The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park (英國版)

在公寓大樓下的小小日出公園裡，矗立著一座外表有些斑駁、眼神微微上揚的河馬雕像——「Kabahiko」。人們相信，只要觸摸它身上與自己相同的位置，願望便能被療癒。

成績不如以往的少年、失去自信的新手母親、傾聽他人幸福卻忽略自己的婚禮企劃、假裝受傷卻真的感到疼痛的孩子，以及因長年工作而視力衰退的編輯……在各自的困境裡，他們都來到河馬身旁，尋找重新出發的力量。

本書以溫柔細膩的筆觸，描寫社區裡彼此交織的日常與情感。沒有驚天動地的奇蹟，卻在一聲問候、一個觸碰之中，慢慢喚醒人心深處的勇氣與光亮。這是一則關於陪伴、理解與連結的故事，讀來靜靜動人。

Readers adore The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park:

‘I wanted to discover the magical hippo in myself as I read this book’ ★★★★★

‘How does Aoyama depict human emotion so vividly? I imagined myself in this book’ ★★★★★

‘I almost wept on my train home from work’ ★★★★★

‘It gripped my heart. I wish there was a magical hippo near my home’ ★★★★★

‘Whenever I feel hurt, I want to re-read this wonderful 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.’

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 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 and hopes to reconnect with the capable, confident woman she once was.

Chiharu, a wedding planner, longs to hear once more the true happiness in other people’s voices.

Yuya avoids sports day with a fake injury, only to find that his pain is more real than he imagined.

And Kazuhiko, his eyesight fading from too many hours of editorial work, must learn again how to see the quiet wonders of everyday life.

A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, this beloved bestseller is a celebration of ordinary encounters and the gentle magic of community — a story that lingers softly in the heart.