 3.

[Linnea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Orbit for giving me access to this book through NetGalley!

When I read the first book in the Convenience Store by the Sea series I fell in love. And I think I also cried a little bit, it just put me right in the feels. It had a beautiful way of putting different people together and just making it feel so right and the connections they each had with each other felt so heartwarming.

This book didn’t have the same emotional impact for me.
We have a lot of heavy topics running through the book and most of the stories felt a bit unsolved. Like we needed to get some sort of closure but we never got it.
It might be due to how short this book is but it just felt like something was missing. Maybe I just needed MORE of the convenience store employees instead of characters around them.

This was a really fast read and I was happy that I got to come back into the story with these characters and I’m hoping for more books that expands and explores more about them.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Return to the convenience store by the sea, where small acts of kindness happen.

I was happy to return to Tenderness and see the familiar characters from the first book. However, I do feel that something was missing this time, as it felt a bit flat. We follow three different characters as they go through difficult moments in their lives, witnessing their revelations and changes of heart. None of the stories really stood out to me as especially memorable or particularly heartwarming. Don’t get me wrong, they were all perfectly fine, just nothing beyond the standard cosy story.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend this to fans of translated cosy fiction, who may take more away from it than I did.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cerberus Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back again at Tenderness in Mojiko and I'm loving the Japanese slice of life, each chapter a new focus on a different but related character as well as reconnecting with familiar ones. I really enjoyed coming back to this story especially after finishing the first book.

The 3 chapters focused on different sections with the overarching theme of love. Being to love yourself, love others and learning to pay kindness forward.
I really resonated with learning to love yourself and not be afraid of what others think and I adored grandma with pink hair learning to love herself and not being afraid to express herself through fashion choices.

I'm excited to hopefully get a translation for book 3 to see what happens at the tenderness store once again. Overall these stories feel comforting and the people who enjoy translated fiction will like this one.