#japanesebook — Public Fediverse posts

Just read a few pages tonight.
All I can say is: Dazai was a deeply self-destructive man, immersed in chaos that dragged others into a miserable end…
Not sure how his story will end.

#Japan #JapaneseLiterature #JapaneseBook #DazaiOsamu #太宰治 #Showa #1940s

Just read a few pages tonight.
All I can say is: Dazai was a deeply self-destructive man, immersed in chaos that dragged others into a miserable end…
Not sure how his story will end.

#Japan #JapaneseLiterature #JapaneseBook #DazaiOsamu #太宰治 #Showa #1940s

Another book on the round tonight!

Osamu Dazai's classic book "No Longer Human" (人間失格) [Japan, 1948]

I've read so many great reviews about this work, so I expect to enjoy reading it!

#Japan #JapaneseLiterature #JapaneseBook #DazaiOsamu #太宰治 #Showa #1940s

Another book on the round tonight!

Osamu Dazai's classic book "No Longer Human" (人間失格) [Japan, 1948]

I've read so many great reviews about this work, so I expect to enjoy reading it!

#Japan #JapaneseLiterature #JapaneseBook #DazaiOsamu #太宰治 #Showa #1940s

Having a break after work. A good dose of Japanese macabre tales to read while eating some great Taco Bell food.

#TacoBell #Book #Reader #JapaneseBook #JapaneseHorror #RanpoEdogawa #江戸川乱歩

Having a break after work. A good dose of Japanese macabre tales to read while eating some great Taco Bell food.

#TacoBell #Book #Reader #JapaneseBook #JapaneseHorror #RanpoEdogawa #江戸川乱歩

The story does not make sense, the writing is clumsy, the characters are dull and dumb. It feels like a bad parody more than a crime novel.

Murder at Mt. Fuji, Shizuko Natsuki

4/10

#cosycrime #JapaneseBook #badbooks

I love the cover art for this book of Japanese Yokai.
#Yokai #Yurei #JapaneseFolklore #Japanesebook

Hard to believe I have stayed a whole week without touching a Japanese book. This nonsense is over now, as I started a new novel today: 解決まではあと６人 by Futari Okajima (岡嶋二人). I continue exploring the work of these two authors, it’s the third novel I read and I loved the other two, so I’m sure I’ll love this one too! 📚🥰
#JapaneseBook

I finished あした天気にしておくれ by Futari Okajima (岡嶋二人), a mystery novel about horse racing. It was really great, especially for a debut novel!

I found that parts of the mystery were easy to foresee early in the novel, but even then, the plot was engrossing and the end really good. Some elements related to betting were a bit difficult to follow (for me), but otherwise it was an easy, entertaining read.

#Japanese #JapaneseBook

I finished 寝台特急殺人事件 by Kyotaro Nishimura (西村 京太郎). Even though some elements didn’t feel credible to me, I really enjoyed reading this book. The mystery is good, the investigation engrossing, and more than anything else, I love the setting of these old sleeper trains that ran throughout Japan. I also like how stations, timetables and other details related to long distance trains are used in the plot. I will continue the series for sure!
#JapaneseBook #Japanese

I’m reading 寝台特急殺人事件 by Kyotaro Nishimura (西村 京太郎), it’s the first novel in the series of train mysteries. I’ve read another book (終着駅殺人事件) and really loved it, so I thought I would explore the series more.

I think that each novel is associated with a different train line. In 終着駅殺人事件, it was the ゆうづる train that connected Ueno and Aomori stations.

The star of 寝台特急殺人事件 is the はやぶさ (Hayabusa) sleeper train that used to run between Tokyo and Kagoshima 🚃.
#Japanese #JapaneseBook

I finished 長い長い眠り by Shoji Yuki (結城昌治). It is the second book in the Sergeant Gohara series, and it was as good as the first one. It is this kind of detective stories where the solution seems obvious once it is revealed, but you failed to see it all along.

