The healing hippo of hinode park by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Takami Nieda

Can Kabahiko – a run-down concrete hippo in a Hokkaido playground – restore hope and bring good luck to neighbours living in the nearby condo complex? Kabahiko, the handsome healing hippo, is the star within five loosely connected tales. The main characters pour their hearts out to him, pray to him, and ask for his support.

There’s a legend that if you touch the part of [Kabahiko’s] body where you’re hurting, Kabahiko will heal it.

It was just a playground ride that couldn’t speak or move, but I had a feeling it could comfort me somehow.

This is Japanese author Aoyama’s second novel. Each chapter focuses on one person’s inner world and the challenges they face in their neighbourhood. We meet a struggling student, a lonely new mother, a tired and bitter wedding planner,  a friendless ‘new kid at school’, and an adult son who’s no longer close to his aging mother.

They have multiple worries – including concerns about their intellect, their appearance and weight, their “paranoid thoughts” and jumbled emotions, and their strained relationships. “I’m a coward and a loser,” confesses a ten-year-old to the hippo. A student is deeply upset by a low mark on a test: “I can’t possibly be this stupid,” he laments, “I want to be cured of my stupidity.” Anxiety rules one character’s life: “Yes, I was always anxious. About what others thought of me. About whether I was doing my job properly.”

When Kabahiko apparently calms unease and provides support, each story takes a more positive turn – although the sentimental tone won’t appeal to everyone.

Kabahiko is a precious presence that accepts me as I am and watches over me. He really does bring blessings.

A black and white sketch of rather glum and serious individuals sets the scene at the start of every chapter. Curiously, throughout the book Kabahiko is repeatedly described as orange, yet on the cover the hippo is a softly glowing pink, perhaps to match the cherry blossom trees in the background.

Small details in each story reflect life in Japan: the vending machines that dispense cans of hot coffee, bottled water, and capsule toys, the tatami rooms and (heated) kotatsu tables, the popularity of manga and anime characters, the references to traditional Japanese foods such as yakiniku (grilled meat) and okonomiyaki (savoury pancake). There are also insights into Japanese cultural values: the intense focus on paid work and spending time wisely, the pressure to succeed academically (at least one student goes to “cram school”), and the importance of being a ‘good’ child who is praised by their parents. The characters bow to one another as a mark of respect and call each other by titles. Some eventually learn to be “content with unrequited love”.

The Healing Hippo was originally published in Japanese. The translation is competent, although some of the writing is awkward, confusing, or inconsistent. It’s like listening to an orchestra that’s slightly out of tune.

Are the miracles described in the book due to Kabahiko’s “incredible powers”, or are there more ordinary explanations, such as chiropractor treatment, increased self-awareness and self-confidence, or a commitment to try harder? And are there happy endings for each – or any – of the main characters? That’s up to the reader to decide.

Reviewer: Anne Kerslake Hendricks

Penguin Random House