13 fascinating Books set in Japan
Reading books from different countries has always fascinated me. Through their literature we get to the culture of the land, the ways of the people, their customs, traditions, their food, their homes and so much more. It’s always a journey reading such books.
If you are like me, fascinated by not just the story, but the characters and their upbringing and traditions native to the country they live in, then this list is most definitely for you. These books go deep into the vein of the country and give you flavors of city life, village life or even some varied imagined worlds.
Some books crack down on the wrong-doers, some books talk about traditions, while some give you lessons that will last a lifetime.
A lot of book bloggers have this kind of list where they collect books by country, so what’s new here? Well, I am giving you the list that I have read and the individual recommendations you find here will be different from the ones generally recommended in such lists.
I will write more such posts giving you books country by country and will add more books to each list as I continue my reading journey. Meanwhile, here are
100 books based in India for your perusal.
Tip : Many of the below featured books are available on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited Subscription for free or at very reduced prices.
These titles are also available on Audible. You get 2 books free if you join.
The Best Books Based in Japan you must read
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Fiction Books Based in Japan
The Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Sayuri Nitta tells the story of her life, working as a Geisha in Kyoto, Japan. It was a really old tradition in Japan to have mistresses that amuse but always remain devoted to their Danna – master. look of a girl was utmost then. Parents who couldn’t afford to keep their girls, vented them to become Geisha.
It's a greathearted and grand saga, narrated with so important humbleness and courage, that you'll soon find yourself captivated by the characters. The storytelling will send you to the tipsy establishment in Yoraido and the luxurious tea houses in Gion. Without actually seeing or feeling a kimono, you'll be enthralled by its beauty and majesty.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
So there's an island. It's ruled by someone called The Memory Police. The island has an eccentricity; it has a memory problem. Things on the island – headgear, birds, roses, perfumes, gems, and so on – vanish. And the occupants of the island lose all memory of it.
Now the memory police make sure that whenever an item disappears the occupants get rid of every piece they retain. If they don’t they're in trouble. Now some people's recollections aren't affected. They recall everything. Such people are collared by the police and no one knows what happens to them.
Fans of 1984 by George Orwell might adore this read.
The Village of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo
The third title in Japan’s most popular murder mystery series — after The Honjin Murders and The Inugami Curse — fiendish classics featuring investigator Kosuke Kindaichi.
The Village of Eight Graves is the story of a small village in Japan living an ancient myth. Many, many years ago, eight soldiers who hid gold in the village, were protected by the villagers. But when war waged, the villagers betrayed these soldiers and their samurai and killed them. While dying, the samurai cursed the village. Fearing misfortune in the village, the villagers created a shrine for the eight soldiers. But evil gripped the village, nevertheless.
Terrible myths, curses, murders, madmen, fugitives, the prodigal son, a picturesque village, and a hidden treasure. Combined with brilliant story-telling and ingenious plot twists.
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
Rintaro Natsuki is an orphan boy living with his grandfather who's a bookshop owner. But the story begins with the demise of his grandfather and Rintaro is left alone and finds himself vanishing.
But luckily for him a talking cat turns up at the doorstep of his bookstore and has some tricky tasks for him related to his love for books.
A good book for middle-grade and YA readers.
Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka Translated by Sam Malissa
A bunch of thugs are on board the Shinkansen, each with a job that somehow gets all related in the end. The common link - becomes a fourteen-year-old schoolboy famously called The Prince. He loves to put people into trouble and manipulate them just for the fun of it.
A lot of twists and turns, a lot of solid action happening aboard the train, plenty of murders and surprises, and the book promises to be an entertaining ride.
Get ready for a fun-filled train ride from the Japanese cities of Tokyo to Morioka.
Confessions by Kanae Minato
An unexpectedly impressive book.
A high school educationist has lost her young kid. She knows she was murdered by her pupils. How did this happen, and why? What motive would some students have? And more importantly, now the schoolteacher wants her vengeance.
The character study of this genuinely unique plotline is startling. We're taken through the narratives and perspectives of several students and the perpetrators through chapters. And at the end of every chapter, there are some serious twists. I completely enjoyed reading this amazing Japanese work of literature.
I recommend it to anyone looking to explore new authors and Japanese literature.
Books To Read About Japan
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
Absurd. Weird. Outrageous. Strange, really, really strange.
These are the first words that come to my mind. There are themes of child abuse, incest, murder, and cannibalism. So I suppose you get the gist of what to anticipate. It’s a seriously dark book.
