Modern-day Tokyo

The greater context of the novel is contemporary Tokyo, Japan. The story takes place in today’s day and age, where technology is advanced, capitalism holds strong, hours are long, shops are meticulously organized, the pressure to keep up to the metropolitan fast-paced life is heavy, and traditional gender roles stubbornly remain.

The Hiiromachi Station Smile Mart

The majority of the novel takes place within the 24/7 Smile Mart convenience store in Japan, where Keiko works, located outside the Hiiromachi Station. It opened on 1 May 1998, and now 18 years later it has seen eight managers, countless employees, thousands of perfectly packed products, and yet the reliable consistency of the shop gives Keiko comfort. She hears the sounds of the shop—the jingling coins, the door’s chime, and the beeps of the barcode scanner—at all times, even in bed. Unlike convenience stores in North America, the Japanese equivalents...