Audiobooks narrated by Kenichiro Thomson

The Courage to be Ordinary: The life-changing book from the bestselling author of The Courage to be Disliked

"The inspiring guide to letting go of competition, reducing stress, and living a happier, more authentic life – from the 15-million-copy bestselling author of the Japanese self-help phenomenon, The Courage to Be Disliked Are you exhausted from trying to be exceptional? It’s time to break the cycle of burnout and choose ordinary. In The Courage to be Ordinary, Ichiro Kishimi speaks to everyone burned out by hustle, comparison and the pressure to prove their worth. His message is disarmingly simple: stop trying to stand out. Being ordinary isn’t failure – it’s freedom. Freedom from constant competition, from chasing approval, from feeling habitually tense. Letting go of the need to be special will finally give your strengths the space they need to shine. It’s time to release the pressure and embrace the superpower you really need to succeed: The Power of Ordinary. © Ichiro Kishimi 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Ichiro Kishimi (Author), Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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Notes from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop: The bestselling Japanese sensation for cosy fiction lovers

"A touching tale of connection, healing and the magic of handwritten words from the author of Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop Hidden away in Tokyo's Ginza district lies Shihodo, a hidden gem known only to insiders, with an abundant selection of fine stationery. Behind its counter stands Ken Takarada, the enigmatic shop owner whose warm presence draws those seeking more than just beautiful paper and colourful inks. To this shop come more customers with worries weighing on their hearts: a young girl being bullied by her classmates, a salary man facing the lonely prospect of retirement. With his quiet wisdom and careful attention, Ken Takarada helps each visitor fulfil their stationery needs, but also to express what lies within their hearts. In this moving second volume, listeners will see how the simple act of putting pen to paper can unlock healing, connection and understanding. Also learn about how Ken and Ryoko - from the neighbouring café Hohozue - met for the first time."

Kenji Ueda (Author), Kenichiro Thomson, Yuriri Naka (Narrator)

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Audition

"Bloomsbury presents Audition by Ryu Murakami, read by Kenichiro Thomson Since the death of his wife seven years ago, documentary maker Aoyama has not dated anyone else. Now even his teenage son, Shige, thinks that he should remarry and his best friend Yoshikawa comes up with a plan: to hold fake film auditions from which, he can choose a new bride. Of the thousands who apply, it is a beautiful ballerina, Yamasaki Asami, who captivates Aoyama. Infatuated by her fragile nature and nervous smile, he ignores his increasing sense of unease, putting aside his doubts about his new love, until it may be too late... In Audition, Ryu Murakami delivers his most subtly disturbing novel yet, confirming him as Japan's master of the psycho-thriller. P 2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2009 Ryu Murakami"

Ryu Murakami (Author), Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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In The Miso Soup

"Bloomsbury presents In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami read by Kenichiro Thomson A rollercoaster ride from the cult master of the psycho-thriller 'A blistering portrait of contemporary Japan, its nihilism and decadence wrapped up within one of the most savage thrillers since The Silence of the Lambs' Kirkus 'Deft and fascinating . . . A grisly tour of the darkness and confusion of the human mind' New York Times It's just before New Year, and Frank, an overweight American tourist, has hired Kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo's red light district. As Frank's behaviour becomes increasingly unsettling, Kenji begins to entertain a horrible suspicion: his client may in fact have murderous intentions. Although Kenji is far from innocent himself, he unwillingly descends into the troubling waters of Frank's mind, from which only his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Jun, can possibly save him. P 2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 1997 Ryu Murakami"

Ryu Murakami (Author), Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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Piercing

"Bloomsbury presents Piercing by Ryu Murakami, read by Kenichiro Thomson Every night, Kawashima Masayuki creeps from his bed and watches over his baby girl's crib while his wife sleeps. But this is no ordinary domestic scene. He has an ice pick in his hand, and a barely controllable desire to use it. Deciding to confront his demons, Kawashima sets into motion a chain of events seeming to lead inexorably to murder... P 2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2007 Ryu Murakami"

Ryu Murakami (Author), Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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The Samurai Detectives: Volume 1: The classic samurai adventure and multi-million-copy Japanese bestseller

