Japan is a dream destination for so many travelers, due to its incredible food, fascinating history, and unique culture. I was fortunate enough to spend two months traveling in Japan in 2023, and since then I’ve frequently returned to the country via the pages of a book. Today I’m excited to share a selection of my favorite books set in Japan with you!
Japan has a flourishing domestic publishing industry and a growing list of globally recognized authors like Yu Miri (Tokyo Ueno Station), Banana Yoshimoto (Kitchen), and Haruki Murakami (1Q84). If you do find yourself journeying to Japan soon, you’ll want to make sure that Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Book Town is on your itinerary. With everything from rare book collections to a bookshop devoted to cats, it’s a reader’s dream destination. In the meantime, keep an eye out for your closest branch of the global Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya, which has locations across the U.S. and around the world.
Yet despite their love of books, Japan’s literary scene remains less accessible to western readers than that of many other countries, in part due to the challenges of translation. Only a small number of titles are translated from Japanese to English each year: the Publisher’s Weekly Translation Database listed 14 titles from Japan in 2023, although this notably did not include manga (Japanese comics or graphic novels.) Many of the books I discovered while scouring the library and bookstores for Japanese reads that fit my tastes were simply unavailable or much more expensive than I was willing to pay. For example, I hope to read Kayano Shigeru’s Our Land Was A Forest: An Ainu Memoirsomeday but it sells on Bookshop for $207 and is $36 to rent on Kindle!
However, with the growing success of Japanese authors and interest in English translations of their books, I’m excited to see more and more Japanese titles in translation on American bookshelves. This 2022 interview with a publisher in Japan helped me understand some of the more recent trends in publishing and translation.
If your travels don’t take you to Japan anytime soon, you can still immerse yourself in the Japanese experience through the words on the page. Today, I’m sharing two non-fiction picks that are on my all time favorites shelf, along with an assortment of fiction titles from Middle Grade to philosophical thriller and everything in between. I’d love to know your favorite books that are set in Japan or by Japanese authors. Please leave a comment and share your suggestions with me and the rest of your fellow armchair travelers!
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Apparently sending young men to the village is a theme in Japanese stories: the start to this delightful coming of age novel felt somewhat similar to Four Seasons in Japan, but with a very different voice. Yuki Hirano has just graduated high school with no real prospects, so his parents send him to the small mountain town of Kamusari and forcibly enroll him in a forestry training program. Yuki doesn’t want to be here and is plotting his escape from the moment he arrives. But with no choice but to stay and make the best of it, Yuki begins to learn the traditional skills of forestry. While he learns how to trim and fell trees, he also develops an appreciation for the rural lifestyle he originally disdained and forms relationships that will leave a lasting mark on his life. I can’t wait to read the sequel, Kamusari Tales Told at Night. Translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters Carpenter. More info →
This premise is WILD: a prominent family hosts a party where 17 people die from cyanide in their drinks. The only clues to what happened are a mysterious scrap of verse and one survivor: Hisako, the blind daughter of the hosts. This intricate puzzle mystery and psychological thriller jumps around in time, place, and perspective, leaving the reader not entirely certain of what, exactly, happened. I found it fascinating, although ultimately, the resolution was not as satisfying as I prefer in my mysteries. However, the telling of the story is a work of art, giving the reader insight into Japanese culture and an atmospheric setting. Translated from the Japanese by Alison Watts. Content warnings apply. More info →
This young adult contemporary romance follows Izumi “Izzy” Tanaka, a Japanese American girl growing up in a northern California town with her single mother. She’s always felt different in her small community—and then she discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Billed as The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians, the story really starts when Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she’s never known. But showing up in Japan as a princess isn’t that simple, and Izzy finds herself caught between her American and Japanese identities, all while trying to figure out what to do about her handsome, gruff bodyguard. This was a fun look at one girl’s cross-cultural experience. If you love it as much as I did, you’ll be happy to hear there’s a sequel, Tokyo Dreaming. More info →
First published in 2002, this series might be considered a young adult romantic fantasy on today’s bookshelves. When sixteen-year-old Takeo’s family is killed, he is rescued and adopted by a warring clan leader and raised as a warrior. Along the way, he is trained in magical skills, falls in love, and seeks to avenge those he’s lost. Set in a fictional world but based on Japan in the Sengoku period, this trilogy expanded to a total of five books as well as a spinoff series in 2020. More info →
In this springtime tale that immerses the reader in Tokyo, affluent Japanese singer-turned-housewife Mizuki struggles with boredom and feels overlooked by her workaholic husband. When she catches the interest of a handsome restaurateur, she is unable to resist his advances. I discovered this book thanks to MMD Book Club, and while it’s not my typical genre, I loved reading it while riding the bullet train in Japan and thinking of all of the places in Tokyo it so vividly calls to mind. More info →
