1
of
1
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
The uplifting million-copy bestselling Japanese translated story
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 97,707 ratings, 17,512 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Hardback
$3200
$3500
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
$3200
$3500
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Latest News
Fiction for Foodies
Lizzy is sharing some of her favourite fiction reads for people who love food as...
Why Is Harry Potter Still So Magical?
Today, 31 July, is Harry Potter's birthday. Every year it rolls around, I find myself...
Book Hero's Favourite Biographies!
The Book Hero team are sharing their favourite biography or memoir - some are recent...
Lizzy has a TBR issue thanks to the Booker Prize Longlist
Lizzy's TBR was already out of control and now there are 11 more books she...
Dr Paul Wood Visits Book Hero HQ
We absolutely loved having Dr Paul Wood pop into Book Hero HQ this week to...
See more
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Beautiful new hardback edition including a ribbon, illustrated coloured endpapers and luscious finishes on the front - perfect for gifting at Christmas for new and existing The Travelling Cat Chronicles fans.
STUNNING HARDBACK GIFTING EDITION, INCLUDES A RIBBON and SIX LINE DRAWINGS
RECOMMENDED BY THOUSANDS OF READERS - the uplifting story of a journey around Japan with a cat by your side.
'Bewitching... as self-possessed and comforting as - well, a cat' - Sunday Telegraph
It's not the journey that counts, but who's at your side.
Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van. Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn't know why and Satoru won't say.
Set against the backdrop of Japan's changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana's story explores the wonder and thrill of life's unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take. The Travelling Cat Chronicles has already demonstrated its power to move thousands of readers with a message of kindness and truth. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives.
'Arikawa has a lightness of touch that elevates her story to a tale about loyalty and friendship ... while speaking to our basic human need for companionship' - John Boyne, Irish Times
'Anyone who has ever unashamedly loved an animal will read this book with gratitude, for its understanding of an emotion that ennobles us as human beings, whether we value it or not' - Lynne Truss, Guardian
'It has the warmth, painterly touch, and tenderness of a Studio Ghibli film - and it is a delight to read' - Financial Times
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING-
- 'I devoured this in just four days. Read it and weep'*
- 'What an astounding book'*
- 'Totally enchanting and delightful' *
- 'Full of hope. Just as good for non-cat-owners as well'*
- 'Absolutely amazing. I read it in a couple of days'*
- 'One of the best little books I have ever read'*
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Travelling Cat Chronicles is widely praised for its tender and heartwarming depiction of companionship and loyalty between a man and his cat. Critics highlight its humour, warmth, and emotional depth, often comparing it to a Studio Ghibli film. The book is recognised not only as an engaging animal tale but also as a touching exploration of human relationships and the cultural fascination with cats in Japan.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780857526335
Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 01 November 2018
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Doubleday
Contributors:
- Translated by Philip Gabriel
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 24.0mm
Width: 133.0mm
Height: 205.0mm
Weight: 298g
Pages: 256
About the Author
Hiro Arikawa (Author) HIRO ARIKAWA is the multi-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 famous for its maroon-coloured 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. Philip Gabriel (Translator) Philip Gabriel is the author of Mad Wives and Island Dreams- Shimao Toshio and the Margins of Japanese Literature and Spirit Matters- The Transcendent in Modern Japanese Literature and has translated many novels and short stories by the writer Haruki Murakami and other modern writers. He is recipient of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature (2001) for his translation of Senji Kuroi's Life in the Cul-de-Sac, and the 2006 PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize for his translation of Murakami's Kafka on the Shore.
