Kawamura infuses his story with a light and playful tone. The basic plot outline of this short novel by Japanese author Genki Kawamura sounds grim and cheerless, but the tone is quite comic and whimsical (the young man calls the devil “Aloha”, due to his colourful shirts). Especially his father, who is still alive, but from whom the young man is estranged. Understandably, Cabbage carries all sorts of meaning, bringing memories of time spent with his family. Cabbage was found many years ago by his recently deceased mother. He has a pet cat called Cabbage who he is very close to.

This causes the young man to think deeply. Then comes the ultimate test: he is asked to make cats disappear from the world to live an extra day. The choices, however, become increasingly difficult, as the devil demands things disappear that have special meaning for the young man. They disappear from the world, not such a bad thing he decides. The devil makes a bargain with the young man: he can have an additional day of life, but for each day he must make something disappear from the world. His personality matches his breezy attire. Out of nowhere the devil appears, dressed in a flamboyant Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sunglasses, as though he were on holiday. The unnamed narrator, a young man who works as a postman, discovers he has a terminal brain tumour. Kawamura occasionally produces, directs, and writes movies, and is a showrunner as well.A young man is asked to make a bargain with the devil, putting his beloved pet cat, Cabbage, at risk. He has also written children’s picture books including Tinny & The Balloon, MOOM, and Monster Patisserie. His other novels include Million Dollar Man and April Come She Will. If Cats Disappeared from the World was his first novel and has sold over a million copies in Japan, and has been translated into over 10 different languages. Genki Kawamura is an internationally bestselling author. Genki Kawamura’s timeless tale is a moving story of loss and reconciliation, of one man’s journey to discover what really matters most in life. With each object that disappears the postman reflects on the life he’s lived, his joys and regrets, and the people he’s loved and lost. But before he can tackle his bucket list, the Devil appears to make him an offer: In exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, our narrator will get one extra day of life.

Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage to keep him company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. The international phenomenon that has sold over a million copies in Japan, If Cats Disappeared from the World is a funny, heartwarming, and profound meditation on the meaning of life. Come celebrate the release of If Cats Disappeared From The World at our Kinokuniya New York store! Author Genki Kawamura will be talking about and signing his book, If Cats Disappeared From The World, published by Flatiron Books.

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