Books & Us - A Melbourne Book club

Book Club: The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa

Step aboard the Hankyu Railway and join us as we journey through Hiro Arikawa’s gentle and poignant novel, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line. Set on a suburban train outside Osaka, the story unfolds through the lives of ordinary people whose paths cross in fleeting yet meaningful ways.

Each passenger carries their own burdens—grief, loneliness, hesitation, or quiet hope—and as their inner worlds are revealed, the everyday act of riding a train becomes a meditation on the connections we make, the small kindnesses that matter, and the courage it takes to keep moving forward.

Arikawa’s writing blends simplicity with emotional depth, inviting us to reflect on how chance encounters and unnoticed gestures can shape the trajectory of a life. Both intimate and universal, this novel is a celebration of empathy, resilience, and the beauty of ordinary moments.

Discussion Points:

• How does the train setting serve as a metaphor for the passengers’ life journeys?
• In what ways do small interactions between strangers carry unexpected significance?
• How does Arikawa balance melancholy and hope throughout the novel?
• What does the story suggest about loneliness and human connection in modern urban life?
• How might the book change the way we see our own daily commutes or encounters with strangers?