#japaneseliterature — Public Fediverse posts

　
This time, I’m introducing a classic of modern Japanese literature.

The Woman in the Dunes

🖊️ Why Me?
For Anyone Who Wants to Lament the Absurdity of Life

Feel free to take a peek!
https://introvert-path.com/en/embracing-e/reading-habit/20260920-1/

#JapaneseLiterature #Literature
#Books #Bookish #Booklovers #Reading
#Bookstodon

Not all bookstores in Japanese fiction are idyllic. Two newly translated novels bring an authentic portrait of working in Japan, forcing readers to drop the sakura-tinted glasses. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/10/25/books/japan-books-about-bookstores-new-cozy-fiction/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #cozyfiction #japaneseliterature #translatedliterature #translation #bookstores

📚 A murit scriitorul japonez Ryu Murakami, la 74 de ani. Autorul romanelor „Albastru aproape transparent” și „Audiția” a fost numit „Rolling Stones-ul literaturii japoneze”. Articol complet pe site. #RyuMurakami #JapaneseLiterature #Books

https://spectatorul.com/2026/10/23/a-murit-ryu-murakami-scriitor-japonez-74-de-ani/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social

A thousand years ago, the Japanese were writing about love, heartbreak, drinking and the pleasures of life. Japan's oldest poetry anthology reveals how familiar the human experience can feel. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/10/20/japan/history/manyoshu-japanese-poetry/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #japaneseliterature #manyoshu #emperoryuryaku #naraperiod

As part of the preparation for the large drawing I'm working on (or will be again come next holidays), I made a quick sketch of the character Kazami from a still of the movie N.P.
The actress is the artist Clara Spilliaert
#traditionalArt #drawing
#JapaneseLiterature
#BananaYoshimoto

Lost in Japanese literature? You don't need to know every word to follow the story. Learn how to use kanji clues, context and a little guesswork to make sense of even Yukio Mishima. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/10/16/language/reading-japanese-kanji-books/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #grammar #japaneseliterature #reading

Nao-Cola Yamazaki is a writer who reaches for the universal while subverting expectations. More than 20 years after their literary debut, two of Yamazaki's novellas are finally available to English-speaking readers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/10/11/books/nao-cola-yamazaki-japanese-novelist/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #naocolayamazaki #japaneseliterature #translation #pollybarton #charlottegoff #literature

New books have arrived from Japan!

Yoshimoto Banana-san "N.P."
Higashino Keigo-san "Tomei na rasen" (Invisible Helix)
Takayama Haneko-san "Shuri no uma" (The Shuri Horse)
Kawabta Yasunari-san "Yukiguni" (Snow Country)

I must be getting lazy as three of these I have already read in translation. "N.P." I bought very long ago and have read many times since. "Invisible Helix" is a crime mystery in the late Keigo Higashino's Inspector Galileo series. I wanted to read the Japanese version because I suspect the translation isn't great. Yasunari Kawabata's famous "Snow Country" I have read in the excellent translation by Edward G Seidensticker, and I suspect it will be too hard to read without referring to the translation, but I wanted to experience the original writing.
The fourth one, "The Shuri Horse", is a recent Akutagawa prize winner and I am simply intrigued by it. It's not been translated into English yet as far as I know.

I guess it will take me the best part of a year or even longer to get through all of them. Looking forward to it!

#JapaneseLiterature #小説

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: "𝗕𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗸 𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘀. 𝟭-𝟯 " 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗼 𝗠𝗶𝘂𝗿𝗮 -

I'm stubborn. I keep trying to immerse myself in manga, so here is my latest effort, a massive (though still introductory) taste of Miura's classic work. Maybe I'll get it!

