Those who are interested in literature and Japanese culture have recently seen the Japanese Literature series published by different publishing houses. We have selected some books for those who do not know which one to choose from among these series full of cult works in different genres, but each one more successful than the other.
Of course, when we are talking about the literature of a deep-rooted culture like Japan, there will definitely be deficiencies in the list. If you have suggestions that you think ‘this is a must read’, we welcome you in the comments. Happy reading already!
Japanese literature works that you should definitely add to your library;
Losing My Humanity – Osamu Dazai
He could never reconcile with himself; Believing that he is an unsuccessful and unidentified person, Oba Yozo has set himself the role of a ‘clown’ and continues his life in this role. While I Lose My Humanity, where we read the story of Oba Yozo’s life full of grief, regret and mistakes, who is the child of an aristocratic family, it also shows parallels with Osamu Dazai’s life and the author committed suicide shortly after completing this book…
If you want to review and buy While I Lose My Humanity, you can click here.
Diary of a Crazy Old Man – Junichiro Tanizaki
Utsugi, an old man diagnosed with cancer and knowing that he is living the last days of his life, lives these last days with a carefree attitude. He doesn’t seem to care about anyone circling around him, and he doesn’t seem to be afraid of death either. However, the fact that his life is ending does not mean that passions, excitement and emotions are also exhausted. The diary he keeps conveys all these feelings in an ironic and humorous language. The tragicomic story of the triangle of life, old age and death is a must-read work by Tanizaki, one of the greatest writers of modern Japanese literature.
You can click here to view and purchase Diary of a Crazy Old Man in more detail.
Kvaidan: Stories and Reviews of Strange Things – Lafcadio Hearn
If you want to take a closer look at Japanese culture and read the myths, folk tales and legends of this fascinating culture in a modern style, you will witness a blind musician forced to make music for the dead, demons haunting travelers, faceless ghosts, samurai returning from the dead and much more: You should definitely read Stories and Reviews of Strange Things.
If you’d like to add Kvaidan: Stories and Reviews of Weird Things to your library, click here.
Three Corned World – Natsume Soseki
Natsume Soseki, one of the most important writers of Japanese literature, tells the story of an artist who leaves the city in the Three-Cornered World and goes to the mountains, where he meets a mysterious woman in a hot spring. The tragic story of the mysterious woman changes the thoughts of our character, who is already in a transformation, for good.
If you want to review and buy the Three Corned World, you can click here.
Song of the Impossible – Haruki Murakami
It has become the most popular in our country and around the world; The novel ‘Song of the Impossible’ by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, whose books have been translated into dozens of languages, is a successful narrative that takes place in the spiral of Toru Watanabe’s best friend who committed suicide, his relationships with his family and his love life full of insolvency.
If you haven’t read The Song of the Impossible yet, you can buy it by clicking here.
Rashomon – Ryunosuke Akutagawa
In this compilation of the stories of Ryunosuke Akutagava, who is considered the greatest name of Japanese storytelling, trying to paint a picture of hell; There are ‘strange’ stories of a lost artist, a mysterious dragon thought to live in a lake, the devil traveling to Japan and much more.
You can click here to buy Rashomon.
The Sorcerer and Other Gothic Tales – Kyoka Izumi
Considered the most successful name of modern Japanese literature and gothic narrative in Japanese literature; In this compilation of Kyoka Izumi, whose name is mentioned with writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, each one of them is full of interesting stories, you will encounter surprising characters from a woman who goes into surgery while awake so that her secrets are not revealed from the demons that haunt towns.
Click here to read The Wizard and Other Gothic Tales.
Confessions of a Mask – Yukio Mishima
Describing his obsession with death, blood and suicide through a young man’s battle with himself; Touching on themes such as the rejection of modern life and homosexuality, Confessions of a Mask, which makes the reader read a text of internal reckoning, is one of the most important novels of Yukio Mishima, who is one of the valuable names for both Japanese literature and world literature, which also carries autobiographical traces.
If you would like to purchase Confessions of a Mask, click here.
The Bells of Nagasaki – Takashi Nagai
Takashi Nagai, who worked as a radiologist at a hospital in the region when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, participates in relief efforts as a volunteer health worker after the terrible attack he survived. The Bells of Nagasaki, written by Nagai, who reported this experience, the moment of the bombing and the painful experiences after it, will allow you to see first-hand this shame of humanity that has passed into world history.
“Science’s triumph was my homeland’s defeat. Physicists’ joy was Japanese grief. I wandered through miserable land scorched by atomic bombs as mixed emotions burned my heart.”
Click here to purchase Chimes of Nagasaki and start reading.
The Narrow Road to the North – Matsuo Baso
The Thin Road to the North, where you will read the five journeys of Matsuo Başô, who lived in the middle of the 1600s and is considered the greatest of the Japanese haiku poets, and the haiku he wrote during these journeys, offers a different reading experience with its plain narration and descriptions. It also allows you to browse the codes.
Click here to browse and purchase the Slim Road to the North.
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