Supermarket by Satoshi Azuchi

I've often argued that a novel can provide a better glimpse into the real world than non-fiction. That is exactly the case with Supermarket.

This novel - originally published in Japanese in 1981 and translated in 2009 -  looks behind the scenes at a grocery store in Japan through the story of a banker who leaves his job to take on the challenge of helping his relatives run a supermarket in a small town.

It's a story of personal discovery and a look behind the curtain of businesses and home life in Japan. Along the way it touches on many aspects of life and society in modern Japan.

This book transports you to a Japan rarely covered by either fiction or non-fiction.