Currently Reading Showing 1,251-1,286 of 1,286

[Jack]

I am reading (several books in parallel… :/ ) Snow Falling on the Cedars by David Guterson with several regional friends in a Japan Society of Boston discussion group. It is, for me, beautifully written, sad in places, reminds me much of my father. Some parts of descriptions of Buddhist thought feel a little off but I like the book overall.

[Bill]

In between the serious stuff, I'm reading a light collection of three manga stories Super Princess (in Japanese, not Indonesian. Alas, this is the only edition on GR.)

In the first story, thanks to a magical locket her father found on a trip, a Japanese high school girl on the fencing team ends up swapping bodies with a European medieval princess. It's a fun story of royal intrigue, romance, and a black knight. And as one might guess, fencing.

[Patricia]

I've been reading Silence. About halfway through. An interesting look at the history of Christianity in Japan. I first heard about the book in an article in Christianiay Today.
I just started Fault Lines. Not quite sure if this counts as Japanese lit as I don't think it was written in Japanese or what qualifies as Japanese lit. The author was raised in Tokyo and the book takes place there as well. Anyway, enjoying the humor in it so far.

[Alwynne]

I really enjoyed Emi Yagi's surreal When the Museum is Closed an inventive queer love story and a multi-layered take on misogyny and patriarchy.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bill]

Currently reading The Tale of the Cavern (Utsuho Monogatari) .

Gleaned from the translator's introduction:
This was written shortly before the Tale of Genji.
It is the only long work of fiction (500 pages in English translation) written before Genji.
Murasaki obviously read it before writing Genji.
At the time Uraki translated it into modern Japanese, no one except scholars in Japan read it. Then he followed up his modern Japanese translation with an English translation.

My thoughts so far:

After the first couple of chapters, it reads much like Genji, except for the fact that there is no central, Genji-like character. The focal point in the first half (at least) is the Major General and his enormous pile of children, particularly the most beautiful girl in the world, his ninth daughter. Everyone falls in love with her at first sight, even those much too old for her or too closely related to her. To most of these men she doesn't even reply, and both she and her parents feel she is still far too young to marry (her age isn't mentioned as yet).

The first chapter is full of magic and acts of the gods as a heap of divine koto are created. These koto re-appear throughout the novel, and music and those exceptionally skilled at it feature prominently. Magic and the gods appear only rarely in later chapters.

There are way too many characters, and their names are way too similar, even for people familiar with Japanese names. Sometimes it feels like the author has a dozen kanji to use for male names and then picks two of these at random for each new male character.

Uraki's English isn't perfect (still way better than my Japanese). Please overlook phrases that seem a bit unnatural; they don't happen often. The only real problem I've come across is where he looks up plants, animals, and musical instruments in a dictionary, and translates them to words in English I've never seen before.

So far, 200 pages in, I would say read other monogatari first, and if you find you really enjoy them, try to get a copy of this. Keep in mind this has been out of print for 40 years. But I was able to get it easily through ILL.

[Jack]

I am almost finished reading through the light novel series Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra: World Conquest Starts with the Civilization of Ruin, Volume 1 by Fehu Kazuno. It has been interesting in that the LNs are based upon different gaming strategies. I got hooked and now am on volume 6. After that… back to my regular program. :)

[Bill]

More than halfway through Utsuho now. (It's been a busy week, and I only read ILL books at home, which slows things down.)

Its greatest weakness is the lack of a central character. We often briefly get the thoughts and feelings of one of its myriad characters, but it still doesn't seem to tie us deeply into the story. The beautiful ninth daughter finally gets married (at the ripe old age of 15) halfway through the book, and then we're on to the actions of other characters as the years slowly roll by.

The book begins with an outstanding young scholar and koto player traveling to China, and ends with his eight year old great-granddaughter giving her first koto recital. So one could say it's about those four generations of koto players and the magical instruments they received from the gods. The first half of this time period passes quickly in the beginning of the book, and most of it takes place over roughly 30 years.

This 30 years is also about the General and his numerous offspring, in particular his ninth daughter. The General is a static figure, the same at the end as he was at the beginning. His daughter, of course, grows up, marries, and has children. But I won't spoil it. Given that these are high ranking courtiers (but not Fujiwara), it's inevitable that the imperial family also appears prominently, over a succession of three emperors. They're fictional emperors; the names they're given are of real emperors who ruled far apart.

Also in comparison to Genji, very few people die in The Tale of the Utsuho. Here love and music the great source of pathos, whereas in Genji death is as well.

