Do you know the most famous Japanese writers from Japan? Have you had the chance to read Japanese literature? In this article, we will talk about the best writers of Japanese literature and recommend the best Japanese books for you to read.
Table of Contents
Haruki Murakami – The surreal writer
Haruki Murakami is one of the most popular Japanese writers in the West. His writing style is surreal and completely departs from reality into a fantastical world inspired by Franz Kafka’s style.
His themes involve loneliness, alienation, romance, and generally break any unimaginable logic. His works have won various awards, and his most famous books are 1q84, Norwegian Wood, and A Wild Sheep Chase.
We have already written a complete article on our website about Haruki Murakami. If you want to see details about the books of this famous writer, we will leave 4 books for you to access on Amazon where you can see comments and purchase the book.
Yasunari Kawabata – The NOBEL CONQUEROR
Yasunari Kawabata was the first Japanese to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968. A writer so humble and kind that he preferred the award to have been given to Yukio Mishima.
He worked on themes involving poetry and prose with great sensitivity, sometimes conveying melancholy, forbidden desires, and other themes that were results of his life story filled with tragedies and loneliness.
The style of Yasunari Kawabata involved surrealist and impressionist techniques combined with Japanese aesthetics and culture filled with psychological and erotic narratives.
He was born in 1899 and died in 1972, but his books are memories and help many people and even writers today. Some of his works are Kyoto, Snow Country, The Sound of the Mountain, Thousand Cranes, and The House of Sleeping Beauties.
Yukio Mishima – The MODERN SAMURAI
Yukio Mishima was a novelist born in 1925 and died in 1970, and during his career, he wrote several successful books such as Kinkakuji, Forbidden Colors, and more than 40 novellas, poems, essays, and even wrote plays.
One of his first books was written at just 24 years old and is called Confessions of a Mask, where he already dealt with homosexuality, topics that were taboo in society. His themes were inspired by traditional Japanese culture.
Yukio Mishima took an action inspired by the samurai and attempted a coup by persuading soldiers to rebel against the Emperor. As it did not succeed, he committed seppuku, a suicide by disemboweling himself like the samurai.
Yukio Mishima and Yasunari Kawabata were friends, so much so that there is a book that tells the story and the contact they had during their careers. A book full of letters, artistic reflections, and everyday topics between friends.
Junichiro Tanizaki – The storyteller
Junichiro Tanizaki was one of the authors of modern Japanese literature and a famous novelist who wrote themes involving eroticism, fetishism, and taboo. He lived between 1886 and 1965 and began writing from a young age in school.
His works are inspired by the events of his life, involving the repressed past that the Japanese faced and their romantic relationships throughout life. He also wrote about feudal and traditional themes of Japan.
He translated Western authors into Japanese, such as Stendhal and Oscar Wilde. Although he is remembered for his novels and short stories, Jun Tanizaki also wrote poetry, drama, and essays. He was known as a masterful storyteller.
Natsume Soseki – The face of the thousand yen
A famous philosopher and Japanese writer from the Meiji era who lived between 1867 and 1916 and even had his face on the one-thousand-yen notes from 1984 to 2004. He was born into a samurai family and taught English even before graduating from Toudai.
Inspired by English literature, Soseki began writing fiction at 37 with the book “I Am a Cat.” Works like The Travel became symbols of the difficulties faced by Japan during westernization and modernization.
He is the author of 14 novels, including the popular Botchan, Sanshiro, Sorekara, Mon, Kokoro, and Michikusa. You can follow some of his works below:
Kazuo Ishiguro – The Nipo-British writer
Kazuo Ishiguro was born in 1954 in the city of Nagasaki and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017. He spent his childhood in England and grew up under the influence of both cultures.
His dream was to become a musician; he tried several times but failed at all of them. Soon he decided to dedicate himself to writing, studying at the universities of Kent and East Anglia. His works have been translated into more than 28 countries.
Before writing his novels with drama and fiction, Ishiguro published short stories and articles in various magazines in the 1980s. His success and Nobel are the result of the great emotional strength present in his novels.
Kenzaburo Oe – Don’t kill the baby
Kenzaburo Oe received several awards, including a Nobel Prize in Literature for his poetic strength capable of creating an imagined world where life and myth condense into the disconcerting outline of today’s human difficulties.
