Introduce yourself, at your option

[Carol]

A new member mentioned recently in one of our threads that our group doesn't have an introductions thread. Feel free to introduce yourself and share the basis of your interest in Japanese literature, your favorite books, anything you like.

[Henk]

Hi, I'm from The Netherlands and in daily life an auditor. I think my relation with Japan began with Samurai Pizza Cats, an anime from the 90's. I remember reading After Dark from Haruki Murakami and loving it, and this year I highly enjoyed the The Memory Police, but I actually haven't rated any Japanese book 5 stars so I have a lot still to discover.

[Christie]

Hello everyone. I am a Librarian from Long Island, NY who has been interested in Japanese history, culture, language, etc. for many years. My early interest in/exploration of Buddhism, as well as my exposure to anime and manga, is where my love of Japan first took root I suppose. Finally being able to travel there was a dream come true, and it launched my love affair with Japanese literature and non-fiction. I have really enjoyed the contemporary works of Hiromi Kawakami and Fuminori Nakamura in the past few years. I have found so many recommendations and insights in this group, so thank you all! Nice to "meet" you. Happy reading!

[Bill]

Hi! I'm in Washington DC, working for the government designing and operating weather satellites. Outside my major, I studied Japanese in college in the mid-nineties and spent a year abroad in Japan. Along the way I developed an interest in Japanese literature, movies, history, and all that. I enjoy reading all sorts of world history, Greco-Roman (and older) literature, and world religions. I wish I was better read in world literature. Room for growth, I guess.

[iliana]

Hi! So, I'm 29, Greek and I live in Greece. I have a diploma in architectural engineering and I'm currently a co-owner/working in our family business where we construct and sell grills and ovens worldwide. I firstly consciously got into Japanese things when I desperately wanted to learn the Japanese language after watching the anime Death Note (around ten years ago). But I got more seriously involved only 5-6 years ago, after I accidentally watched the Japanese film "Ugetsu Monogatari" by Mizoguchi Kenji. Then I explored many other Japanese films of important directors and from there I jumped into exploring the Japanese literature as well. In Japanese literature, the turning point for me was when I first read the short story collection "The dancer of Izu and other stories" by Kawabata Yasunari, which is now among my favorite writers, if not my favorite. I am in love with Japanese literature ever since! I have traveled to Japan once, two years ago, where I had the weird feeling that I was at home! I plan to revisit as soon as possible, since a dear friend of mine currently lives there.

[Ian]

Hey

I’m Canadian and have lived in Osaka for about 16 years.
I translate and teach writing, translation and other English skills in a school in Nishinomiya, where Murakami grew up and right around much of the action in Makioka Sisters takes place. Reading less right now as I skip the train to avoid closed spaces with strangers... but I hope to join in again soon. Read a lot of Japanese lit to try and understand the Japanese mind more and more (and though it’s not popular these days to suggest one group is all the same... when drowning in the midst of a societal avalanche, preconceived understandings of how that society thinks and works and why it is so, can save you). Maybe I understand it more now, though the mind of the 6 year old Japanese boy next to me is far less confusing than his 13 and 9 year old sisters... :)

[Em]

Hello everyone! I live in Florida and I'm currently a nontraditional student pursuing a degree in... something, surely. I've had a casual interest in Japanese culture since my preteen days, but it wasn't until I read Convenience Store Woman earlier this year that I fell in love with Japanese literature. After a few very, very long months of pandemic binge-reading, I finally gave in and started taking Japanese language and culture classes. While I don't always have the energy to participate in the discussions, I still love reading along with everyone and I'm constantly looking forward to the next month's read!

[Meike]

Hi guys, I'm a political scientist from Germany and I fell in love with Japan years ago when I visited a friend who spent a year abroad in Tokyo. Since then, I've discovered many fantastic Japanese book and I'm eager to learn a lot more about Japanese literature. Oh, and I have the pleasure to be a panel member on one of the biggest literary podcasts in Germany, Papierstau, where we have already discussed writers like Mishima, Ryu and Haruki Murakami, Kawakami, Murata and Ogawa as well as interviewed some translators from the Japanese to learn more about the literary scene in Japan and the marketing of Japanese culture to the West.

