Read a book from each country discussion

I love all of Haruki Murakami's books, but the most recent I read was "Kafka on the Shore."

I agree,Murakami is great. I also like Kawabata's Snow Country.

Any of the classic authors would be good as well - Natsume Soseki's Kokoro, Mori Ogai's The Wild Geese, Junichiro Tanizaki's The Makioka Sisters, etc.

A Personal Matter | Kenzaburo Oë

The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea by Yukio Mishima. I have yet to read it but I've heard nothing but good reviews from friends.

Julie Otsuka's When the Emperor Was Divine - a really poetically written book, and one of my favorites.

The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe

Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kids - Kenzaburo Oë
The Woman in the Dunes - Kobo Abe
Shipwrecks - Yoshimura Akira

Peggy wrote: "I love all of Haruki Murakami's books, but the most recent I read was "Kafka on the Shore.""

I read Dance Dance Dance years ago and wasn't all the impressed by it. Only once I'd read it did I find out it was a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase, and that A Wild Sheep Chase was the third of a trilogy, the first two books of which aren't all that easy to come by since Murakami Haruki won't let them be published outside of Japan. Having acquired the first of these, Hear The Wind Sing, and read a few pages, I can see why.

I just finished Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami
Very interesting book. I really liked his writing style and the story just unfolded so wonderfully. I am not sure I interpreted the whole thing as it was intended but I did like the story.

I recommend "Totto-chan, The Little Girl at The Window" by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.
I think she describes a little Japanese girl's way of seeing the world very touching.

No one has mentioned Banana Yoshimoto's books yet? I think Kitchen is her most famous. Her books are quick reads and entertaining.

The Cape and Other Stories from the Japanese Ghetto
by Kenji Nakagami

concentrate on the first story: the cape.
well written, strange setting, complex and disturbed relations in a remote village.... feels and reads like the Japanese Faulkner.

I have not read Kafka on the Shore yet, but I really enjoyed The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. It was a very interesting book, quite surreal and bizzar.

surreal and bizarre Japanese writing = Kobo Abe's Kangaroo Notebook, which I really liked.

Further authors that are must reads in Japanese literature so far not mentioned:
Shusako Endo
Yasushi Inoue
Eiji Yoshikawa
Yukio Mishima

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a delightfully quirky book by Japanese author Hiro Arikawa which recounts the story of a young man, Saturo and his cat companion Nana, on a road trip through Japan. The cat has the perfect blend of wisdom and supercilious sarcasm you would imagine if a cat was to narrate and draws you into this enchanting and poignant story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

Convenience Store Woman by Japanese author Sayaka Murata is a contemporary literary fiction about a 36 year old store worker who finds contentment and security in her role, except that everyone else seems to want to change her. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review