I will, of course, continue the series. The third book is called 仲のいい死体.
#JapaneseBook

I finished 『ひげのある男たち』by Shoji Yuki (結城昌治), the first book in the Detective Sergeant Gohara series (郷原部長刑事) and the author’s debut novel.

It’s a great whodunnit with a lot of deductions and a good ending. There are also a lot of funny moments too as sergeant Gohara’s patience and amour-propre are put to the test during this investigation.

I’ll continue the series, the next one is 長い長い眠り.

#JapaneseBook #Japanese

I finished 針の誘い by Takao Tsuchiya (土屋隆夫) yesterday, and I really loved it. Overall, the first three books of the Chigusa series have been perfect: extremely entertaining, fast paced, and overall good whodunnits, with tricks, false alibis and detectives discussing the case and considering different theories.

It’s a shame that the last two books of the series have not been digitalised.

#JapaneseBook

I finished 赤の組曲 by Takao Tsuchiya (土屋隆夫). First published in 1966, this is the second book in the Prosecutor Chigusa series.

I really loved this book, it’s a great detective story with a fast pace. I got the solution just a few pages before Chigusa.

Next, I’ll read the third book of the series. It’s available on Booklive and Bookwalker. Unfortunately though, the other books of the author are all out of print and not digitalised.
#Japanese #JapaneseBook

Finally reached the halfway point of 伝説なき地 by Yoichi Funado. The first half was fast paced with a lot of action, and it looks like the second half will not slow down, on the contrary!

It won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1989, and got the first place in the ranking このミステリーがすごい! in 1988. I would not classify it as a mystery novel though, it’s more action/adventure.

I’m not a fan of adventure novels, but I’m enjoying this one. Still 500 pages to go!

#JapaneseBook #MWJAward

Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Kappa | Books | Metropolis Japan

https://metropolisjapan.com/ryunosuke-akutagawas-kappa/

>In his final and hotly debated 1927 work Kappa, Akutagawa keenly discerns the ironies of his own era. Kappa is a fusion of Gulliver’s Travels and Alice in Wonderland with Japanese mythology.

#Japan #JapaneseCulture #Kappa #JapaneseBook #Book #Literature #JapaneseLiterature #RyunosukeAkutagawa #河童

I finished 『13階段』by Kazuaki Takano (高野和明).
The central themes are wrongful conviction and capital punishment and we learn a lot of things about the process between the sentence and the execution. The story is also a really good investigation, and it was overall an engrossing read even though I found the end not entirely convincing.
#JapaneseBook

I’m starting 『13階段』by Kazuaki Takano (高野和明). It is the author’s debut novel, and it won the Edogawa Rampo Prize.

The novel is about capital punishment, and if you’re interested in this topic, I can recommend a very informative book I read a couple of years ago: 『誰も知らない死刑の舞台裏』 by Shoji Kondo (近藤昭二). It also figures among the books that Kazuaki Takano consulted to write 『13階段』(there’s a bibliography at the end of the novel).

#JapaneseBook

I finished シャイロックの子供たち by Jun Ikeido (池井戸潤).
Each chapter follows a different character, all employees of the same bank where hierarchy is sacred and the pressure to get results is higher than some can bear.
Soon though, a main story starts to emerge and the novel turns into an engrossing mystery.

It’s not my favourite Ikeido (I prefer for ex, the Naoki Hanzawa series or アキラとあきら), but it’s really good still :)
#Japanese #JapaneseBook

I started 『シャイロックの子供たち』by Jun Ikeido, and I devoured the first two chapters. What a great start! Everything I love about Jun Ikeido’s novels is here.
We follow several bank employees, all with different backgrounds and aspirations. So far, it feels very similar to previous novels I have read, but I can’t get enough of these bank stories 😄
#JapaneseBook

‘Japanese Yokai and Other Supernatural Beings’: Ghosts and ghouls in all their macabre glory | The Japan Times

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2023/05/07/books/book-reviews/japanese-yokai/

#Books #JapaneseBook #Yokai #JapaneseYokai #Demons #JapaneseCulture

I finished 『支倉事件』by Saburo Koga (甲賀三郎).

