The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

About the Author

HIRO ARIKAWA is the million-copy bestselling author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat. Passing through a scenic mountainous region of Japan, the famous Hankyu Line is a privately run railway that connects Osaka and Kyoto and is well known for its maroon vintage-style carriages. One of its much-visited stops is the city of Takarazuka, where the author of this book lives. Published twenty years ago, this enduring Japanese classic has sold 1.4 million copies and has been published worldwide.

ALLISON MARKIN POWELL is an award-winning literary translator. She maintains the database Japanese Literature in English (japaneseliteratureinenglish.com).