Hiro Arikawa

Hiro Arikawa is a Japanese novelist whose The Travelling Cat Chronicles (2012) has become one of the most beloved Japanese novels of recent years — a quiet, humane story told from the perspective of a cat named Nana who accompanies his owner Satoru on a journey to visit old friends. Under the surface warmth of the cat's-eye view, the novel is a profound meditation on friendship, loss, and the meanings we construct from our time with the people we love.

Published in English in 2017 in Philip Gabriel's translation, it found an enormous readership among cat lovers, Japan enthusiasts, and anyone susceptible to fiction that achieves its emotional effects through restraint rather than sentimentality. Arikawa has also written a popular military historical series set during Japan's war, demonstrating considerable range.