He was born in 1935, and his most popular book is called “A Personal Matter.” His works are inspired by French and American literature and address political, social, and philosophical themes, including the attack on Hiroshima.
He became involved in various political struggles against the injustices caused by battles and the American and Japanese army throughout history. He is completely against nuclear power plants and made appeals after the Fukushima incident.
Matsuo Bashou – The poet of the Edo era
Matsuo Bashou was the most famous poet during the Edo period. He was born in 1644 and lived until 1694 and was known for writing haiku in renga. He was the one who codified and established the canons of traditional Japanese haiku.
His poetry is recognized worldwide and appears in monuments and traditional places throughout Japan. He was a teacher, and his poems were known all over Japan.
He renounced urban life to wander the country seeking inspiration for his works. His last words before dying were “Sick on a journey, dreaming in dry fields, I will go astray.”
Hiromi Kawakami – The Japanese writer
Hiromi Kawakami is a Japanese writer born in 1958 who writes non-fiction, poetry, short stories, novels, and literary criticism. She was born in Tokyo and graduated from Ochanomizu Women’s College in 1980.
Kawakami’s work explores emotional ambiguity, describing the intimate details of everyday social interactions. Many of her stories incorporate elements of fantasy and magical realism.
Unfortunately, only two of her works have been translated into Brazilian Portuguese: Nakano Thrift Shop and The Professor’s Beloved Suitcase, which won the Tanizaki Prize.
Shusaku Endō – The Catholic Japanese
Shusaku Endo is in the third group of the best Japanese writers after World War II. He is one of the few Japanese Catholics and wrote some stories that address religious themes and the difficulties of Christians in the country.
He studied French literature at the University of Lyon. His works reflect his life and childhood experiences, the stigma of being an outsider, the experience of being a foreigner, and struggles against illness in the hospital.
His characters often struggle with moral dilemmas that often result from their choices. His most popular works are “Silence,” “The Samurai,” and “Scandal.”
Murasaki Shikibu, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Kobo Abe, and Banana Yoshimoto
There are many other famous poets, writers, and novelists from Japan. Unfortunately, many of them have not had their works adapted into Portuguese. Therefore, we will try to briefly talk a little about each and present their works.
Murasaki Shikibu – A Japanese novelist, poet, and lady-in-waiting at the imperial court during the Heian Period. She was born in 978 and died in 1031, and her literary genre was waka. The Tale of Genji is available in Portuguese.
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa – He was a Japanese writer during the Taisho period, considered the “Father of the Japanese Short Story,” exploring the dark side of human nature with rich and detailed stories.
Kobo Abe – One of the leaders of Japanese avant-garde, he is even compared to the famous Kafka. His work, like that of Haruki Murakami, addresses themes such as surrealism, existentialism, and even Marxism.
Banana Yoshimoto – Daughter of philosopher and poet Takaaki Yoshimoto. She makes use of Western cultural references in her novels to talk about the problems of Japanese youth.
List of famous Japanese writers
Now that you have finished reading our article, I want to conclude by sharing a list of famous Japanese writers with the birth and death dates of some of them. I hope you enjoyed the article. We appreciate the comments and shares.
