Japanese Authors reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 170 Reddit reviews across 5 subreddits and 12 posts to rank the best Japanese Authors brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/booksuggestions, r/suggestmeabook, r/books, r/AskReddit, r/AskHistorians. Top-rated brands include Yukio Mishima (4.8/5), Banana Yoshimoto (4.8/5), Haruki Murakami (4.8/5).
Stats
Reviews170
Subreddits5
Posts12
Brands47
Products86
170 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Yukio Mishima
4.8
(19)
"Mishima! Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea is so good."
"I also recommend *The Sailor Who Fail From Grace With the Sea*."
"Mishima. His Sea of Fertility tetralogy is a must read."
"The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima"
"The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima"
"All of Mishima's works."
"You could read "the man who fell from grace with the sea" by Mishima."
"Mishima, Kawabata, Tanizaki are all classic too."
"The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima."
"You could also check out Yukio Mishima."
#2
Banana Yoshimoto
4.8
(13)
"Banana Yoshimoto."
"Banana Yoshimoto yet -- Moshi Moshi is one of my favs."
"The Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto."
"Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto."
"Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto. Two novellas, dealing with death. Very beautiful and poignant."
"Try Banana Yoshimoto. My favourite novel of hers is Kitchen."
"Kitchen (or anything else you can find) by Banana Yoshimoto. Very accessible and easy to read."
"Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto"
"And also from her: Kitchen"
"Banana Yoshimoto. Her work is incredibly visceral and sexual, but still has a kind of coolness to it."
#3
Haruki Murakami
4.8
(12)
"I've read many of his books and have enjoyed all of them, particularly Kafka on the shore and 1Q84."
"Wind-up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami"
"Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami"
"Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami."
"The wind-up bird chronicle by murakami."
"The Wild Sheep Chase and After Dark by Haruki Murakami"
"Anything/everything written by Haruki Murakami"
"I recommend Norwegian Wood by this author: Haruki Murakami"
"This was the short story that made me fall in love with Murakami: The Second Bakery Attack"
"I would reccomend you to try and read some of the many books by Haruki Murakami."
#4
Sayaka Murata
4.7
(10)
"Sayaka Murata - Convenience Store Woman"
"You might like Sayaka Murata's Convenience Store Woman."
"Earthlings by Sayaka Murata (slightly horror)"
"Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata."
"Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings by Sayaka Murata."
"Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata - I loved the protagonist, a woman who is happy working part time and everyone thinks there is something wrong with her."
"Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. None of the more magical elements like in Murakami but all of the alienation and then some."
"Earthlings by Sayaka Murata"
"Try Sayaka Murata's books you may like them."
"I don't know how well-known it is - maybe too much so - but I enjoyed Convenience Store Woman."
#5
Kobo Abe
4.7
(10)
"Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe"
"Kobo Abe was sort of the Kafka of Japanese writers. *Woman in the Dunes* is his best known work."
"Kangaroo Notebook - Kobo Abe"
"The Woman in the Dunes was going to be my suggestion, one of my favorite books I read last year!"
"The Woman in the Dunes."
"Woman in the Dunes - Kobo Abe"
"The Woman In the Dunes by Kobo Abe"
"I also liked *The Ruined Map* quite a bit."
"*Kangaroo Notebook* by Kobo Abe. It's trippy, be prepared."
"Japanese - Kobo Abe. Especially The Box Man."
#6
Keigo Higashino
4.4
(10)
"Devotion of Suspect X + Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino (detective novels)"
"I read it years ago and it was an amazing murder mystery. Devotion of Suspect X"
"Journey under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino"
"Well, I love Keigo Higashino's thriller/mystery books. My favorite of his is "Malice""
"If you like mysteries at all, I'd say Keigo Higashino is worth checking out."
"The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino."
"Keigo Higashino, though he is well known so you probably have read his books already. His books are really good."
"Keigo Higashino's books are written very differntly than western mystery books, which is so refreshing."
"Malice by keigo higashino."
"Naoko by higashino keigo"
#7
Yasunari Kawabata
4.8
(8)
"Kawabata! *Snow Country* and *Thousand Cranes* are my personal favorites."
"Yasunari Kawabata (particularly Sound of the Mountain)"
"Kawabata's Snow Country and Thousand Cranes."