This 1975 classic, which became an award-winning streaming series on FX in 2024, follows English sailor John Blackthorne after he is marooned in Japan in 1600. From his original arrival and imprisonment to his eventual alliance with daimyo Toranaga and elevation to the samurai ranks, the story also follows Blackthorne’s love affair with a Japanese woman and his adoption of Japanese culture. Set against the backdrop of the Catholic and Protestant schism and the era of colonial exploration, Clavell’s novel is based on the journals of the first Englishman to reach Japan. Content warnings apply. More info →
This nonfiction book by journalist Kirshner, a part-time resident of Japan, is my all-time top recommendation for those interested in the country’s rural culture and traditional handicrafts. Each chapter explores a unique art form, from woodturning to sake brewing, foraging to hunting, and more. Kirshner’s writing is immersive and richly detailed: reading this book inspired several of our off-the-beaten-track detours during our time in Japan last year. It would make a beautiful armchair travel choice for anyone with a curiosity about or passion for this country. More info →
Readers may know Japanologist Kempton from her previous book, WABI SABI: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life. When I heard about her forthcoming book (already released in the UK and out October 1 in the US), the description caught my imagination and I immediately added this title to my preorder list. I’m excited to read about Kempton’s travels in rural Japan and how her observations and experiences supported her during a time of grief. More info →
Brown, an American who has lived in Japan since 1985, compiled this unique and fascinating book that reflects on the lifestyle and traditions of the Edo period of Japanese history and what these traditions teach us about sustainable living. Broken into three sections that consider rural lifestyles, urban design, and societal constructs, this is best read in print due to Azby’s hand-drawn sketches and notes in the margins. This would be a dream gift for anyone broadly interested in the subtitle topics or specifically curious about Japanese history. More info →
Drawn from Japanese mythology, this YA trilogy follows Emi, a young shrine maiden destined to become a living host for a goddess. Emi’s spent her life hiding from the earth spirits who are locked in eternal combat with the gods. But when Emi stumbles upon a life-changing secret, she flees to the woods, where she has an encounter with an earth spirit and ultimately saves his life. Shiro, the spirit Emi rescues, doesn’t realize who Emi is and has baggage of his own. The two begin to develop a relationship that will call everything into question in this slow-burn romantic fantasy. More info →
Thirteen-year-old Kiki must follow the tradition of her witch heritage and spend a year on her own in a new city, proving she can support herself and be of service to her community. In this award–winning, sweet middle grade fantasy story, Kiki and her loyal cat Jiji experience a range of misadventures during their trial year. The book was released in Japan in 1985 and translated into English by Emily Balistrieri in 2003. You may also recognize this title from the 1989 Studio Ghibli animated film. More info →
Ex-con Sentaro is trying for a fresh start, but isn’t sure his dead-end job at a tiny confectionery shop will do the trick. After he reluctantly hires an elderly, disfigured woman named Tokue for her culinary skill, things start to change. Sentaro feels hopeful for the first time in ages, until Tokue’s mysterious past comes to light and Sentaro has to grapple with prejudice, regret, and societal expectations. Starting off as a charming story of sweets and redemption, this novel grows into something even more satisfying, balancing a beautiful story of friendship with an honest look at a darker chapter of Japanese history. Content warnings apply. More info →
This story-within-a-story follows two plotlines over the course of a year. Flo is an American translator living in Japan. When she decides not to follow her girlfriend abroad, she’s left feeling adrift, until she discovers a mysterious memoir, and decides it’s the perfect choice for her next translation project. Meanwhile, after failing his university exams, nineteen-year-old Kyo is sent from the city to a small village to live with his grandmother Ayako. Kyo is a talented artist who struggles to communicate with his grandmother, a formidable woman who shares a secret grief with Kyo. Much more character-driven than plotty, this story gently paints a picture of modern Japan; I found it a quick read and enjoyed the different layers of culture and society on display. Readers will want to note that this story deals with difficult themes including family trauma, depression, and suicide. More info →
So many urban stories in Japan are set in Tokyo, so this delightful cozy set in Kyoto was a nice departure. Reader, beware: reading this book will make you hungry (and likely to start googling all sorts of ingredients and recipes). Unlike cozy detective stories that feature a crime or murder, this collection of mysteries centers on food. When customers come to the Detective Agency in search of long-lost or nearly forgotten meals or recipes, retired police detective Nagare and his daughter Koshi hunt down the missing pieces and present their clients with the meal they’d been searching for. I devoured this sentimental read that speaks to the power of food and drink to evoke memory, and can’t wait to read more books in the series. More info →
Do you have any favorite books set in or about Japan? Please share in the comments.
P.S. 14 recommended reads for those traveling to South Korea, 11 recommended reads for those traveling to Spain, and more literary tourism.
About the author
Holly Wielkoszewski is our What Should I Read Next Media Production Specialist. Her go-to genres are Fantasy and Sci-Fi. You can find Holly on Instagram @hollyfromthebigsky.
