The Keeper of the Camphor Tree: The Million-Copy Japanese bestseller - Paperback

Imagine an ancient tree beside a famous shrine, so powerful that people travel from far and wide to commune with it beneath the moonlight...

When a run of bad luck lands Reito in prison and he is awaiting sentencing, a distant aunt he has never met offers him an unexpected way out.

There is one condition: he must become the next keeper of the mysterious camphor tree.

In his strange new role, Reito welcomes visitors who arrive after nightfall to spend time with the tree. Each is lost in some way, each carrying a burden—and each seeking something they cannot find elsewhere.

There is a stern, middle-aged man who hums to the tree for hours, and his glamorous daughter, who has secretly been following him. There is also a wealthy, disaffected young man who visits reluctantly, with little faith that the tree has any power at all.

But what is the secret of the camphor tree? And could its mysterious power be more than just a myth?

Reito begs his aunt Chifune for answers, but she offers only one promise: when he is ready, the answers will come to him.

A moving and mysterious tale about fate, healing, human connection, and the hidden power of hope.