[Anne]

Hi everyone! I'm Annie, and I'm living in Japan working as an English teacher for my third year now. I've been getting more into reading Japanese literature and recently read Tokyo Ueno Station, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Strange Weather in Tokyo, etc. I also translated Japanese stories by Miyazawa Kenji, Akutagawa Ryunosuke and others in the book "Japanese Stories for Language Learners". I really want to discover more books here! Nice to meet you all.
I also have a booktube channel where I talk about the books I've read and also some Japan life vlogs, if you're interested :) https://youtube.com/user/zhoumilicious/

[Smel]

Hi, I'm a nineteen year old from the UK. I first became interested in Japanese fiction when I picked up a copy of Norwegian Wood by Murakami in 2015. I've been obsessed ever since. I've just finished reading Earthlings by Sayaka Murata - absolutely incredible!

[Jonathan]

Hi, I'm Jon, an American who has been living in Japan for a long time. I study Japanese in fits and starts while working in an English speaking environment (an international school) and raising a family. I have made a little more headway in recent years as my kids get older, but my brain is a stone. I check in here every so often but am more of a lurker because I hope to read Japanese literature in Japanese but am still working toward the day when I can read novels.

[Gi]

Hi everyone. I am from Spain. I work on a mental health institution. I love reading and Japanese culture.

[David]

Hi everyone! My name's David and I recently moved to Tucson, Arizona, from Kanazawa, Japan. I've been a fan of Japanese literature since I was getting a degree in Japanese Studies in the early 1990s, and I've lived in Japan several times since then, for perhaps seven or eight years overall. (I've lived in Vietnam for nearly 12 years, too.) Like other posters here, I hope to read Japanese novels in their original Japanese eventually, but for now I devour them as translations. I'm also a writer, with one publication under my belt and another on its way, and I like to think that my writing is influenced in certain ways by the Japanese literature I've read and re-read over the years. I'm happy to see so many like-minded people here!

[Alison]

I'm Alison. Ruth Ozeki sent me in search of Japanese language fiction, and I've been hooked for a couple of years now. I'm learning Japanese and hope to go to graduate school. You can find me at readjapanesefiction.com or reviewing for the Asian Review of Books.

[Akylina]

Hi everyone :) My name is Akylina and I'm from Greece. I studied English Language and Literature for my undergrad and I also did a Master's in Comparative Literature in beautiful Scotland (half of my thesis was on Abe Kobo's Woman in the Dunes). I first got infatuated with Japanese culture and language when I was 14, back in 2006, through anime and manga and soon enough I started looking for literature from Japan as well - even Murakami wasn't incredibly famous then, so I didn't really have a lot of choices available! I'm so happy to see more and more people and publishers are getting interested in Japanese literature, although I still believe we only get but a fraction of the literature available in Japan. Looking forward to all of our discussions here :)

[Shuchita]

Hi everyone! I'm Shuchita, from India. Professionally, I am a transactional lawyer in New Delhi. My love affair with Japanese literature began a few years ago when I read 1Q84 (Murakami), and with Japan a long, long time ago as I am an avid consumer of all things anime and manga. I recently started using Goodreads seriously, and wanted to engage with like-minded readers. Being a lawyer, one tends to forget how to appreciate literature (as most of my days are filled with verbose jargon and business-related discussions). I wanted a place to come back to and talk to people who like the same books I do! I've also recently started reviewing the books I read over instagram (@shoesbookshelf) as I find it harder to retain information and my feelings about what I read as I'm growing older and busier.

