A slice of life book as the usual Jap-Lit. Here we have
Kanato, who has difficulties with his new school.
Sawa is a new mother, that used to be a succesfull retail assistant. Chiharu, a former wedding planner that has issue with a rare condition that affecting her ears. Yuya, a boy who fake his illness. And Kasuhiko, an older character who works as magazine editor, his eyesight slowly fading due to works. They all live in the same apartment complex, and come to see Kabahiko (the hippo) in the playground to heal themselves.
This is a heartwarming book if i could say so, that we have to learn to accept and sometimes just stop and think. I love the previous book, and I love this one also.

Michiko Aoyama’s The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park is a tenderly woven collection of stories that radiates warmth and quiet wisdom. Through a small ensemble of characters, each grappling with loneliness, loss, or unspoken hurt, Aoyama crafts a narrative that is both comforting and deeply moving.

What stands out is the hippo ride itself—Kabahiko—as a whimsical yet profoundly symbolic presence. Its legend, suggesting physical contact brings healing, becomes a gentle metaphor for reflection, vulnerability, and the solace found in simple acts of connection. The characters’ encounters are beautifully paced and emotionally resonant, offering touches of light in an often isolating world.

Some might find the tone veering toward “overly sweet”—indeed, moments are more soulful than gritty—but that is also its strength: in a noisy world, Aoyama’s prose whispers truths that feel restorative rather than overwhelming. It's a perfect read for anyone craving quiet reassurance and a reminder that healing often begins with being seen—even by something as unassuming as a playground hippo.

Overall, The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park is a heartfelt ode to the everyday healing we discover through empathy, community, and small rituals of comfort. A gentle, luminous read that lingers long after the last page.

What a little joy of a read. All about the 'healing hippo' who people visit to help heal them of various problems. I loved the range of characters in this from new mums to teenagers and loved how they all linked together through the hippo. It is a really powerful message of looking inside yourself and healing yourself.

Another feelgood novel translated from the Japanese and once again there are five people who seek help and whose lives overlap. In a park near a brand new apartment block - Advance Hill - there is a little children’s playground - Hinode Park - a place that was there before the apartments. Within this playground there is a hippo that children can sit on. His paint has faded over the years, but his smile has remained. The legend is that this hippo - Kabahiko - is a healing hippo. If you touch him where you are hurting, he will heal you. And so you have the stories of those who visit the hippo and they are all sort of connected - they live in Advance Hill, they go to the same school - there is a link. There is a boy who has fallen behind at school, a young mum who is finding it difficult to make her voice heard, another young woman who is suffering with her hearing and a man who is struggling with his eyes. What you find is that there is no magical realism, they are not magically cured in a flash of smoke but rather that by speaking to the hippo, our visitors begin to look more closely at themselves. And they often meet others and the help and encouragement that they receive makes them realise the truth about their state of mind. There is a simplicity to the cure rather than magic because it is sometimes just about having someone to talk to or someone to listen. As well as that, as the book reaches its end, you realise that it has covered a lifetime - from school children to an elderly lady. A lovely read.

This is all kinds of loveliness!! One of those books that fill your heart with joy and lets you believe in the magic of hope that is inside us all! And who knew it could be found in an old hippo ride at the local park?!

In this book we get to meet a variety of people who are all facing different dilemmas in their lives. From young people failing to live up the expectations of others, new mums not feeling that they fit in, others lacking self belief, medical issues - we see their struggles and then they are all linked to the inspiration and local stories that this fading old model hippo in the nearby park, is the place to go to inspire and 'be healed' by placing their hand on the pink hippo. And that belief in something so innocuous, allows people to find it in themselves to work through their issues -it's such a sweet story that you just can't help smiling as you read!

Absolutely brilliant! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending it.

I'm finding a love for Japanese fiction these days and this was no exception. A lovely book about healing and the belief in a Hippo to bring you calmness and quiet in your life. We all need a Hippo!!

so refreshing… simple yet powerful, positive and inspiring, deals with slice-of-life kinda situations where human emotions, relations, choices they make…everything is featured in the most possible relatable way and has the healing power that truly deserves to be embraced by all…

this is literally my comfort zone… japanese healing fictions with slice-of-life and human emotions that are profoundly adorable to read and consume. and particularly this book needs a shout out, obviously… different scenarios captured through four interconnected stories are perfectly relatable and literally are faced by almost everyone at some point.

Many people might say there weren’t anything extraordinary that makes it stand out loud. But I must say, I needed this book right now very much and I couldn’t be more glad that I’ve read it.

special thanks to the publisher Random House UK and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange of my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

A gentle, cozy read about different people who find comfort and healing through a hippo-shaped playground ride. The stories are simple but heartwarming, perfect if you want something uplifting and calming.