Natsuki is a girl who believes she’s an alien. Her mama cares more about her elder sister than she ever did about her. Natsuki loves her cousin Yuu and going to her grandmother’s house in a remote village down from Tokyo and meeting her family there's all she ever looks forward to. She believes that the town is a factory. A factory for manufacturing babies and she wants to prepare herself for it. But much before she's prepared her teacher takes advantage of her, and her mama doesn’t believe her and that breaks her. What follows is an unbelievable story.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
We've four stories now, exploring different associations – lovers, husband-wife, sisters, and mama-daughter. They all have one thing in common they want to go back/ forth in time to a precise moment where perhaps if done differently it could have changed the course of their future/ present.
This café is a magical café that helps you travel in time. But it has so many strict rules, that people don't think it’s worth witnessing this trip. But some people are despondent. In spite of the rules they want to travel but they must keep in mind the most important rule – to return before the coffee gets cold.
The theme is pretty arresting and the stories are simple but they've been told in a heart-warming way. They leave an imprint and occasionally they even leave a few tears. I enjoyed this quick read due to the distinctive dynamics of every relationship and reading about Japanese culture was also reviving.Linking the next 2 Books in the series below -
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
An absolutely unexpected find. I was looking for Japanese books to diversify my reading experience and for one of my upcoming blog posts and came across this short book. The author's name and the title of the book intrigued me and I ordered it from my library. I am glad I did.
The book has two love stories that will capture your heart. Both stories are very different from each other but both talk about dealing with the loss of a loved one.
There are so many places in the book where I could highlight as a quote to use as an inspiration when I am felling low. The writing is very powerful, it takes you with it to the shores of Japan where these happened. The love stories are not exactly romantic or sexy or smutty. And yet they manage to deeply satisfy you through the swirling emotions of the characters.
I also loved the references to the homely dishes mentioned in both stories. Although I had no clue how they looked or tasted their description was satiating.
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Izumi Tanaka lives in Mount Shasta with her single mother. Izumi has questions about her father but her mom never elaborates. Once by chance, she finds a poem written by her father to her mother. On further investigation, she learns that her father is the crown prince of Japan and so begins her quest to get to know him and meet him.
A sweet, innocent, and charismatic kind of book that features the royal family of Japan. Izumi’s struggle to fit in somewhere is real and relatable. Her gang of friends is adorable. And her mom is quite the beacon of support. Overall although the story is predictable, the characters add depth and intrigue to the novel and make it unputdownable.
The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura
Yuki Hirano is just out of high academy when his parents list him, against his wish, in a forestry training program in the remote mountain hamlet of Kamusari. No phone, no internet, no shopping. Just a small, inviting neighborhood where the most common phrasing is “take it easy.”
At first, Yuki is exhausted, fumbles with the instruments asks stupid questions, and feels like a castaway. Kamusari is the last place a megacity boy from Yokohama wants to spend the time of his life. But as resistant as he might be, the fragrance of the cedars and the stunning beauty of the area have a tug.
Yuki learns to fall trees and plant saplings. He begins to accept local celebrations, he’s enthralled by legends of the mountain, and he might be falling in love. In learning to appreciate the woodland on Mt. Kamusari for its stately qualities and its unexplainable secrets, Yuki starts to appreciate Kamusari’s balance with nature and its ancient customs.
The kind and close relations in the book will leave you with warmth. And the great dialogue will teach you a few things about living life to its fullest, while the adventure will keep you turning pages.
Non-fiction books based in Japan
Drawing on centuries of wisdom, renowned Zen Buddhist priest Shunmyo Masuno applies the essence of Zen to modern life in clear, practical, easily adopted lessons – one a day for 100 days.
From this book you will learn 100 ways to bring yourself true happiness and calm.
You will earn how to exhale deeply to eliminate negative emotions, to arrange your house simply to clear your thinking, to line up your shoes at night to bring order to your mind, to plant a single flower and watch it grow, to worry less about what you cannot control.
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and healthy life by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia
I was intrigued about this book that was being talked about everywhere I went. So I went ahead and bought of a copy of the book and read it. I think the reason Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life has become so popular is because it reminds us of the very basics of life that we all seem to have forgotten in the hustle and bustle of life. Also the simple practicality of the book and the very doable activities given have in my opinion appealed to readers.
I kept nodding my head to every thing the authors had to say. So for those who need to revisit the book or for those who haven’t read the book yet and are curios, here’s a summary of the book.
Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and healthy life by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia
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