[Kamakana]

hello everyone. i am from canada, i am not professionally interested in Japanese literature, manga, culture, religion, in the sense of studying or teaching it, but it is the first international literature i read at nineteen (mishima yukio) and this started my ongoing fascination with this entire other mature culture which seemed to have escaped being dominated/subjucated by western world. i moved on to various other languages/cultures mostly in translation (see bookshelves aa-country lit) of various era (zzyear). i am still fascinated by Japanese culture and buddhism/philosophy/zen and look forward to any discussions... i have some sentimental favourites (spring snow) and others (snow country, woman in the dunes) and of course some murakami haruki (wind-up bird chronicle) and ogawa yoko (memory police)..

[jackie]

hi everyone! i’m jackie from london. i always enjoyed visiting japan, and my interest in japanese literature grew after reading 1Q84, norwegian wood, and no longer human (which i highly recommend!!). i find it quite hard to discover the less known japanese authors (have asked my friends and they only know about murakami) and i’m hoping to get exposed to more japanese authors through this group :)

[Agnetta]

Should Mr o Misses Books not setup a person-profile witha a workeable alias too in order to post here ? This profile is clearly setup as a company selling books. It could be 2 or 3 persons working there who are posting for all we know... well actually, it is even stated "WE are Osusume Books"..... that's does not seem to be the spirit of this group, where individuals share their personal opinions on books , positive or negative, just as long as they are your own...

[Bill]

I'd prefer a company post under the company name, so they're above board. We also have Stone Bridge Press in this group, and I for one appreciate SBP announcing their new books in our upcoming releases thread.

[Agnetta]

That's true, Bill, you are right. And the upcoming releases , that's useful....

I don't recall Stone Bridge Press jumping in into our conversations giving comments about how great a read is or what we should try next, so it never bothered me...

[Linda]

Hello, my mother was Japanese and I'm very involved in the Japanese community here in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. I belong to a local book club for Japanese literature, therefore interested to learn about new and old books by Japanese heritage authors or books about or set in Japan. I know some Japanese language (although I'm forgetting) and have been to Japan once but got to meet my cousins - who don't speak English. That was a challenging trip!

[Jacob]

Hi everyone. I'm Jake. I am from the U.S. living in Tokyo and have been really into the novella-length literary fiction in translation that I find at Kikokuniya in Shinjuku. Excited to find this group and get exposed to more Japanese literature.

Recent favorites include Yasushi Inoue's Bullfight, Tomoka Shibasaki's Spring Garden, and some of Setsu Koizumi's tales as written by husband Lafcadio Hearn. I'm currently enjoying Echo on the Bay by Masatsugu Ono.

[Caro]

Hi! I'm kind of a bit late here and not much posting in the group at all, sorry about it. :)
I fell in love with Murakami books some 20 years ago and since then with great pleasure and curiosity I'm discovering new Japanese names.

[Salma]

Never introduced myself! I'm a legal consultant in New York City and a writer. I've always loved mythology and folktales from around the world- and as I mentioned in another thread, I joined this group because I discovered Yoko Ogawa and loved her work so much that I wanted to find other people to discuss it with :-)

[Milena]

Hello all! I am a lawyer from Greece, living in Athens. I really enjoy Japanese literature for its distinct character. My favorite writers are Ogawa, Kawabata, Murakami and Mishima. I am currently reading Mieko Kawakami (Breasts and eggs) and would very much like to get to know more contemporary Japanese writers and their work.

[RyeCather]

Hiya there! I'm a teen from Asia. I've been interested in Japanese forms of entertainment (literature, anime, manga, movies, music and whatnot) since the past three years. I haven't been a fan of Japanese literature for long, but so far, it's been an amazing ride! Some of my favorite Japanese authors include Osamu Dazai, Haruki Murakami, Hiromi Kawakami, Yukito Ayatsuji, Natsume Soseki, Honobu Yonezawa and Keigo Higashino.

The first Japanese novel I read was 'No Longer Human' by Osamu Dazai, and its safe to say that I was thoroughly entranced. I then fortunately discovered Haruki Murakami and came across 'Norwegian Wood'—which ended up becoming one of my favorite books of all time. Since then, I've read a good chunk of Japanese novels and have continued to enjoy the melancholic vibe they usually give off.

I look forward to dive into this world of literature even further with all of you!