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld and NetGalley for a copy of The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park.

Charming, cosy and tender. Short stories with different characters all stumbling upon the answers they need from The Hinode Hippo.

Whimsical and healing.

In What You Are Looking For is in the Library, Michiko Aoyama created a community library manned by a librarian who had the uncanny knack of giving the right book to the right person at the right time. A book that turned out to be life-changing for all five characters. It was a bit twee, but oozing with so much generosity, kindness and warm-heartedness that you couldn’t help but be charmed.

In The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park the setting is a small suburban playground, a faded plastic hippo ride and a nearby laundromat. The elderly lady who runs the laundromat tells her customers that the hippo in the park will heal you if you touch it on the body part that corresponds with the part of you that needs to be healed. I think you can see where this is going.

Five neighbours of various ages are drawn to the hippo for help with anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt, a sore leg, ear & eye problems and ageing issues. They all discover that living in the moment, helping others, being honest with yourself make all the difference. And naturally the lady from the laundry also has some healing to do.

The good thing about these stories is that they offer a lovely feel-good balm in a chaotic, overwhelming world. They are gentle, life-affirming and hopeful. Perfect for teenagers or anyone needing a quick, undemanding tonic in the shape of a book (or a hippo).

For fans of whimsical books like Before the Coffee Gets Cold or We’ll Prescribe You a Cat.

I really enjoyed the stories that loosely connected and found many inspirational quotes in this book.
Each story is so heartwarming and cosy. I love it as much as What You are Looking for is in the Library.
I marked it as 5 stars.

I am a big fan of Japanese fiction and I really enjoyed What You Are Looking For Is In The Library, but sadly I didn't quite enjoy this as much.

It is the fairly standard format of a collection of 5 interweaving short stories. I didn't feel particularly engaged or emotionally involved with any of them, and wasn't really taken by the whole concept of the healing hippo.

It was an easy read but a bit lacking for me.

Nonetheless thank you NetGalley for my advance copy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I'm such a huge fan of Japanese fiction, and this one did not disappoint.

When you write down the concept, it sounds strange, but this is such a beautiful book - ‘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'

This relatively short story focuses on the everyday lives and struggles of 5 people who live near Hinode Park, where the hippo ride is located. Each has their own reason for asking the hippo for help.

The author captures sinple everyday situations so beautifully. It's hard to explain, but you feel a sense of peace reading this novel and also inspired.

Out now in the UK. Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the opportunity to review.

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Gentle and full of insight.
The Pink hippo is a worn out feature of a small park near to a new apartment block.
There are five stories of people who he helps all of them are associated with the new apartments. Children, men and women fall under its healing spell and get to know themselves better in the process.
Thank you Michiko. NetGalley and Random House.

A truly wonderful piece of work, weaved into the most approachable way to address and process anxiety. Showcasing that this is not something that manifests from nowhere. It does not only affect certain people, but it can be affecting those closest to you and those existing around you.

A gentle reminder to be kinder to yourself and others around you, while giving you the space to explore your own anxieties throughout the chapters.

Absolutely wonderful

Have u ever read a book that fits you well? Feeling seen and heard. So relatable in a lot of ways. I feel like this book speaks for me.

The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park is interconnected short stories about healing. The characters are several families who live at the Advance Hill condominium near Hinode Park. There is an old Hippo statue there which was believed to be able to heal your body if you pat it where u feel hurt.

I love how it combined the physical and psychological process of getting better. Details on the titles. The variety and depth of each characters are very well written. No patronising tone. It just flew so effortlessly page turning.

The definition of heartwarming book.

If you're into healing fiction, with page turning story telling, and valuable insights, give this book a go!!

This book made me feel immersed, the writing style had me invested in the visitors of Hinode Park and the healing hippo. I loved the previous book by this author, so was glad to see this was just as good and I remain invested in anything Aoyama will bring out in the future. My favourite element of this book was seeing how the characters overcame their issues, but also how their stories interlinked and we saw them interact in each others life’s. The strong things about this book was the relatability of the characters and also the charming nature of it, I liked that it was both realistic and a tad whimsical. I enjoyed the wide variety of ages of characters and elements of life, making this relatable for a lot of people. Overall it felt like a hug and just a good, quick read. I would recommend this book to other people who enjoy translated fiction.

At the bottom of a five-storey apartment block is the children's playground, Hinode Park. Inside is an amazing hippo called Kabahiko. People say that if you touch the area of his body that you want to make better on yours, he’ll provide a cure . Obviously it’s not a real hippo but I’d still pay him a visit. A number of neighbours visit him for help and the book follows each of the neighbours stories, and reason behind the visit to Kanahiko.
From the author of What you are looking for is in the Library, this book is about friendship, connection and hope. I found it very magical and sweet. A feel good book!