Japanese Literature

Japan has a long and rich history of fiction literature that provides a gateway for people outside the country to understand its culture and lifestyle while enjoying a fascinating story. Over the past few decades, many Japanese literary works have been translated into English – with some even undergoing cinematic treatment and becoming movies, too. Here is a small selection of great Japanese novels for bookworms to dive into, along with their original Japanese language publishing dates. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (1987) One of the most internationally famous Japanese novels by arguably the country’s most well-known novelist. Norwegian Wood was Murakami’s breakthrough novel, dealing with universal themes such as nostalgia, love, loss, and grief. The male protagonist, Toru Watanabe, hears a version of the Beatles song “Norwegian Wood” and is transported back to his days as a student in 1960s Tokyo, and his involvement with two very different young women. The book was made into a romantic film in 2010, with music composed by Radiohead’s guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (2016) This prizewinning novel tells the seemingly mundane tale of a young girl who takes a job at a local convenience store to “fit in”,…