#books #bookreviews #bookworm #readreadread #tbr #tbrpile #tbrlist #quotes #reading #kentaromiura #berserkmanga #manga #japaneseliterature

A cat, a man, and two women 🐈

#谷崎潤一郎 #JunichiroTanazaki #JapaneseLiterature #Caturday #CatsOfMastodon

Beauty from Yasunari Kawabata’s Snow Country. #literature #books #japaneseliterature

https://rommy.blog/thinking/2026-09-23-1744/

A children's book about a witch seems like a big swerve for Asako Yuzuki, who garnered attention for feminist thrillers about a foodie serial killer and unlikely friendships, but she manages to keep some of the themes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/09/14/books/mari-the-unwonderful-witch-asako-yuzuki-book/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #asakoyuzuki #children039sliterature #japaneseliterature #translatedliterature

Quote of the day by Natsume Soseki: ‘I believe that words uttered in passion contain a greater living…’ – Japanese literary giant on the power of emotion

A thought can be crafted in a very precise, neat and logical way. Yet sometimes, it is the…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #humanemotions #intellectvsemotion #Japanese #Japaneseliterature #Kokoro #literaryquotes #modernJapanesenovelist #NatsumeSoseki #powerofemotion
https://www.europesays.com/japan/90671/

Ready to start reading in Japanese? Here's a guide to finding books that match your level — from picture books to manga and beyond. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2026/09/11/language/japanese-reading-basic-books/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #reading #japaneseliterature

Love could save you or destroy you. In the world of Ihara Saikaku, it usually did the latter. A look at the novelist who captured Edo Japan's appetite for desire. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/02/japan/history/ihara-saikaku-edo-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #history #iharasaikaku #edoperiod #japaneseliterature #classicjapaneseliterature

裸で泳ぐ (Hadaka de oyogu; "Swimming naked") by 伊藤詩織 (Itō Shiori)
2022

A loose collection of short, personal essays, with the topics ranging from childhood memories to Itō coping with her trauma. Not as impactful as Black Box, but that's obviously not what she was aiming for with this one.

#Bookstodon #Reading #JLit #JapaneseLiterature #Japanese #Literature #Books #ShioriIto #日本語 #日本文学 #読書 #読了

I am reading the short story collection "The Sea" by Yoko Ogawa. I've just read the story "The truck with the little chicks" (ひよこトラック) and I am once again in awe. I really wished I could write like her. With simple words but evocative, rich and subtle at the same time. I have read "The housekeeper and the professor" and "The memory police" and I loved both of them, but these short stories demonstrate her abilities even more.

Incidentally, if anyone has an English translation copy of "The memory police" handy and wouldn't mind looking something up for me, I would be grateful (I only have the Japanese version).

#amReading #JapaneseLiterature #YokoOgawa

Japan’s macabre literati go global

For a while, Japanese cultural exports seemed to specialize in making people feel better. Marie Kondo taught us…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #akanearaki #crimefiction #J-Horror #Japaneseliterature #jessekirkwood #jimrion #Nihon #translation #uketsu #yasuhikonishizawa
https://www.europesays.com/japan/74846/

𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗿: "𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻" 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘂𝗸𝗶 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗺𝗶 -

3-Word Review:

- Quiet
- Self-Deluded
- Poignant

Frictional Posture:

- Across the stories, to what degree are Murakami's narrators blame-worthy for their alienation?

#bookreview #bookrecommendations #readinglist #literature #books #book #reading #bookstagram #frictionalreading #3words #harukimurakami #menwithoutwomen #shortstories #japaneseliterature

Japan's literary exports are getting darker. From the works of masked YouTuber Uketsu to genre-bending mysteries, a new wave of crime, horror and suspense is finding an eager readership around the world. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/08/15/books/japanese-mystery-horror-crime-uketsu/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #japaneseliterature #translation #crimefiction #uketsu #jhorror #jimrion #jessekirkwood #akanearaki #yasuhikonishizawa

　
This time, I'm introducing a Japanese novel
that has become especially popular in the UK.