[Alwynne]

I really enjoyed Aoko Matsuda's inventive and distinctive collection The Woman Dies

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mathew]

Last month (July 2025) I read the following:

Okakura's Book of Tea
Which is short and sweet, with some very nice imagery and amusing anachronisms
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

Dazai's No longer Human
Which I was worried was going to be super bleak, but found darkly humorous and a fantastic read
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Maruta Sayaka's Convenience Store Woman
Which I saw was on the book club read list for next month, so no opinions or spoilers.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

I blazed through Kamo no Chomei's Hojoki,
Which is short and very worthwhile read
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

And lastly, I'm about to finish Soseki's Kusamakura
Which has been great, but I made a mistake by doing the audio book on this one, and Watanabe Kotaro really doesn't have the spoken English skills to bring the text to life.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I do reviews of all my reads, usually short emotional or artistic responses, and I never give plot details or spoilers. I'm also always happy to talk or message :)

It's so great to see other people reading in this genera!

[Bill]

I picked up a random volume of Oishinbo some years ago. Not this volume, but it's hard to find the one I have because it's not cataloged as a series on GR.

Unlike what I thought, there does seem to be an overall plot in the series, rather than it being just a showcase for particular kinds of food. The character art is rudimentary and looks like it's been cut and pasted from one frame to the next. The only detailed art is in the occasional background scene or its drawings of food.

There are well over a hundred volumes of this, and I'm not reading all of that. But I'll read one to see how it is.

[Mathew]

Bill wrote: "I picked up a random volume of Oishinbo some years ago. Not this volume, but it's hard to find the one I have because it's not cataloged as a series on GR.

Unlike what I thought,..."

I've read a good chunk of this series, some great showa/heisei Japan culture moments and fun food preparation art. The overall plot is pretty simple, but the books are enjoyable. I have a special place in my heart for these classic mangas.

[Alwynne]

I read the first instalment of Kazumi Yamashita's award-winning manga series Land ランド 1 great artwork and inventive story but sometimes frustratingly slow. I'm intrigued by the notion that the series overall forms a critique of Japanese society and culture so I'll continue with this at some point.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Mathew]

Oh nice! I had no idea that they were doing any new work. My wife and I both really enjoyed the Genius Professor series from the early 200X's also by Yamashita. I'll check it out for sure!

[Alwynne]

Mathew wrote: "Oh nice! I had no idea that they were doing any new work. My wife and I both really enjoyed the Genius Professor series from the early 200X's also by Yamashita. I'll check it out for sure!"

This was my first time reading her work. Although it's apparently quite different from her earlier material. She finished it in 2020 and it's available in the usual spaces that we're not allowed to promote! But is also due to come out as an official English-language publication later this year. It's 11 volumes total. I read vol. one but the upcoming book Land, Vol. 1 (Volume 1) apparently contains 1 to 3, and the next in the sequence will come out next year.

See you're reading Daredevil btw. Any good? I've only watched - and loved - the Netflix version. Plan to work my way through the Disney reboot soon.

[Mathew]

That's actually really exciting to hear! One of my problems with Manga-ka is that they can often times, get stuck in their own idioms, which is sad and unfortunate, because there is so much joy and excitement to see a writer/artist grow and progress. So this is good news to me!
I'll write you about DD too shortly :)

[Henk]

I finished Akutagawa prize winning Sympathy Tokyo Tower by Rie Qudam and found it a fascinating commentary on AI, cancel culture, artistry and legacy, my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Diana]

I have just finished sci-fi mystery-family drama The Man Who Died Seven Times by Yasuhiko Nishizawa from Pushkin Vertigo and it was quite an experience, though I also had my criticisms: https://thoughtsonpapyrus.com/2025/08...

[Mathew]

August 2025:
I managed to get through....

Kamo no Chomei's Hojoki
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Soseki's Kusamakura
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

This month's book club read The house keeper and the professor, by Ogawa Yoko
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

The first two volumes of Sakamoto Days ( Manga) by Suzuki Yuto
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

and put a decent dent into Tsurezuregusa by Kenko

Oh and although I've tried to put it out of my mind, an absolutely awful audio book that made me physically ill to listen to. Enthralling History are pretty disappointing...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

[Alwynne]

Mathew wrote: "August 2025:
I managed to get through....

Kamo no Chomei's Hojoki
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Soseki's Kusamakura
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1......"

Impressive list!

I finished a novella Suspicion by Seichō Matsumoto which examines the role of the media in the treatment of potential criminals awaiting trial - still surprisingly topical. It starts out as a fairly detached piece but then the tension unexpectedly mounts.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I also tried and abandoned Tokyo These Days, Volume 1

[Mathew]

Most of my reads were pretty short :P
Suspicion sounds super intense!
I think I flipped through the Tokyo these days a while book in a book store, and liked the art, which had a lot of bold ink work, but didn't get any sense of the story. The review is super helpful!