"The Sound of the Mountain by Kawabata"
"Kawabata Yasunari - Snow Countr"
"Anything by Natsume Souseki, Osamu Dazai, Junichiro Tanizaki, Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata is quite essential and famous"
"Yasunari Kawabata, Kezaburo Oe and Kobo Abe are a few other Japanese authors well worth checking out."
"Japan: Kawabata Yasunari - Scarlet Gang of Asakusa."
#8
Natsume Soseki
4.9
(7)
"Natsume Soseki - The Gate"
"Kokoro by Natsume Soseki"
"Kusamakura by Natsume Soseki"
"*Sanshiro* by Natsume Soseki was such an engaging read. I cleared it in one night."
"Natsume Soseki - Kokoro"
"Anything by Natsume Souseki, Osamu Dazai, Junichiro Tanizaki, Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata is quite essential and famous"
"Kusamakura by Natsume Soskei. From 1906 about a traveling artist in a quiet mountain hotel and his journey."
#9
Kazuo Ishiguro
4.9
(7)
"Kazuo Ishiguro (The Buried Giant, The Unconsoled)"
"Any of Kazuo Ishiguro’s work, I read a pale view of hills first and the ending and the way it was written had my mouth hanging open"
"Kazuo Ishiguro is a great author, I most recently read Klara and the Sun, really good."
"I recommend Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro."
"Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara and the Sun” is fantastic."
"Never let me go and the remains of the day both by Kazuo Ishiguro."
"Anything by Kazuo Ishiguro"
#10
Yoko Ogawa
4.7
(7)
"Yoko Ogawa - The Housekeeper and the Professor"
"'The Memory Police' and 'The Housekeeper and The Professor' by Yoko Ogawa"
"The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa : It's a small, strange world, where the government decides that something no longer exists...and then bam."
"My favorite is The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. Short, beautiful book."
"The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa."
"The professor and the housekeeper by yoko ogawa"
"I really liked The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. It's pretty creepy, but a really good kind of creepy if you know what I mean?"
#11
Osamu Dazai
5.0
(5)
"And "no longer human" by Dazai. Both are quite dark stories, but beautifully written."
"No Longer Human - Osamu Dazai"
"No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai"
"Dazai Osamu - No Longer Human"
"Anything by Natsume Souseki, Osamu Dazai, Junichiro Tanizaki, Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata is quite essential and famous"
#12
Natsuo Kirino
4.6
(5)
"Natsuo Kirino (Out, Grotesque)"
"Out by Natsuo Kirino--it's an older crime/mystery novel (1997), but a really good read."
"Natsuo Kirino - Out"
"*Out* and *Grotesque* by Natsuo Kirino."
"One Japanese book: Out by Natsuo Kirino. One woman strangles her husband, and enlists her co-workers to help her cover up the murder, and they get entangled in a dark part of Japanese society."
#13
Hiromi Kawakami
5.0
(4)
"Upvoting for Hiromi Kawakami! She does not fit in any genre, and is bizarre and thought-provoking in any language."
"Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami"
"Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami."
"Check out Hiromi Kawakami (Strange Weather in Tokyo, Manazuru)."
#14
Kanae Minato
5.0
(4)
"I second Confessions by Kanae Minato"
"Confessions by Kanae Minato (unique self detective novel is the best way I can categorise it)"
"A book I really like is Confessions by Kanae Minato, it's a great crime thriller and has a really good movie adaptation as well"
"Confessions by Kanae Minato."
#15
Junichiro Tanazaki
5.0
(4)
"I loved Junichiro Tanizaki's Some Prefer Nettles"
"I recently enjoyed Naomi by Junichiro Tanizaki."
"Tanizaki Junichiro - Some Prefer Nettles"
"Anything by Natsume Souseki, Osamu Dazai, Junichiro Tanizaki, Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata is quite essential and famous"
#16
Kenzaburo Oe
4.3
(4)
"Oe Kenzaburo - A Personal Matter"
"Go read some Kenzaburo Oe..."
"Look up books by Kenzaburō Ōe."
"*Seventeen & J* by Kenzaburo Oe, also *A Quiet Life*."
#17
Koushun Takami
4.7
(3)
"I always punt for battle royale by Koshun Takami as it’s also a belter"
"Battle Royale by koushun takumi"
"Battle Royale by Koushun Takami"
#18
Ruth Ozeki
4.3
(3)
"A tale for the time being by Ruth ozeki. Never read a book quite as good as that one above. It's amazing and will change the way you view your life."