[Emmett]

Hi everyone! I am glad I found this group; I have been a fan of Japanese literature for quite a few years.

Very cool to see how varied this group is in terms of background/etc. I myself am from the US, but currently live in Vietnam.

Japanese authors I have read more of: Yoko Ogawa (Hotel Iris was my favorite book read last year), Yasunari Kawabata, Kanae Minato... slowly getting into others

Looking forward to further chats with everyone :)

[Carola]

Hi everyone, I realised I never properly introduced myself. I'm Carola, from the Netherlands. I rescued this group from oblivion a few years ago when it was all but dead, but I have not been very active myself lately (all credit now goes to Carol and Christian!)

I studied Japanese in university and spent a year in Nagasaki (graduation is now nearly a decade behind me though) and that's how I got interested in Japanese literature. I haven't been reading as much J-lit the past two years though and have gotten very picky about what I read, but I am definitely still interested in it. I want to try and incorporate a little more of it into my reading this year!

[Kerril]

Hello everyone! I'm from Nairobi , Kenya. A recent graduate of electrical and electronics engineering. I was first introduced to Japanese literature through Ruth Ozeki, Murakami Ryû and later Murakami Haruki (Killing Commendatore). Looking forward to discovering more through and engaging in discussions of the same.

[Kerril]

*through this group

[Edgar]

Hello world!
I am from Hamburg, Germany, but have been living for 23 years in Switzerland. I have no particular relationship to Japan, never been there, never studied Japanese. There was a boy from Japan, Hideki, in my class at elementary school and I was playing with him, but that was almost 50 years ago and only for about a year. So actually there is no reason why I like Japanese literature as much as I do like it, maybe just the general interest in different cultures. Along with Japanese literature, I also enjoy Indian and Korean literature, while focusing on German literature and such in German language (Swiss, Austrian), especially classics.

[Robert]

Hello,

The first Japanese writer I read was Yukio Mishima - I read through his short stories and Temple of the Golden Pavillion when I was an angsty teen. I recently finished his Sea of Fertility Tetraology and feel much differently with his work than I used to (downward assessment) but still enjoy his writing in small doses. I read all of Haruki Murakami over many years, but only recently started being introduced to other writers. I never understood why Murakami and Mishima were called Westernized writers but now I think I am beginning to understand.

There is much more translated J-Lit available in English recently, which has been great; I enjoy the noirs and mysteries which are fascinating and creepy. They are unique because there is something about them that feels like only a Japanese writer can execute it in that way. (That might not make sense.)

A mystery I want to solve in real life is why Natsuo Kirino's book "Out" is not in Kindle or Mobi format.

[Alan M]

Robert wrote: "Hello,

The first Japanese writer I read was Yukio Mishima - I read through his short stories and Temple of the Golden Pavillion when I was an angsty teen. I recently finished his Sea of Fertility ..."

Hi Robert. 'Out' is available for Kindle on the UK website, so it might be worth trying there (amazon.co.uk).

[Robert]

Thanks Alan!

[Heather]

Hello everyone,
Originally from the UK, I have lived in rural Japan for 21 years. I translate and write for a living. I particularly like the novels of Seicho Matsumoto (if you are learning Japanese, his works are comparatively easy to read), Yukio Mishima, Takiji Kobayashi, Osamu Dazai, and Hideo Okuda. I usually read in Japanese, but I enjoy comparing the originals with the translations when they are available. I'm looking forward to discovering more books and writers through this group.

[Alwynne]

Hi I’m Alwynne, I recently joined the group. I read across a range of genres, and that includes a fair amount of literature in translation. Lately I’ve found most of the work in translation I’ve gravitated towards tends to be from German, Korean and, of course, Japanese authors from Mishima to Tsushima as well as recent work by authors like Aoko Matsuda. I’m also interested in fiction that draws on myth and folklore. I don’t have a strong background in Japanese literature so hoping to develop a better understanding through being part of this group, although I’ve been a fan of Japanese cinema for a long time, particularly films by classic directors like Ozu. I also know Carol through her excellent moderation of the ‘Read Women' GR group.