[Alwynne]

I finished Polly Barton's translation of Mai Ishizawa's award-winning debut The Place of Shells which partly builds on Soseki's "Ten Nights of Dreams." Initially exploring the emotional aftermath of Japan's 2011 earthquake and the tsunami which also led to the Fukishima meltdown, it gradually morphs into a broader examination of trauma and its imprint on people and on places. At its best ambitious and thought-provoking, it could also be a little dry and overly dense.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jack]

Currently listening to the audiobook of Hybrid Heart by Iori Kusano, a novella/light novel.
I am finding it pretty depressing. I hope to finish it up today and move on to something a little happier.

“ A pop idol in near-future Japan. Her every move controlled in the present and haunted by the past.
The stage is the surveillance society of near-future Tokyo. In order to become an idol, Rei has sacrificed her private life as she focuses on her solo activities. Haunted by guilt, the insidious manipulations of a controlling talent manager, and the corporate bioapps colonizing her body,
“
(Done, Phew… 2*s, not in my best reading zone)

[Bill]

Reading the collection The Quilt and other stories by Tayama Katai. It's only one of two books of his translated into English, and both are out of print. I was lucky to find a copy.

There is a detailed bio of the author in the first 35 pages. It's a bit stiff and academic, but still fills in what you need to know.

The title story is the longest, a third of the volume. To the modern reader it is an aggravating example of entitled patriarchy. And to top it off, it's semi-autobiographical! A married author with three children lusts after his young apprentice, but she doesn't return his affections.

[Carola]

I'm currently reading three Japan-related titles: The Little House, the Japanese manga 夢の碑「とりかえばや異聞」 (a manga version of the Torikaebaya Monogatari), and De zwevende wereld: De verbonden levens van Franz von Siebold en Kusumoto Oine (history nonfic).

I really need to catch up on some of the other non-fiction Bill and Jack have been reading (Japan in Print and rereading Takarazuka)!

[Bill]

I've started on Japan in Print, and am waiting for Jack to start reading it and make a discussion thread.

[Jack]

Bill wrote: "I've started on Japan in Print, and am waiting for Jack to start reading it and make a discussion thread."

The thread for Japan in Print is here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I am still preparing for a detailed discussion of Tosa Nikki this evening. After that, I am back on board.

[Mathew]

I also managed to find a copy! I'll crack it open over the weekend probably.

[Alwynne]

I finished Akira Otani's The Night of Baba Yaga which recently won a Crime Writers' Association dagger for crime fiction in translation. Hard-boiled yakuza narrative meets understated queer love story but not for the faint-hearted - although to be fair the torture scenes happen off stage.

Link to my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jack]

I have been reading various translations of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter for a Classical Japanese Literature group. The most beautiful illustrations are in The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Picture Book from the Studio Ghibli movie and the stellar cut paper art in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter as translated by Donald Keene and kirie (paper-cut pictures) by Masayuki Miyata. The translation by Donald Keene in this book is the best of all so far but I have a few more to go.

[Mathew]

Jack wrote: "I have been reading various translations of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter for a Classical Japanese Literature group. The most beautiful illustrations are in [book:The Tale of the Princess Kaguya Pi..."

I love the cut-out version too. I also have great respect for the massive amount of high quality translation that Keene did over the course of his life.

[Jack]

Last night I completed a first read of Chieko's Sky by Kotaro Takamura with illustrations by Takamura Chieko, English translation by Soichi Furuta. It is painfully beautiful.

My next poetry book is Chieko, and Other Poems of Takamura Kotaro, English translation by Hirosaki Sato. I may have an opportunity to visit the Takamura Kōtarō museum in the near future and his works have been in my thoughts.

[Mathew]

It was kind of a weird reading month for me. I focused most of my energy on reading time travel fiction. Here are the two that I did by Japanese authors.

The Tatami Galaxy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Before the Coffee Gets Cold
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

I enjoyed both, but neither really knocked me out either.

[chen]

I just started reading Nan-Core and it's been really enjoyable so far! I love the kind of unsettling mystery genre Japanese authors seem to be very good at, and this one is definitely one of them!

[Jack]

Traveling in Japan and going to Tono in a few day…. Reading Tales/Legends of Tono

[Bill]

I really liked Nan-Core, despite the name :)

[Carola]

I started and finished Emi Yagi's When the Museum Is Closed last Saturday. Really enjoyed it! Interesting vibes, wacky, and queer :)