Japan Books
recommended by historians and literary scholars
Last updated: May 06, 2025
Which books to read about Japan, its history, its novels, its literature? We asked experts to recommend the best books in their field or area of interest and you'll see some of their choices below.
For a short book that gives insight into the history of Japan, we recommend Inventing Japan by Ian Buruma. The book covers the period from 1853 to 1964, the dramatic period in Japanese history that saw the Meiji Restoration, World War II and the American occupation as well as the beginnings of the astonishing Japanese economic miracle that catapulted Japan into one of the world's economic powerhouses. For a gripping nonfiction book about contemporary Japan, Ghosts of the Tsunami is a good choice.
If you're looking for one of the classics of Japanese literature, the book you're looking for is The Tale of Genji by the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikubu. It is a doorstopper, so if you're only mildly interested, the manga version of The Tale of Genji by Waki Yamato might be a better fit.
Of the big names of the 20th century, it's the Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe who won the Nobel Prize for literature, back in 1994. Haruki Murakami is probably better known outside Japan, and several of his books, including The Windup Bird Chronicle, have been recommended on Five Books.
If you're travelling to Japan and looking for a lighter read or a book to read on the plane, a detective novel is no bad place to start, and we have an interview recommending five classic Japanese mysteries.
Books By Japanese Authors
Japanese literature has always performed strongly on Five Books, so we’ve put together an overview of some of the books on our site by Japanese authors that have previously been recommended by our expert interviewees—from contemporary novels shortlisted for the International Booker Prize to classic works of literature, and everything in between.
The Best Modern Japanese Literature, recommended by Linda Flores
To the western eye, Japan often appears as a surprising combination of very advanced development, and extreme cultural peculiarity. Linda Flores, Associate Professor of modern Japanese literature at the University of Oxford, guides us through this discovery with five great works of modern Japanese literature.
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1
Beast in the Shadows
by Edogawa Rampo & Ian Hughes (translator) -
2
The Inugami Curse
by Seishi Yokomizo & Yumiko Yamazaki (translator) -
3
Points and Lines
by Paul C. Blum and Makiko Yamamoto (translators) & Seicho Matsumoto -
4
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders
by Ross and Shika Mackenzie (translators) & Soji Shimada -
5
All She Was Worth
by Alfred Birnbaum (translator) & Miyuki Miyabe
Best Classic Japanese Mysteries, recommended by On Nomoto
Best Classic Japanese Mysteries, recommended by On Nomoto
Crime novels are hugely popular in Japan, but English translations of Japanese mysteries not always easy to come by. As Pushkin Vertigo publishes translations of two novels by Seishi Yokomizo, one of Japan’s most famous mystery writers, his grandson, On Nomoto, talks us through the best classic Japanese mysteries of the last century.
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1
Lovesick Japan: Sex, Marriage, Romance, Law
by Mark D West -
2
Nightwork: Sexuality, Pleasure and Corporate Masculinity in a Tokyo Hostess Club
by Anne Allison -
3
Dancing with the Dead: Memory, Performance in Everyday Life in Post-war Okinawa
by Christopher T Nelson -
4
Robo Sapiens Japanicus: Robots, Gender, Family, and the Japanese Nation
by Jennifer Robertson -
5
Depression in Japan: Psychiatric Cures for a Society in Distress
by Junko Kitanaka
The best books on Japan, recommended by Chigusa Yamaura
The best books on Japan, recommended by Chigusa Yamaura
Japan is one of the world’s most technologically advanced industrial societies, but it is organised around very conservative social and familial paradigms, says the Japanese sociocultural anthropologist Chigusa Yamaura. Here she selects five books that throw light on a fascinating country and culture.
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1
A History of Japanese Political Thought, 1600-1901
by Watanabe Hiroshi -
2
As We Saw Them: The First Japanese Embassy to the United States
by Masao Miyoshi -
3
Rearranging the Landscape of the Gods: The Politics of a Pilgrimage Site in Japan, 1573-1912
by Sarah Thal -
4
Japan’s Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism
by Louise Young -
5
Shots in the Dark: Japan, Zen, and the West
by Shoji Yamada
The best books on Japanese History, recommended by Adam P. Bronson
The best books on Japanese History, recommended by Adam P. Bronson
From myths about Zen and spiritual fulfilment to the reality of Japan’s religious pluralism, from the impact of Confucian political philosophy to the occupation of Manchuria, historian Adam P. Bronson recommends books to get started on Japanese history.
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1
Performing the Great Peace: Political Space and Open Secrets in Tokugawa Japan
by Luke Roberts -
2
The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan
by Eiko Ikegami -
3
Tour of Duty: Samurai, Military Service in Edo, and the Culture of Early Modern Japan
by Constantine Vaporis -
4
Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai
by Teruko Craig (editor and translator) -
5
Lust, Commerce, and Corruption: An Account of What I Have Seen and Heard, by an Edo Samurai
Mark Teeuwen and Kate Wildman Nakai (eds)
The best books on Samurai, recommended by Michael Wert
The best books on Samurai, recommended by Michael Wert
The samurai, Japan’s warrior caste, have been embraced by popular culture and made their way into films, comic books and video games. But who were they really? Michael Wert, professor of East Asian History at Marquette University and author of Samurai: A Concise History, recommends the best books to learn more about samurai, literally ‘one who serves.’
The best books on Japan, recommended by Ian Buruma
Which are the best books to read about Japan? Author and journalist Ian Buruma picks some beautifully written works by scholars—and one novelist—that give a feel for its culture and civilization.
The best books on Manga and Anime, recommended by Susan J Napier
Many people have heard of manga and anime, but would be surprised to learn how deeply this niche is steeped in Japanese tradition and culture—or how often manga features strong, smart female leads, says Susan Napier, anime expert and Professor of the Japanese Program at Tufts University. Here, she picks five books that encapsulate manga and anime as both forms of art and cathartic re-workings of Japanese history.
