Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata Keiko Furuta, a Tokyo resident of 36 years, is the protagonist of the heartwarming and surprising novel Convenience Store Woman. At the age of eighteen, Keiko found peace and meaning in her life when she began working at the "Smile Mart" branch in Hiiromachi. Neither her family nor the school has ever accepted her for who she is. The store is different from any other place in that she understands the rules of social interaction - many of which are explicitly outlined in the manual - and she imitates the dress and mannerisms of her colleagues, playing a "normal" person excellently. It takes 18 years for Keiko to stay at a store for 18 years. Managers come and go. There's almost no distinction between the store and her. Although Keiko is very happy, the people close to her, including her family and coworkers, relentlessly pressure her to marry and start a career, which pushes her to take desperate measures... It captures not only an interesting psychological portrait of a woman and a hidden world but also an ironic and sharp-eyed view of contemporary work cultures and conformity pressures, as well as a charming and fresh portrait of an unforgettable heroine.