Tsukiko's life is her career as an office worker. She has no friends; seldom sees her family; she seems tired of failed relationships with men. She drinks too much sake and beer. One day she is drinking alone in her local sake bar when by chance she meets one of her old high school teachers and, unable to remember his name, she falls back into her old habit of calling him 'Sensei'. It’s a Japanese word for ‘teacher’.
They see each other on and off in a bar, occasionally eat out together, take walks or visit a museum. They go mushroom hunting with the bartender. They are both careful not to think of these as ‘dates.’ Occasionally they have stupid arguments and stop speaking to each other. As their friendship deepens, Tsukiko comes to realise that the solace she has found with Sensei might be something more.
I recommend this to those who want to read something less plot-oriented. It's a slow read about a relationship between two mismatched people with a nearly 30-year age gap who meet at a bar and museum, have random conversations, and share their love for tofu, miso, salted shallots, edamame, beer, and sake.
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