The Housekeeper and the Professor
A brilliant math professor with a unique memory condition forms a heartwarming bond with his housekeeper and her son, discovering beauty in …
20 Great Japanese Novels
Explore a curated selection of 20 remarkable Japanese novels that showcase the depth and diversity of contemporary and classic literature from Japan. This list highlights the unique storytelling styles and cultural insights that have captivated readers worldwide.
Convenience Store Woman
Meet Keiko, a 36-year-old woman who has spent 18 years working in the same convenience store, defying societal expectations and finding cont…
1Q84
A dual narrative set in a dystopian world where reality shifts and the past looms large, following an assassin and a writer entangled in a m…
The Premonition
A haunting tale of a young woman, Yayoi, grappling with forgotten childhood memories and a mysterious aunt whose unusual lifestyle conceals …
Mild Vertigo
Mieko Kanai's 'Mild Vertigo' is a stream-of-consciousness novel exploring the existential challenges of motherhood and domestic life in mode…
Lonely Castle in the Mirror
Seven bullied and troubled teenagers discover a magical castle through their bedroom mirrors, where they must share their deepest secrets to…
Territory of Light
A young mother, newly separated, navigates the luminous yet shadowed terrain of single parenthood in a Tokyo apartment, confronting loss, de…
No Longer Human
A haunting exploration of postwar Japanese identity, told through the tormented confessions of Ōba Yōzō, whose calm exterior masks a deeply …
Diary of a Void
Ms Shibata fabricates a pregnancy to escape the drudgery and sexism of her workplace, but her nine-month deception blurs the line between li…
Dandelions
In Yasunari Kawabata's final novel, a woman loses her sight in a mysterious way, blurring the lines between madness and love in a poetic exp…
Breasts and Eggs
A profound and empathetic novel exploring contemporary womanhood in Japan through the intimate journeys of three women confronting their bod…
There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job
A woman seeking a job requiring no reading, writing, or thinking takes on a series of surreal, odd roles that reveal deeper questions about …
Weasels in the Attic
Three dinners reveal unsettling reflections on fertility, masculinity, and marriage in contemporary Japan through conversations about fish-b…
Harlequin Butterfly
A.A. Abrams, a successful entrepreneur, obsessively pursues the elusive polyglot writer Tomoyuki Tomoyuki, unraveling a dazzling, mind-bendi…
Where the Wild Ladies Are
Aoko Matsuda reinvents traditional Japanese folktales with feminist ghost stories where spirited women, alive or dead, wield power and chall…
First Love
A young woman is arrested for her father's murder, but the truth behind her actions unravels through the insights of a clinical psychologist…
Beautiful Star
A Japanese family discovers they are aliens from different planets, united by a mission to save humanity from nuclear annihilation in this d…
Asa: The Girl Who Turned into a Pair of Chopsticks
A surreal and unsettling collection of stories about alienated young women whose ordinary lives spiral into tragic and absurd transformation…
Under the Eye of the Big Bird
A speculative fiction masterpiece envisioning humanity on the brink of extinction, exploring new forms of reproduction, evolution, and commu…
Japanese literature has seen a remarkable surge in popularity, particularly in translation, and this list celebrates 20 great novels that exemplify the richness of this literary tradition. From the haunting narratives of Banana Yoshimoto to the surreal worlds of Haruki Murakami, these works offer a glimpse into the complexities of Japanese society, culture, and the human experience. Each novel presents a unique voice and perspective, exploring themes of identity, memory, love, and existentialism. Readers will encounter a variety of styles, from the poignant and introspective to the whimsical and fantastical, making this collection a treasure trove for both seasoned fans and newcomers to Japanese fiction. Whether you're drawn to the emotional depth of Yuko Tsushima's _Territory of Light_ or the dark humor of Mieko Kawakami's _Breasts and Eggs_, this list is a gateway to understanding the profound impact of Japanese literature on the global stage.
Source: https://www.faber.co.uk/journal/literature-in-translation-20-great-japanese-novels/