Love Japanese novels but have your Japanese language stuck at N4? We’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best Japanese books in English and where to find them.
Japan has always been a land of intrigue and spectacle — be it the country’s guarded history and culture or enchanting geographies. This same dedication applies to its literature, where a succession of authors has ensured a unique Japanese ethos is preserved within their stories. The best Japanese books in English translations perfectly capture the country’s persona, whether they are satirising Meiji-era dwellers or commenting on the patriarchal workplace culture in Japan.
The country also holds the honour of being the birthplace of what could well be the ‘first novel’ in literature, The Tale of Genji, according to a BBC article. This 11th-century story, written by noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu, was composed while she was in attendance at the royal court. The book describes the life of the aristocracy during that period and has been a seminal work for other authors.
Similarly, contemporary authors have not shied away from reflecting on modern Japan and the challenges facing its citizens through several centuries. The country, which is still largely subject to a patriarchal culture treats women as second-class citizens and places a high regard on traditional familial situations, is at odds with its highly literate young generation. This is reflected in feminist outpourings such as Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, which reveals the angst faced by young women in Japan’s misogynistic workforce.
Some of the best Japanese books that have been translated into English have also served as inspiration for acclaimed directors such as Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950) and Martin Scorsese’s Silence (2016). Other translations such as the Before… series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi are slated to be developed into a TV series.
But whether sarcastic, nostalgic or brutal, readers will find themselves drawn into the worlds of the best Japanese books in English and discover them to be unputdownable reads.
Here are some popular Japanese novels for your bookshelf
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- ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami
- ‘Silence’ by Shusaku Endo
- ‘The Kamogawa Food Detectives’ by Hisashi Kashiwai
- ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- ‘The Cat Who Saved Books’ by Sōsuke Natsukawa
- ‘Convenience Store Woman’ by Sayaka Murata
- ‘Diary of a Void’ by Emi Yagi
- ‘Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories’ by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
- ‘I am a Cat’ by Soseki Natsume
- ‘The Housekeeper and the Professor’ by Yōko Ogawa
Year of publishing: 1987
Synopsis: Set in 1960s Japan, the novel is a coming-of-age tale. Toru Watanabe, the protagonist, a young college student in Tokyo, falls in love with Naoko, but their mutual passion is marred by the tragic death of their best friend. This haunting love story is also a tragic novel of loss and a stunning exposé of the student movement in the country.
About the book: The novel is inspired by The Beatles song Norwegian Wood. A film adaptation with the same title was released in 2010.
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Year of publishing: 1966
Synopsis: A stirring tale of two Jesuit missionaries who travel to Japan to propagate their religion. But once Sebastião Rodrigues arrives in Japan, he finds the believers in his faith are being persecuted and are forced to watch the horrors. This novel is a chronicle of enduring faith in dangerous times.
About the book: Adapted three times as a film. The first adaptation, Silence, was a Japanese film in 1971 (for which Endō co-wrote the screenplay). A 1996 Portuguese film, The Eyes of Asia, was directed by João Mário Grilo, and a 2016 American film, also dubbed Silence, was directed by Martin Scorsese and starred Liam Neeson.
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Year of publishing: 2023
Synopsis: The Kamogawa Diner in Kyoto features a very unusual service — the daughter-father duo who run the establishment advertise themselves as ‘food detectives’. They recreate a dish from their customers’ pasts that may well hold the key to forgotten memories. From a widower looking for a noodle dish that his wife used to cook to a beef stew eaten by a woman in a restaurant where she received a marriage proposal, the restaurant provides a link to the past and a way to a more contented future.
About the book: The book has a sequel, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes (2024), that features stories that celebrate the power of delicious food and good company.
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Year of publishing: 2015
Synopsis: The Funiculi Funicula coffee shop in Tokyo lets its customers travel back in time as long as they follow a long list of rules, including the rule that whatever happens in the past, the present won’t change; and that the customer has to return to the present before their cup of coffee goes cold (around an hour). The novel follows the stories of the café staff, notably the barista Kazu, and four customers.