Butter

🖊️ Be a Lady. Be a Man.
For Anyone Who Feels Trapped by Gender Expectations

Feel free to take a peek!
https://introvert-path.com/en/embracing-e/reading-habit/20260628-1/

#JapaneseLiterature #Feminism
#Bookish #Booklovers #Reading
#Bookstodon

Etc.books: A lone bookstore in Tokyo pushes against sexism

Editor Akiko Matsuo remembers the first time she organized a protest. It was 2018, after Tokyo Medical University was found to have manipulated entrance exam scores to reduce the number of women admitted. “That’s when I real…
#Japan #JP #Tokyo #Bookstores #feminism #japaneseliterature #news #SetagayaWard #shimokitazawa #tokyonews #women; #東京 #東京都
https://www.alojapan.com/1519203/etc-books-a-lone-bookstore-in-tokyo-pushes-against-sexism/

https://www.alojapan.com/1519203/etc-books-a-lone-bookstore-in-tokyo-pushes-against-sexism/ Etc.books: A lone bookstore in Tokyo pushes against sexism #Bookstores #feminism #JapaneseLiterature #news #SetagayaWard #shimokitazawa #Tokyo #TokyoNews #women; #東京 #東京都 Editor Akiko Matsuo remembers the first time she organized a protest. It was 2018, after Tokyo Medical University was found to have manipulated entrance exam scores to reduce the number of women admitted. “That’s when I realized that when you raise your voice, people hear yo

When a university in Tokyo was caught doctoring entrance exams to reduce women students, one editor decided to stand up to the system in any way she could: with a protest, a publishing house and a bookstore. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/08/02/books/feminist-books-japan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #feminism #bookstores #japaneseliterature #shimokitazawa #setagayaward #tokyo #women039sissues

ナチュラル・ウーマン (Nachuraru ūman; 'Natural Woman') by 松浦理英子 (Matsuura Rieko)
1987

More than just a boundary-pushing, oftentimes uncomfortable exploration of queer desire. Beneath the surface lies a complex, universal truth that goes a lot deeper than the title and text might suggest at first glance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

#RiekoMatsuura #NaturalWoman #JapaneseLiterature #QueerFiction #Bookstodon #BookReview #Books #JLit #Japanese #Literature #日本文学 #読書 #読了

Keigo Higashino's mysteries were rooted in Japan, but their appeal proved universal. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/07/30/books/keigo-higashino-literary-legacy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #keigohigashino #awards #books #obituary #translation #japaneseliterature

𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗿: "𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗼" 𝗯𝘆 𝗢𝘀𝗮𝗺𝘂 𝗧𝗲𝘇𝘂𝗸𝗼 -

𝟯-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:

Stark
Myth-Laden
Allegorical

𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲:

Across this work, which evil seems uncompromisingly primary?

#bookreview #bookrecommendations #readinglist #literature #books #book #reading #bookstagram #frictionalreading #3words #osamutezuko #manga #dororo #classicmanga #japaneseliterature #graphicnovel

Films including "Grave of the Fireflies" and "The Boy and the Heron" are book adaptations, with literary influences showing up in some form in almost every Studio Ghibli film. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/07/25/books/studio-ghibli-books-adaptation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #books #studioghibli #hayaomiyazaki #japaneseliterature #fantasy #adaptations

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

江夏 豊

Reading a very nice novel... I'm loving it...

#OgawaYōko #小川洋子 #EnatsuYutaka #JapaneseBooks #JapaneseLiterature

江夏 豊

Reading a very nice novel... I'm loving it...

#OgawaYōko #小川洋子 #EnatsuYutaka #JapaneseBooks #JapaneseLiterature

Now reading: 芭蕉全句集 (The Complete Matsuo Bashō Haiku Collection)

#Bookstodon #CurrentlyReading #MatsuoBasho #JapaneseLiterature #Poetry #松尾芭蕉 #俳句 #詩歌 #読書

十角館の殺人 (Jukkakukan no satsujin; The Decagon House Murders) by 綾辻行人 (Ayatsuji Yukito)
1987

Much mystery. Very suspense.

(Didn't get too much out of it apart from that, but for most die-hard fans of the genre it will probably do the trick.)

⭐⭐✨☆☆ (2,5/5)

#Bookstodon #JapaneseLiterature #MysteryBooks #Honkaku #DecagonHouseMurders #YukitoAyatsuji #日本文学 #読了 #読書

Another book on the round!
Ogawa Yōko's "The Housekeeper and The Professor". This is the second book I read from the author and I hope to enjoy her new story!

#Japan #JapaneseBooks #JapaneseLiterature #Books #Bookworms #Literature #Reading #OgawaYōko #小川洋子