"Brought to you by Penguin. Shogun meets Sherlock Holmes! Over 24 million copies have been sold of this beloved samurai adventure It has been half a year since Akiyama Daijiro became a samurai; half a year since he left his father Kohei – once the most skilled swordsman in the land – to set up his own blade school by the cool of the river. Ever since, amid the swaying bamboo groves, he waits patiently for his first disciple. But his serenity is soon disrupted by the visit of a mysterious samurai with an unhonourable offer: in exchange for a vast sum of gold, he must attack and injure the daughter of the Shogun’s most senior counsellor. Troubled by the proposal, Daijiro, alongside his father and Mifuyu, a female warrior without match, soon set out into the underworld of Edo-era Japan to uncover the conspiracy, before quickly finding themselves embroiled in a series of increasingly perilous adventures . . . Widely considered to be the greatest work by Shotaro Ikenami, the master of Japanese historical fiction, The Samurai Detectives is a twisting, page-turning portrayal of one of the most intriguing, evocative periods in the history of Japan. © Shotaro Ikenami 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Shotaro Ikenami (Author), Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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How to Hold Someone in your Heart: From the Japanese bestselling author of Lonely Castle in the Mirror

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the multi-million-copy bestselling author of LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR and LOST SOULS MEET UNDER A FULL MOON Ayumi is a young man with special powers to bring back the dead to meet the living. A gift passed down in his family, he is able to arrange meetings according to strict rules and always under a full moon. After years in this role, he begins to question its meaning, and how his powers affect his own desires in the real world. Meanwhile, he helps out five characters: -A young film star finds resolution with the father who abandoned him, but not as he expected; - An amateur historian is obsessed to meet a minor warlord of the sixteenth century; -Ayumi anxiously juggles two meetings on the same evening, both have lost their daughters; -A former cook, whose request to visit an upper-class young woman in the afterlife has been repeatedly rejected, is finally granted his wish. Find out how Ayumi and his clients learn to lose their regrets, open up to the unexpected, and cherish what they already have in this profound and moving novel by Japan's leading storyteller. © Mizuki Tsujimura 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Mizuki Tsujimura (Author), Ami Okumura Jones, Hanako Footman, Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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The Amberglow Candy Store: The charming and cosy fable for fans The Dallergut Dream Department Store and Before The Coffee Gets Cold

"Brought to you by Penguin. A charming book of linked stories with a sprinkling of cosy fantasy and a fable-like touch . . . Welcome to the Amberglow Candy Store. The confections can give you what you most desire, but not in the way you expect . . . Welcome. We don’t get many humans here. At the end of Gloaming Lane, at the very edge of the otherworld, is the Amberglow Candy Store, open only between the full moon and the new moon. Behind the cosy caramel-timber facade is Kogetsu, the store’s half-fox proprietor, whose wagashi confections promise to change the lives of his customers for the better. Kogetsu’s door is always open to anyone in need of solace - a lovesick teenage girl, a cripplingly shy estate agent, a struggling first time mother. But who is this mysterious proprietor? A half-fox spirit he may be. But why is he so interested in his customers and their emotions? And why does each sweet have a recommended ‘dosage’? Like the centre of the chewiest caramel, life’s most valuable teachings always take time to reveal themselves, and Kogetsu’s customers are about to get a lot more than they bargained for . . . The Amberglow Candy Store is a charming and cosy fable from Japan, that shows that help is always out there for those who seek it. 'A delightful confection you’ll enjoy reaching for whenever a craving for magic, healing, and wonder strikes' Samantha Sotto Yambao, bestselling author of Water Moon 'Each story within is its own special candy, sweet and delicious! You'll want to savour each one!' Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop © Hiyoko Kurisu 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Hiyoko Kurisu (Author), Kenichiro Thomson, Susan Momoko Hingley (Narrator)

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The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park: From the multi-million-copy bestselling author of WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY

