Books from Japan
291 popular japanese books
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
The target of the Read Around The World Challenge is to read at least one book written by an author from each and every country in the world.
All books that are listed here as part of the "Read Around Asia Challenge" were written by authors from Japan.
Find a great book for the next part of your reading journey around the world from this book list. The following popular books have been recommended so far.
71.
Go For It, Nakamura!! by Syundei EN
Description:
Nakamura loves a boy in his class--now he just has to keep himself together! Nakamura is a shy boy who falls in love at first sight with another boy--his dreamy high school classmate Hirose. But there's a problem: they haven’t met yet. And Nakamura is a total klutz who might bungle things before they even begin! In this endearing Boy’s Love comedy about the trials of high school, follow Nakamura’s hilarious attempts to cling to happiness.
72.
Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto EN
Description:
"An elegiac story of two young cousins coming of age at the Japanese seaside, Goodbye, Tsugumi is an enchanting novel"
73.
Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Atsuhiro EN
Description:
A symphony of interconnected lives, this collection of short stories is a compelling reflection on life in modern-day metropolises at the intersection of isolation and intimacy. Set over several nights, between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., in and around Tokyo, this mind-blowingly constructed book is an elaborate, energetic fresco of human nocturnal existence in all its mystery, an enigmatic literary mix of Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, and Heironymous Bosch. On this journey through the labyrinthine streets and hidden corners of one of the world's most fascinating cities, everybody is se... continue
74.
Hallo How Are You? by Shigeo Watanabe, Yasuo Ōtomo EN
Description:
A small bear has just learnt the proper way to greet people and wants to practise it. Unfortunately, the flowers, birds and cat can't give the correct answer, and the postman, milkman and newspaperman are all too busy. All is well however, when the little bear's father appears and makes everything right by knowing just how to answer.
75.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami EN
Description:
A narrative particle accelerator that zooms between Wild Turkey Whiskey and Bob Dylan, unicorn skulls and voracious librarians, John Coltrane and Lord Jim. Science fiction, detective story and post-modern manifesto all rolled into one rip-roaring novel, Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is the tour de force that expanded Haruki Murakami's international following. Tracking one man's descent into the Kafkaesque underworld of contemporary Tokyo, Murakami unites East and West, tragedy and farce, compassion and detachment, slang and philosophy.
76.
Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami EN
Description:
Hear the Wind Sing is the first novel by Haruki Murakami; it first appeared in the June 1979 issue of Gunzo, one of the most influential literary magazines in Japan.
It is the first of the "boku" tetralogy; translated by Alfred Birnbaum.
77.
Description:
"Shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize. From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, a sharp and illuminating novel about the impact of violence and the power of solidarity. A bold foray into new literary territory, Kawakami’s novel is told in the voice of a 14-year-old student subjected to relentless torment for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, the boy chooses to suffer in complete resignation. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate who suffers similar treatment at the hands o... continue
78.
Hit Parade of Tears by Izumi Suzuki EN
Description:
A new collection of stories from the cult author of Terminal Boredom Izumi Suzuki had ideas about doing things differently, ideas that paid little attention to the laws of physics, or the laws of the land. In this new collection, her skewed imagination distorts and enhances some of the classic concepts of science fiction and fantasy. A philandering husband receives a bestial punishment from a wife with her own secrets to keep; a music lover finds herself in a timeline both familiar and as wrong as can be; a misfit band of space pirates discover a mysterious baby among the stars; Emma, the Bova... continue
79.
Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda EN
Description:
THE MILLION-COPY AWARD-WINNING JAPANESE BESTSELLER In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competiton is underway. Over the course of two feverish weeks, three students will experience some of the most joyous - and painful - moments of their lives. Though they don't know it yet, each will profoundly and unpredictably change the others, for ever. Aya is a piano genius, well, she was, until she ran away from the stage and vanished; will Makun, tall and talented in every way, bring her back? Or will it be child of nature, Jin, a pianist without a piano, who ca... continue
80.
Description:
A tale of twisted love from Yoko Ogawa—author of The Diving Pool and The Housekeeper and the Professor. In a crumbling seaside hotel on the coast of Japan, quiet seventeen-year-old Mari works the front desk as her mother tends to the off-season customers. When one night they are forced to expel a middle-aged man and a prostitute from their room, Mari finds herself drawn to the man's voice, in what will become the first gesture of a single long seduction. In spite of her provincial surroundings, and her cool but controlling mother, Mari is a sophisticated observer of human desire, and she sees ... continue