Izumi Tanaka and her mother, Hanako, are Japanese American women who live in Mount Shasta, California, where it’s easy to stand out when everyone else looks the same. One day, Izumi comes across a book with a poem handwritten for Hanako on the title page leaving her to wonder: Could this be Izumi’s father? With the only clue being a nickname––Mak––Izumi and her friends decide to do some digging in hopes of finding the author of the poem. Soon Izumi discovers the author of the poem is the Crown Prince of Japan, Makotonomiya Toshihito. Izumi’s mother confesses that Mak is her father and gives Izumi information to a possible contact. Without a second thought Izumi sends an email and hopes for the best. Within a matter of days, the Imperial Guards are at her home and before you know it, Izumi is off to meet her father the Crown Prince in Japan.

Now that Izumi is stepping into her place as an Imperial Princess, she has to learn centuries of tradition. If that isn’t enough pressure the contentious Tokyo tabloids are documenting nearly her every move. Strict schedules, Japanese customs, appearances are just all too much to keep up with and Izumi wonders if she’ll be Japanese enough for the Japanese. Though, bombarded with the stresses of learning royal culture, she is welcomed openly by her cousin Yoshi, who doesn’t take the royal customs nearly as serious as he should. Although, Izumi bonds with Yoshi, her other cousins do not make it a secret that they are not so fond of the foreigner that is now a part of the Imperial Family. Relieved to have Yoshi on her side, Izumi finds comfort in knowing that she has someone to lean on. With all the royal treatment running rampant there is a benefit to being a princess, you get a personal guard, who is profoundly stern at first to say the least. As Izumi continues to fumble through her new life as an Imperial Princess, Izumi longs to find a place to belong and most importantly, to make her father proud.

This lighthearted YA fiction is exactly what I needed to kick start my summer. Izumi gets the life that many of us gals dream of––to be a princess––and we get to experience it with her. Tokyo Ever After, written by Emiko Jean, is precious in every way, from the characters to the interwoven lessons in Japanese culture we get to truly feel like this story will end in happily ever after. Initially, when I saw the cover and read the title, I could not begin to fathom what they story would be about, then I read the synopsis and I was all in.

I think a story of a young girl getting to know her father is a beauty all on its own because the story of motherhood is often glorified and not so often the tremendous impact a father has on his child, especially his daughter. So, I think, lots of people, like myself, can really relate to Tokyo Ever After as it depicts a healthy bonding experience between father and child with a couple of hiccups along the way, of course.

Nonetheless, who Izumi is is perfect for what the Japanese Royals needed, a little bit of spice. Since Izumi is completely out of the loop when it comes to tradition it is a given that she would turn a few things upside down providing a new perspective for everyone involved, and I love that! Too often we adhere to what society puts in front of us and accept it as something that is favorable when in actuality it is not favorable it is just something that luckily got the majority vote, and as we all know, just because something is the majority it doesn’t mean that it’s right.

I think knowing who you are and being okay with who you are is something that we all need to embrace. I am all about learning when it comes to reading. Whether it is fiction or nonfiction there will always be a lesson hidden somewhere in the text.

I honestly cannot say there’s not anything that I did not like about this book. Like, I absolutely love the story, and I am nearly finished with the second installment Tokyo Dreaming that was released on May 31st, 2022.

For authors writing stories implementing different cultures, this is the perfect reference because it’s sewn into the story so delicately that you don’t realize that you are learning about a different culture. And I think that’s one of the best ways to incorporate knowledge within a story––by receiving information little-by-little, while also enjoying the main plot of the story; it’s like subconsciously learning.

My favorite part of this book was learning the Traditions within the Japanese culture. I feel like it was very informative and fun all over. I am a person who really enjoys culture, so to learn about another culture this way was a treat.

This coming of age story teaches young people how to stand in who they are and not give way to what is expected of them from everyone else. It is often hard to be yourself when it feel like the whole world is watching and waiting for a mistake to occur to gossip about. But the biggest lesson is learning it’s OK to make mistakes and things will happen but things can always get better.

This book is for the individual who never felt like they fit in anywhere. Existing in a world that is so categorized is exhausting. So, to be able to find your way without taking the say path as others is truly finding your individuality. It is natural to want to fit in, but it is even more important to understand that fitting in is not mandatory because you’ll never know who you are if you are forever presenting yourself as the reflection of others.