my favorite book in the world is heaven by mieko kawakami, and i also like her other work breasts and eggs. ive enjoyed kafka on the shore by haruki murakami, and also territory of light by yuko tsushima. i am a big fan of sentimental/emotional and realistic stories with some kind of drama. i really like how these books make everyday life seem magical or ethereal, the writing styles make heavy use of sensory language and metaphor to describe seemingly mundane experiences or feelings. all these books, while having some heavy subject matter, tend to have optimistic/uplifting or bittersweet endings which resonate with me a lot. i’d love if someone knew some other books i’d enjoy based on these ones!