The Kamogawa Food Detectives: Japanese Cuisine and Mysteries

Today, we will be reviewing The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, a Japanese detective story about food. Keep reading to find out what we thought of this novel and if you should read it next! 

The Kamogawa Food Detectives Summary

The premise of The Kamogawa Food Detectives is pretty straight forward; the detective agency will help you find what dish you are looking for but can’t remember. The agency is also a restaurant which means even more food gets mentioned and brought up. 

The ad run by the Kamogawa Food Detective agency says “Kamogawa Diner – Kamogawa Detective Agency- We Find Your Food.” There are no directions so it is up to the person to figure out to find it. This subtle ad leads to customers that are passionate and determined to find dishes that they are trying to taste once again.

Throughout the novel, there are multiple cases that the agency tackles and what I loved the most were all the mouth-watering dishes that we are introduced to. As a non-Japanese person, many of these dishes are new to me and I also love the geography that the author focuses on as well as food that is regional and seasonal.

There is a lot to take in and you can feel the passion from Kashiwai and his love of food, especially Japanese food, shines throughout the novel. After reading this novel, you may be tempted to visit Japan!

The Kamogawa Food Detectives series is very popular in Japan and the first two books in the series have been translated so far. This novel was one of the most checked out books in Seattle in 2024 which is how I came across it in the first place. 

I loved every second of this novel and I wished that it was longer. I may not be the biggest foodie but it is a subgenre that I do enjoy reading about. And Japan seems to also love this subgenre and it makes sense considering how many amazing dishes they have.

Conclusion

Reading this novel is tough because it makes me want to try all the amazing food. If you love food or cooking, then you will love this novel and series. You can feel just how much Kashiwai loves food and shines a light on regional food that might get forgotten in a culture filled with so many amazing dishes and recipes!

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