At first, it felt like reading a detective novel, but then it turned more and more into true crime (it is inspired by a real case that happened in the 1910s).

It was interesting to follow and learn about the different steps of the criminal procedure of the time. It also raises the issue of police misconduct, even though the author attempts to smoothen it.

#JapaneseBook #日本探偵小説全集

Two novels have won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1989:

- 雨月荘殺人事件 by Shunzō Waku (和久峻三): this one is unavailable, so I won’t be able to read it.

- 伝説なき地 by Yoichi Funado (船戸与一). It is the third book in a trilogy of novels set in South America, but apparently, the stories can be read independently. Given that they are all very long (this one is 1000 pages), I think I’ll skip the first two novels for now and only read the prize winner.

#MWJAward #JapaneseBook

https://booklive.jp/product/index/title_id/220452/vol_no/001

I read『絆』by Kenji Kosugi (小杉健治). It won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1988.

It is a legal thriller that entirely takes place in the courtroom (with some flashbacks). We follow the trial of a woman accused of murdering her husband.

I found this novel very engrossing (a mix of murder case and family drama), but unfortunately, the motivation of the characters appeared a bit weak in the end. I still enjoyed reading it and liked it more than 父からの手紙 (same author).

#JapaneseBook #MWJAward

The book that won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1988 is 『絆』by Kenji Kosugi (小杉健治).

I’m very excited for this book, because it is a legal thriller, one of my favourite genres when it comes to crime fiction. I just started it and the story opens right in the courtroom :)

It’s not available in paper unfortunately, so I bought the digital version on Booklive.

#JapaneseBook #MWJAward

https://booklive.jp/product/index/title_id/225701/vol_no/001

Finished 『カディスの赤い星』by Go Osaka (逢坂剛) (The Red Star of Cádiz, translated by Usha Jayaraman). It won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1987.

I liked the historical setting (it partly plays in Spain, 1975) and the presence of flamenco music in the story, but I’m overall not a fan of the hardboiled/action/adventure genre, so I enjoyed less the many action scenes of the second half. Still a great story and one of the few winners of the prize available in translation!

#JapaneseBook #MWJAward

#CurrentlyReading

I’m reading 『カディスの赤い星』by Go Osaka (逢坂剛). It won the Mystery Writers of Japan award in 1987, the same year as 『北斎殺人事件』.

It has been translated into English by Usha Jayaraman: The Red Star of Cadiz.

It’s the first Japanese novel I read that is set (at least partly) in Spain. I only read 100 pages (the Japanese edition is 1000 pages long), and I like it so far, despite hard-boiled not being my favourite genre.

#JapaneseBook #MWJAward

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6747414

I finally finished 『北斎殺人事件』by Katsuhiko Takahashi (高橋克彦).

(It is the 2nd book in the ukiyo-e murders trilogy, and it is important to read them in order.)

I really loved this book, but it asks a lot from the reader. Our protagonist tackles the mystery of Hokusai’s life: could Hokusai have been a spy? While the topic is engrossing, the way it is delivered is very dry, and similarly to the first book, it contains a lot of names. 1/2

#JapaneseBook #MWJAward

I finished 『闘争』by Fuboku Kosakai (小酒井不木), and it was the last short story by this author in my anthology. I loved all the four short stories I read! The author was also a doctor, so there are medical elements in his mysteries. Recommended!

https://www.aozora.gr.jp/index_pages/person262.html

Next in the anthology is Saburo Koga (甲賀三郎). There is first a short story and then his novel 『支倉事件』which seems to be his most famous work.

#JapaneseBook #日本探偵小説全集

I finished the short story 『愚人の毒』(フールスポイズン) by Fuboku Kosakai (小酒井不木), and I highly recommend it if you like mystery fiction! (It’s available on Aozora).

The story entirely takes place in the interrogation room. I thought that the outcome was foreseeable, but the end was still surprising! The author uses his medical knowledge in his mysteries, but this story does not contain any difficult medical explanations.

