What to Read Next: Japanese Literature Edition

Wry and heartfelt, sensitive and stark, this is the story of a convenience store employee glued to her job. With sharp social commentary on the work culture in Japan, this is a smart, short novel with so much to give.

Following up on Convenience Store Woman, Earthlings is truly bizarre in all the best ways. Highlighting all the insanities and hypocrisies of the modern world, from love to death, this is a memorable and unique story built around an unforgettable protagonist whose worldview sparks the conflict of the narrative. 

Great for fans of Sally Rooney and Jia Tolentino, Breasts & Eggs features a cast of working-class women showcasing, with devastating effectiveness, what it is to be ‘the other half’. This is feminist literature at its finest. 

Written with a rich simplicity that makes its depths both reachable and rewarding, this is a quirky adventure that will charm even the most stone-hearted reader.

Hilarious and dry, this is the cozy story of a cat who’s tired of the world. Yet the string of misadventures provides such a sharp lens into the state of the world that it will leave you feeling ready to re-read.

Named one of the best books of the decade in Japan, this coming-of-age narrative is deceptively deep in its ability to linger in the mind of the reader. With a charming sense of humor derived from a young boy’s naïve world view, the short, simple plot is woven with so much to think about.  

Exploring themes of alienation and being misunderstood, this is a refreshing narrative that gives perspective on the notion of finding your place in a changing world. With a sharp wit and a keen understanding of what it is to be human, this is one of those stories that is equally timeless and timely. 

Two complicated, fantastical, and unconnected lives veer ever closer to a phenomenal denouement in this strange and winding journey.

A sharp and incisive coming-of-age tale of friendship and resilience, Meiko Kawakami always boasts a remarkable balance of humor, heart and the right dose of skepticism. Heaven is timely, topical and sincere in the way it aims a microscope at modern society with such effectiveness that it’ll push you to rethink a lot of what you take for granted. 

Pulpy and slapstick, Life for Sale is that perfect blend of horrific and hilarious, making for a ridiculously entertaining and deeply engaging read. A social satire at its core, it’s populated by genuine characters, woven with incisive insights and, perhaps above all else, just plain fun. 

A young woman — whose life is in shambles after her fiancé leaves her and she loses her job — finds redemption in working at her uncle’s used bookstore. This is a comforting, big-hearted novel that will satisfy fans of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry as well as readers of Japanese fiction like the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series.

From Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata comes a remarkably subtle novel about a complicated human relationship. Snow Country is just as outstanding for what it says as for what it leaves unsaid.

Bursting with the kind of subtle detail that makes every page as authentic as a moment in real life, this exploration of love and human connection is disarmingly emotional and endlessly charming. 

This is a beautifully crafted novel that tells the story of a man who feels disconnected from those around him, ostracized by society. With a fresh voice that doesn’t hold back, Dazai perfectly captures the wonders — and cruelty — of the human experience.

Masterfully blending the every day with the supernatural, this collection of stories steeped in Japanese folktales and legends is always clever, often dark and frequently off-kilter. Yet, at its core, there is nothing more noticeable than how deeply human the lives of these characters are. 

Populated by unforgettable characters exploring what constitutes modern Japan, Kitchen and Moonlight Shadow are simple and effective, woven with rich themes of grief, beauty and identity.

Contemporary Japanese literature with women leads, this exploration of motherhood and the female body will appeal to readers of Jhumpa Lahiri and Lauren Groff. It’s a genuine and empowering exploration of relationships, society as a whole and the sense of self. 

Using fantastical elements to roast Japanese society in the early 20th century, this sharp satire may be ‘of an era,’ but just like Dante’s Inferno or Voltaire, the evisceration of society is nonetheless impactful and meaningful. 

Built around a time loop plot device, The Tatami Galaxy is exceedingly wild and witty in its use of it, with whimsy and surrealism walking alongside a protagonist trying to make sense of everything. Full of heart, humor and myriad takeaways, this is an adventure worth taking again and again. 

A read with numerous interpretations revolving around a central question of what it means to be human. With detailed descriptions and an eye for detail, this is a story that’s easy to ground in and immediately settles into the deep exploration of morality contained within. 

Woven with themes that are wholly Japanese, this collection of short stories boasts characters from the enthralling feudal period of Japan and beyond. And yet, the humanity found within each tale is timeless and universal, the humor is on point and the imagination makes for a rollicking adventure. 

It may be short, but this novel is unmistakably mighty and the sheer attention to detail and to everyday life makes this subtle narrative connect on so many levels. It’s about the difference between living and existing, the intricacies of domestic banality and so much more. 

The Setting Sun is a gorgeous and deeply sensitive story of the changing of Japanese tradition after World War II, all from the lens of a heroine going through her own changes offset by the challenges of modernity. Timeless and lyrical, it’s a story rich in theme and worldview, yet singular in its humanity. 

From the first Japanese author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, The Rainbow is a sweeping narrative of three interwoven half-sisters and their evolving concept of family. With plenty of unexpected twists and an engagingly empathetic tone, this is Kawabata at his best.  

Just off-kilter enough to be reminiscent of Ottessa Moshfegh, this sensitive depiction of neurodivergence is beautiful and subtly moving. With an unforgettable protagonist and important, meaningful themes, this is the kind of read that sticks with you in all the best ways. 

Sixty stories from a literary mastermind and Nobel Prize winner, Palm-of-the-Hand Stories is crisp, uniquely engaging and refreshingly human. There’s a warmth to Kawabata’s written words that mend the soul and give hope, making his stories an unmatched experience.