[Carol]

Alwynne wrote: "Hi I’m Alwynne, I recently joined the group. I read across a range of genres, and that includes a fair amount of literature in translation. Lately I’ve found most of the work in translation I’ve gr..."

It’s great to see you here, Alwynne. (and thank you )

[Kate Suzanne]

Hello everyone, I'm a historian and freelance artist currently living in the UK. I've always had a keen interest in Japanese culture and history and therefore wanted to expand my knowledge through both classic and contemporary Japanese fiction. Super excited to see recommendations and to be a part of this community.

[Alwynne]

Hi Kate look forward to finding out about what you're reading.

[Jon]

After periods of desultory academia and profligate artistry, I went to law school later in life. I still pursue the first two, but also work for the Department of Health and Human Services. I became interested in Japan in high school, I think from an aesthetic direction: music and painting. I studied Japanese in college and graduate school, and started a site called Buddhist Art News, which ran for about 7 years. I've read lots of Japanese fiction in translation (and a tiny bit in Japanese) and really love the previously unknown authors this group brings forward.

[DoctorM]

Hi, everyone-- this is a very belated introduction. I'm a sometime academic who detoured to law school in mid-career. I live in the Deepest South, and try to do a bit of adjunct teaching when I'm not doing law things. Pre-1868 Japan was my "outside" doctoral field, and I've been interested in Japan since my undergraduate days. I'm a great fan of Kawabata, and I do hope to participate here more.

[EmAr]

Hello, I've been interested in Japanese Literature since college. My favorite book is Fires in the Plain by Ôoka Shôhei.

I just finished reading Silence by Endô Shūsaku. Has anyone read it? I still have to watch the movie.

[DoctorM]

Silence is very, very powerful. Great novel. I wasn't so much a fan of the recent film, but there's a Japanese-Australian version of Silence from c. 1978 that is excellent.

[Henk]

I have read Silence and it highlights a very interesting period in the history of Japan and its start of relations with the West and Christianity

[Dean]

Hi everyone. I’m 34 and from the UK. My introduction to Japanese literature came in the form of Murakami’s Norwegian Wood that I spotted on sale a few months after I had decided to go on a working holiday to Tokyo at the age of 19. During my time there I would go on to read many of his other works and my students would send me quotes and poems of his. His work would colour my view of the experiences I had there in a way I could never have dreamed of before. I have gone on to become a huge fan of Banana Yoshimoto’s work picking up English translations wherever I can find them.

[Melanie]

Hello! My name is Melanie and I just joined this group. I love Japanese literature. I read in English but I am teaching myself Japanese at the moment.
I am currently reading “There’s No Such Thing as an Easy Job” and just finished “Ms Ice Sandwich”, “Heaven” and “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage” these past couple of weeks for a taste of what I’ve been reading. I look forward to seeing what this group is reading for September!

[Ryan♡w♡]

Hi! I'm Ryan and I was introduced to Japanese literature with Dazai's No Longer Human which has since become one of my favorite novels. Japanese lit is dear to me because of the unique way it often expresses emotional turbulence in a society dictated by honor. I just recently finished up Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle which was wonderful but somewhat divorced from the attributes common to Dazai, Mishima, Soseki, and so on. There's nothing wrong with that as I loved the novel nonetheless but it's simply an observation of mine.

[Moonbeam]

Hi! I'm Consuelo Marquez. I started reading Japanese literature because of Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood. Although, I would say I've read manga before Murakami but I'd rather introduce myself by starting with Murakami. I am currently reading Banana Yoshimoto's "Kitchen" and Kenzaburo Oe's "Death by Water." I just finished Convenience Store Woman (Sayaka Murata) and Strange Weather in Tokyo (Hiromi Kawakami).

I look forward to reading more Japanese novels written by other authors. I find their works unique but easy to read. I also developed a liking on stories that are "weirder the better."

[Bill]

Welcome, Consuelo! The more the merrier!