#JapaneseBook #日本探偵小説全集 #Japanese

https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000262/files/1454_20740.html

Next author in the anthology of Japanese detective novels I’m reading is Fuboku Kosakai (小酒井不木).

I read the short story 「痴人の復讐」 and absolutely loved it. A spine chilling story of vengeance in the medical field :) It’s very short and I found it easy to read.

There are still three other short stories by this author in the book. I hope I’ll have time to read the next time this afternoon!

#日本探偵小説全集 #JapaneseBook

https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000262/files/1457_20557.html

I finished 『血の文字』(1892), the Japanese translation by Ruiko Kuroiwa (黒岩涙香) of Le Petit Vieux des Batignolles (1876) by Émile Gaboriau.

Interestingly, when the anthology『日本探偵小説全集』was published in 1984, the original work was unknown. The story is presented as if it was written by Ruiko Kuroiwa, and while the commentary says that it is a translation, it also says 「原作は不明だ」.

#日本探偵小説全集 #JapaneseBook #Japanese

I just started『北斎殺人事件』by Katsuhiko Takahashi (高橋克彦), the second book in the Ukiyo-e murders trilogy and the one that won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award.

The whole story of the Sharaku murders (the first book of the trilogy) is spoiled at the beginning 😱 The whole plot, everything!!

So if you’re interested in reading the series, you must read them in order:

Sharaku > Hokusai > Hiroshige.

I’m glad that I decided to read the Sharaku one first 😌

#currentlyReading #MWJAward #JapaneseBook

I was not able to finish 『無惨』this afternoon (it’s really difficult to read, and I get tired after two or three pages), but I only have the last chapter left.

The chapter title is 氷解 (ひょうかい) which means “melting away” but also “be cleared up” and “be resolved”. So all the remaining questions will be cleared up in the final chapter :)

#Japanese #JapaneseBook

I got this anthology of Japanese detective novels for my birthday 🥰!
It’s going to take me several years to read I’m sure! (Each book is 700~800 pages long and written in the smallest font I’ve ever seen). Each book contains several short stories and novels.
I’ll read them in order, in parallel with my project to read the winners of the Mystery Writers of Japan Award :)
#JapaneseBook

I finished my first book of February: チョコレートゲーム (Chocolate game) by Futari Okajima (岡嶋二人), which won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1986.

It’s about murder, school, and a father investigating to understand what is going on. It was a real page turner, very fast paced and impossible to put down.

The author’s name is a pen name for two persons: Junichi Tokuyama (徳山諄一) and Yumehito Inoue (井上夢人).

#MWJAward #JapaneseBook

Finished 白い衝動 (shiroi shōdō) by Katsuhiro Go (呉勝浩)! I loved the story, and the topics discussed in the novel were extremely engrossing.

I did find the protagonist’s own story less convincing and a bit pale compared to all the fascinating discussions and strong positions displayed in the novel, but I loved it overall :)

The author’s more recent novel, スワン　(swan), is on my list for later!

@kojinmanus Thanks for recommending it!

#JapaneseBook #Japanese

I finished reading 七回死んだ男 (nanakai shinda otoko) “The Man Who Died Seven Times” by Yasuhiko Nishizawa (西澤保彦).

It’s a murder mystery with a classic setting but spiced up with a time loop mechanism. It as a bit different from what I expected, and I also found it very easy to guess halfway through what is revealed at the end, which took away part of the fun.

Still, it was an entertaining read. I loved what the loop brings to the mystery.

#JapaneseBook #Japanese

I finished reading 終着駅殺人事件(tāminaru satsujin jiken) “Terminal Station Murder” by Kyotaro Nishimura (西村京太郎). 1980.

It was en engrossing murder investigation conducted jointly by the police of Tokyo and Aomori. The story features the “Blue Trains”, sleeper trains that connected Aomori Station and Ueno Station, but who are not in service anymore.

This novel won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award. I will definitely read other books by this author! I loved this one.

#JapaneseBook #Japanese

I received new Japanese books yesterday 😄. But, I am not touching them until I finish the ones I am currently reading! 😤
#JapaneseBook #Japanese