"A tale for the time Bieng by Ruth ozeki"
"“A Tale for the Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki."
#19
Hiro Arikawa
5.0
(2)
"One of my favourite books is the Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. It was beautiful and I cried."
"The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa is a fairly easy read, and is really sweet."
#20
Kikuko Tsumura
5.0
(2)
"Kikuko Tsumura - There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job"
"There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura"
#21
Akutagawa Ryunosuke
5.0
(2)
"Recommend Akutagawa, especially his short story 'Hell Screen'"
"Akutagawa Ryunosuke - Rashomon and 17 Other Stories"
#22
Emi Yagi
4.5
(2)
"Emi Yagi - Diary of a Void"
"Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi"
#23
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
4.5
(2)
"Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi"
"Before the coffee gets cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi! Interesting read, and quick read too"
#24
Ryu Murakami
4.5
(2)
"Ryu Murakami's "Popular Hits of the Showa Era" is so maddeningly insane and nihilistic and fun"
"In the Miso Soup - Ryu Murakami (horror)"
#25
Fuminori Nakamura
5.0
(1)
"Pick one from Fuminori Nakamura, I loved them. The Gun is the one i remeber most."
#26
Shimazaki Toson
5.0
(1)
"Shimazaki Toson - The Broken Commandment"
#27
Nagai Kafu
5.0
(1)
"Nagai Kafu - Rivalry"
#28
Mieko Kawakami
5.0
(1)
"Ms Ice Sandwich by her is really short (literally around 90 pages) so you could start there to see if you like her writing."
#29
Fumiko Enchi
5.0
(1)
"Fumiko Enchi - Masks"
#30
Miyuki Miyabe
5.0
(1)
"Miyuki Miyabe's "All She Was Worth" is very, very good noir book"
#31
Banana Yoshimoto, Yukio Mishima, Yasunari Kawabata, Natsume Soseki, Haruki Murakami, Sayaka Murata and Yoko Ogawa
5.0
(1)
"Authors I love: Banana Yoshimoto, Yukio Mishima Yasunari Kawabata, Natsume Soseki, Haruki Murakami, Sayaka Murata and Yoko Ogawa."
#32
Kayano Shigeru
5.0
(1)
"I'd recommend books authored by Kayano Shigeru (d. 2006)"
#33
Shusako Endo
4.0
(1)
"Silence, by Shusako Endo."
#34
Koji Suzuki
4.0
(1)
"I’d suggest the Ring series by Koji Suzuki. He also has a short story collection that is pretty great called Dark Water."
#35
Tsutsui Yasutaka
4.0
(1)
"I’m currently reading Paprika by Tsutsui Yasutaka & so far I really like it!"
#36
Akita Yoshimura
4.0
(1)
"On Parole by Akita Yoshimura was brilliant."
#37
Mizuki Tsujimura
4.0
(1)
"Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura"
#38
Gengen Kusano
4.0
(1)
""Last First Idol" by Gengen Kusano"
#39
Masuji Ibuse
4.0
(1)
"Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse if you want to be depressed."
#40
Osamu Tezuka
4.0
(1)
"Osamu Tezuka's one off manga called Ayako which takes place around post ww2 restoration in Japan"
#41
Tahi Saihate
4.0
(1)
"Ones I’ve not heard anyone IRL talk about (but found quite intriguing) are "Astral Season, Beastly Season" by Tahi Saihate"
#42
Sei Shonagon
4.0
(1)
"Maybe go back in time, I can recommend Sei Shonagon"
#43
Miyamoto Musashi
4.0
(1)
"Maybe go back in time, I can recommend Miyamoto Musashi"
#44
Makoto Shinkai and Naruki Nagakawa
4.0
(1)
"She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai and Naruki Nagakawa"
#45
Yumeno Kyusaku
4.0
(1)
"Japanese: Yumeno Kyusaku - Dogra Magra. Its pretty hard to talk about that book, but I strongly encourage all of you to at least read some reviews or essays about it."
#46
Zen Cho
4.0
(1)
"Black Water sister by Zen Cho"
#47
Masako Togawa
3.0
(1)
"The Master Key by Masako Togawa. Short and suspenseful but also kind of nostalgic?"
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