About the book: This series has four sequels, and the first novel was adapted into the film Cafe Funiculi Funicula in 2018.
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Year of publishing: 2017
Synopsis: Japanese schoolboy Rintaro Natsuki is faced with the closure of his grandfather’s beloved bookstore, when Tiger, a talking tabby cat, appears and offers to save it. The unlikely duo then embark on a mission, where they enter different labyrinths to set books free.
About the book: The author’s first book Kamisama No Karute (‘God’s Medical Records’) won the Shogakukan Fiction Prize and received second prize at the Japan Bookseller Awards.
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Year of publishing: 2016
Synopsis: A convenience store is very much a part of everyday life in Japan, and Keiko Furukura, the protagonist of this novel, has worked in one for 18 years. She finds peace in the store’s atmosphere and copies the dress, mannerisms and speech of her colleagues. But her family are not happy and pressures her to quit her job and find a husband. Jolted out of her comfortable life, Keiko finally comes full circle, resolving to find work at a convenience store again.
About the book: Sayaka Murata has won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, as well as the Gunzo, Noma and Mishima Yukio Prizes as well. She has worked part-time in a convenience store.
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Year of publishing: 2022
Synopsis: How do you get out of doing menial tasks at the workplace just because you are the only woman? Ms. Shibata finds the perfect ruse — she pretends to be pregnant. Very soon, she finds herself in an enviable position — excused from overtime, having to serve coffee and even permitted to join an aerobics class. But the clock is ticking, and Ms. Shibata has only nine months to keep up the charade.
About the book: This debut novel was a New York Times Editors’ Choice.
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Year of publishing: 1915
Synopsis: This is a short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, about a meeting between a servant and an old woman by the southern gate of the city of Kyoto, called Rashomon. A tale of bitter survival against brutal odds, the encounter ends with the man robbing the woman of her robe and disappearing into the night.
About the book: This tale and another story from this collection inspired the award-winning 1950 film Rashomon by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
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Year of publishing: 1906
Synopsis: This novel satirises the foolishness of upper-middle-class Japanese society during the Meiji era (1868–1912), highlighting the cultural clash between traditional society and its customs, and the Western influences then seeping into the country. The story features a feline narrator who hilariously and, in an acerbic tone, comments on the follies and foibles of the people around him.
About the book: This is frequently assigned to Japanese school children and has been made into a film twice. I am a Cat was released in 1936. In 1975, the second movie of the same name premiered.
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Year of publishing: 2003
Synopsis: A housekeeper is dispatched by her agency to the house of a professor, a former mathematician who has suffered a head injury and his memory lasts just 80 minutes. Despite this, a unique relationship starts between the two characters, with the professor devising riddles that hold particular meaning for his housekeeper while she, a single mother, finds herself forming an unremovable bond with him.
About the book: The novel was the inaugural winner of the Honya Taishō Award and was made into a film, The Professor’s Beloved Equation, in 2006.
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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
– What is the most famous book in Japan?
The 11th-century work, The Tale of Genji, written by noblewoman and poet Murasaki Shikibu is considered to be the most famous book in Japan. It is a depiction of the lifestyles of courtiers during the Heian period in Japan.
– Who is Japan’s best-selling novelist?
Japanese author Haruki Murakami, the author of Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore and Hear the Wind Sing, is Japan’s best-selling novelist.
– What is the greatest work of Japanese literature?
The Tale of Genji is said to be the greatest work of Japanese literature, despite being written in an archaic style, as it inspired many artists to illustrate scenes from it. Some experts even consider it to be the world’s first novel.
– Who is the greatest Japanese author?
Natsume Soseki, Haruki Murakami, Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Shusaku Endo are some of the greatest Japanese writers.
Mignonne has worked as a writer and editor for several media organisations, including Conde Nast, HT Media and The Times of India. She loves to read historical fiction and non-fiction, watch period films, and travel to places soaked in the past. Her 10-year-old daughter keeps her grounded in the present and ensures that all future plans are changed at least once!
