Sweet Bean Paste, a novel by Japanese author Durian Sukegawa (pen name for Tetsuya Akikawa) and translated into English by Alison Watts, tells the story of an elderly woman, a middle-aged man, and a young girl who come together in an unusual companionship to explore friendship, life, and meaning.

The central character, Sentaro, is a middle-aged man who manages Doraharu, a shop that sells dorayaki, a type of Japanese pancake filled with sweet bean paste, in the outskirts of Tokyo.

However, he is swayed when she drops off a tub of delicious homemade sweet bean paste and says she will work at one-third of the advertised pay.

In it, Tokue stresses that a person's worth lies not in their career but simply in their being and that joy comes from taking in the sensory experiences of the world around us.

Durian Sukegawa studied oriental philosophy at Waseda University, before going on to work as a reporter in Berlin and Cambodia in the early 1990s.

The Japan Times wrote, "Sukegawa's writing style, delicately translated by Alison Watts, is well-matched to the subject matter: a slow, muted movement that gently guides the reader, while leaving the unnecessary unsaid.

"[2] Library Journal's review stated that the book, "tells an endearing, thoughtful tale about relationships and the everyday meaning of life.