Also by Hiro Arikawa
View all-
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
In The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, readers embark on an extraordinary journey through Japan, guided by the unique perspective of a streetwise cat named Nana. Found injured and taken in by a kind-hearted man named Satoru, Nana's life is transformed. When Satoru decides to visit three of his old friends from his youth, Nana joins him on a...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line
From the authentic and original healing fiction author of Travelling Cat Chronicles comes a 1.4-million-copy bestseller - set in a famously scenic railway line in Japan, following key emotional dramas for five commuters. Discover your next feel-good Japanese novel, by the author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles Over 1.4 million copies sold in Japan 'You will be wrapped in laughter...Hardback$3300Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Goodbye Cat
Seven uplifting tales of warm, wise and sarcastic cats set in modern Japan through the changing seasons. The uplifting new cat novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles 'Quirky and life-enhancing' THE TIMES Biggest Books of the Autumn 2023 Against changing seasons in Japan, seven cats weave their way through their owners' lives. A needy kitten...Paperback$3400Elsewhere:$3700Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderThe Passengers on the Hankyu Line
From the authentic and original healing fiction author of Travelling Cat Chronicles comes a 1.4-million-copy bestseller - set on a famously scenic railway line in Japan, following key emotional dramas for five commuters. THE INSTANT TIMES BESTSELLER DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FEELGOOD JAPANESE NOVEL, BY THE AUTHOR OF THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES Over 1.4 million copies sold in Japan 'You will...Paperback$2800Unit price /UnavailableOut 13 Oct 2026Pre-order -
The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat
Fabulous double volume of THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES and THE GOODBYE CAT, two sensational global bestsellers showing the irresistible bond between human and cat. **THE SPECIAL EDITION HARDBACK FOR ALL CAT-LOVERS !** Discover the fabulous new double volume hardback gifting edition containing two bestsellers by Hiro Arikawa: The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat. This edition includes extra sparkle...Hardback$5000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks
More from General Fiction
View all-
The Wedding People
'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...Set$12400Elsewhere:$15500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Goal
Welcome to Briar U!Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy!Read The Goal now for the perfect forced proximity romance! She's good at achieving her goals . . . College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Yesteryear
A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE β Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE β Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE β Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS β Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale β Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3699Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Score
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession... Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Score now for the perfect friends with benefits romance! He knows how to score, on and off the ice... Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn't have...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
New ReleaseThe Ballad of Falling Dragons [Special Deluxe edition]
The No.1 Sunday Times bestselling sensation When the Moon Hatched continues with the second book in The Moonfall Series, The Ballad of Falling Dragonsβ¦ Raeveβs thirst for vengeance continues to burn, as does her love for Kaan Vaegor β a staunch beacon from a past sheβs yet to face. With Rekkβs blood still fresh on her hands, she learns the...Hardback$5999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Theo of Golden
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came fromβ¦His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance β...Paperback$2899Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Golden Son
ENDER'S GAME meets THE HUNGER GAMES in this, the second in an extraordinary trilogy from an incredible new voice.'I'm still playing games. This is just the deadliest yet.' Darrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind's last hope....Paperback$2400Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
The Mistake
Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Mistake now for the perfect second chance romance! He's a player in more ways than one . . . College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants....Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Carl's Doomsday Scenario
Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat Princess Donut as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series -now with bonus material exclusive to the print edition Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever...Hardback$4699Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday -
New ReleaseOn Mystic Lake
One of the greatest storytellers of our time - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school in England. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Left alone in the beautiful California house which was once a home, Annie...Paperback$3100Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips Monday
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
General Fiction lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Hannah's listGeneral Fiction
Gothic Reads for Dark Nights
With the advent of movie adaptations like Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, it looks like pop culture is seeing a revival of the...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Top 10 Most Recommended Books
These are my Top 10 books that I always recommend to my friends and whΔnau when they ask for recommendations for getting...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Books to Escape a Reading Slump
A reading slump can be a frustrating feeling and hard to break out of, but we've gathered together a list of crowd...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![Star Shipped]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Lizzy's Pride Fiction Picks!
June marks Global Pride Month so in case you're looking for your next great fiction read, here's a list of some of...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listGeneral Fiction
Readersβ Top 100 Novels of All Time - from The Guardian
There was some controversy when The Guardian released their critics and authors list of the top 100 novels of all time, but...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Shirl's listGeneral Fiction
Shirl's Favourite Books of 2026
The first half of 2026 has been packed with brilliant books, making it hard to choose favourites but here are a few...View the list