- Akazome Emon (956 – 1041)
- Akiko Yosano (1878–1942)
- Akiyuki Nosaka (1930–2015)
- Ango Sakaguchi (1906–1955)
- Asai Ryōi (1612–1691)
- Aya Kitō (1962–1988)
- Ayako Miura (1922–1999)
- Ayako Sono (b. 1931)
- Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1725)
- Chiyo Uno (1897–1996)
- Denji Kuroshima (1898–1943)
- Doppo Kunikida (1871–1908)
- Edo Meisho Zue (1834)
- Edogawa Ranpo (1894–1965)
- Eiji Yoshikawa (1892–1962)
- Fukuda Chiyo-ni (1703–1775)
- Fumiko Enchi (1905–1986)
- Fumiko Hayashi (1903–1951)
- Futabatei Shimei (1864–1909)
- Haruki Murakami
- Haruo Umezaki (1915–1965)
- Hideo Oguma (1901–1940)
- Hiratsuka Raichō (1886–1971)
- Hisashi Inoue (1933–2010)
- Hisashi Inoue (1934–2010)
- Hokuetsu Seppu (1837)
- Hyakken Uchida (1889–1971)
- Hōmei Iwano (1873–1920)
- Ichiyō Higuchi (1872–1896)
- Ihara Saikaku (1642–1693)
- Itō Einosuke (1903–1959)
- Itō Sachio (1864–1913)
- Izumi Shikibu (976 – 1027):
- Jippensha Ikku (1765–1831)
- Jun Ishikawa (1899–1987)
- Jun’ichirō Tanizaki (1886–1965)
- Juza Unno (1897–1949)
- Kafū Nagai (1879–1959)
- Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (662–710)
- Kan Kikuchi (1888–1948)
- Kansuke Naka (1885–1965)
- Kenji Miyazawa (1896–1933)
- Kenji Nakagami (1946–1992)
- Kenzaburo Oe Natsume Soseki (1867–1916)
- Kenzaburō Ōe (b. 1935)
- Ki no Tsurayuki (872–945)
- Kitao Masanobu (1761–1816)
- Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828)
- Kobo Abe (1924–1993)
- Koda Rohan (1867–1947)
- Kyokutei Bakin (1767–1848)
- Kyōka Izumi (1873–1939)
- Kōbō Abe (1924–1993)
- Kōda Rohan (1867–1947)
- Lafcadio Hearn (1850–1904)
- Lafcádio Hearn (1850–1904)
- Machiko Hasegawa (1920–1992)
- Masaoka Shiki (1867–1902)
- Masuji Ibuse (1898–1993)
- Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694)
- Meiji (1852–1912)
- Michitsuna no Haha (935 – 995): Kagerō Nikki
- Mitsuharu Kaneko (1895–1975)
- Miyamoto Musashi (1584–1645): The Book of Five Rings
- Mori Ōgai (1862–1922)
- Motojirō Kajii (1901–1932)
- Motoori Norinaga (1730–1801)
- Murasaki Shikibu (973 – 1025): The Tale of Genji
- Murasaki Shikibu 978 d.C.–1016 Saigyō (1118–1190)
- Nakane Kōtei (1839–1913)
- Naoya Shiga (1883–1971)
- Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916)
- Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (1235)
- Ono no Komachi (825 – 900)
- Osamu Dazai (1909–1948)
- Ozaki Kōyō (1868–1903)
- Ryōtarō Shiba (1923–1996)
- Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892–1927)
- Sakae Tsuboi (1899–1967)
- Sakunosuke Oda (1913–1947)
- Santō Kyōden (1761–1816)
- Sawako Ariyoshi (1931–1984)
- Sei Shōnagon (966 – 1017): The Pillow Book
- Shigeji Tsuboi (1897–1975)
- Shigeko Yuki (1900–1969)
- Shōhei Ōoka (1909–1988)
- Shūsaku Endō (1923–1996)
- Sugawara no Michizane (845–903)
- Sugawara no Takasue no musume (1008 – 1059): Sarashina Nikki
- Sugita Genpaku (1733–1817)
- Takeo Arishima (1878–1923)
- Takiji Kobayashi (1903–1933)
- Takuboku Ishikawa (1886–1912)
- Tamiki Hara (1905–1951)
- Tatsuzo Ishikawa (1905–1985)
- Tatsuzō Ishikawa (1905–1985)
- The Tale of the Heike (1212–1309)
- Toyoko Yamasaki (1924–2013)
- Tōson Shimazaki (1872–1943)
- Ueda Akinari (1734–1809)
- Yaeko Nogami (1885–1985)
- Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659–1719)
- Yasunari Kawabata (1899–1972)
- Yoko Ono Kamo no Chomei (1155–1216)
- Yokoi Yayū (1702–1783)
- Yonejiro Noguchi (1875–1947)
- Yosa Buson (1716–1784)
- Yoshida Kenkō (1283–1352): Tsurezuregusa
- Yoshio Toyoshima (1890–1955)
- Yuki Saito
- Yukio Mishima (1925–1970)
- Yuriko Miyamoto (1899–1951)
- Yūzō Yamamoto (1887–1974)
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