"Brought to you Penguin. ‘Kabahiko is an amazing hippo. People say that if you touch the area of his body that you want to make better on yours, he’ll provide a cure' Nestling at the bottom of a five-storey apartment block is the children's playground, Hinode Park. If you look to the side, standing on stubby legs, is a hippo. Its upturned eyes give it a teary look, yet for decades, its quiet power has sustained the hearts of one community. Meet the neighbours who will reach out to kabahiko: -Kanato presses his head to the hippo's cheek, hoping to recover the stellar marks he once scored; - Sawa, a lonely new mother, strokes its mouth, hopes to connect as she once did when she was an award-winning retail assistant; - Chiharu, a wedding-planner, hopes to be able to listen for the happiness of others; - Yuya avoids sports day with a fake injury, only to find he really is in pain. - despite Kazuhiko's fading eyes from too much editorial work, he will learn to see life's everyday wonders. A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, Michiko Aoyama's beloved bestseller is a celebration of everyday encounters. Its subtle portrayal of the magic of community will lodge itself in every reader's heart. © Michiko Aoyama 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Michiko Aoyama (Author), Ami Okumura Jones, Kenichiro Thomson, Naruto Komatsu, Susan Momoko Hingley, Yuriri Naka (Narrator)

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Suspicion

"Brought to you by Penguin. A biting psychological thriller from the bestselling author of Tokyo Express, now available in English for the first time Onizuka Kumako is a fierce woman: tall, beautiful, and not afraid to speak her mind. In Tokyo bars, she seduces customers and commits petty crime, using her connections to the local yakuza to get by. When she meets Shirakawa Fukutaro, a rich widower desperate for companionship and unaware of her shady past, the two hit it off and are soon married. But their newlywed bliss is suddenly cut short: one rainy July evening, their car veers off course, plunges into the harbour and Fukutaro is pulled beneath the waves. Suspected of murder and labelled a femme fatale, Kumako is hounded by the press, but stays firm, repeatedly proclaiming her own innocence. As pressure from dogged journalists mounts, the tide of public opinion is rising against her. But when a scrupulous defence lawyer takes on her case, doubt begins to creep in . . . In this intricate, psychological noir, masterfully translated into English for the first time, Seicho Matsumoto draws out the hidden demons that guide our convictions, our biases and our deepest desires. © Seicho Matsumoto 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Seicho Matsumoto (Author), Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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The Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon: From the Japanese bestselling author of Lonely Castle in the Mirror

"Brought to you by Penguin. THE UNFORGETTABLE MILLION-COPY JAPANESE BESTSELLER BY THE AUTHOR OF LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR Brimming with suspense and heartbreak, the million-copy Japanese fantasy mystery for fans of BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD and LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR Is there anyone you wish to see? So asks the smart young man, Ayumi, to his clients who have come to him for a reunion with the person who once changed their life. But it is no ordinary reunion The people they ask to see have passed away. Calling himself the go-between, Ayumi lays down strict rules around the meetings between the living and the dead: the deceased cannot have been summoned by anyone else; they may refuse; and they must meet under a full moon. - Anxious Hirase asks to see the celebrity who showed her kindness at a critical moment; - An arrogant family man wants clarity about a will from his beloved mother; - After a bike accident, a school girl has a question for her former best friend; - A salary man wants to ask the only woman he ever loved what caused her to run away. With each reunion, tantalizing clues are scattered for readers to piece together the emotional truth behind the go-between in this mesmeric and unputdownable tale of kindness, compassion and connection. Who would you like to see? Watch out for HOW TO HOLD SOMEONE IN YOUR HEART, the sequel to LOST SOULS MEET UNDER A FULL MOON. 'Recalls early Murakami. An enchanting read' FT First published in Japan under the title TSUNAGU or GO-BETWEEN ©2025 Mizuki Tsujimura (P)2025 Penguin Audio"

Mizuki Tsujimura (Author), Ami Okumura Jones, Hanako Footman, Kenichiro Thomson (Narrator)

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Songs for Ghosts

"Bloomsbury presents Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai, read by Susan Momoko-Hingley and Kenichiro Thomson. From Catfish Rolling's Clara Kumagai, a second novel full of longing, love and heartbreak, inspired by Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Turn the page, strike a chord. There are restless ghosts to be appeased... When Japanese-American teenager, Adam, discovers a diary in his attic, he is enthralled by its account of a young Japanese woman’s life. A hundred years separate them yet she, like Adam, is caught between cultures, relationships and heartbreak. She also writes of the ghosts that have begun to seek her out, which Adam dismisses as fantasy – until he too, begins to be haunted. It leads him to Nagasaki, trying to solve the mystery of the diary, and his own identity. And the ghosts gather... P 2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2025 Clara Kumagai"

Clara Kumagai (Author), Kenichiro Thomson, Susan Momoko-Hingley (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Kenichiro Thomson

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