Books/articles to read before going to Japan? Could be fiction (ancient to modern), historical, current events. Something to understand or appreciate aspects of the culture and the land more deeply.

Question

Books/articles to read before going to Japan? Could be fiction (ancient to modern), historical, current events. Something to understand or appreciate aspects of the culture and the land  more deeply.

Catherine Davis · Answer

The Summer House by Masashi Matsuie: Loved this one! Beautifully written with a sensitive and observant narrator. Centers around an architecture firm but don’t let that scare you off if (like me) you’re not particularly knowledgeable about architecture. It's a compelling, charming story. Also, not books, but I rec the movie, “Perfect Days” (my favorite!) and the tv show, “The Midnight Diner.” Have fun on your trip. I’m jealz- have always wanted to go there.

Allie · Answer

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: I read this over a two week trip in Japan and it was perfect companion in every city.

Anna · Answer

Yoko Ogawa: I really like all of this author’s work. Some of it leans more dystopian (many of the short stories and notable “The Memory Police”), but this work and many others are more grounded and might give you a feel for the culture. Always a little hint of imagination though.

sunset strip mall · Answer

"Spirited Away to Miyazaki Land" by Sam Anderson (NYT, 2023): i found this article to be really beautiful and well-written, about an american reporter who's sent to the new Miyazaki theme park in Japan and it sort of subverts/evades/upends all of his expectations, revealing a lot about cultural differences between the US and Japan

leesey lou · Answer

Flash Light by Susan Choi: a multigenerational story that spans decades following a family after the father disappears in japan. heartbreaking and surprising!

sunset strip mall · Answer

"Butter" by Asako Yuzuki: if nothing else, this book made me so hungry for mochi and onigiri that i think it would be a fabulous read to get you in the mood to eat delicious food (feminist-ly). but i think it also offered me an interesting portrait of conversations about food, beauty standards, sexuality and femininity in contemporary Japan that I really appreciated

Roger · Answer

Rental Family:

Charming movie with an interesting premise and a great performance by Brendan Fraser. Great scenes of Tokyo.

Roger · Answer

Lost in Translation: This film by Sophia Coppola, based on her experience living there, is about two Americans who meet in Tokyo, but it vividly captures some of the contradictions in contemporary Japanese culture that I experienced working there for a few months in the mid 1990s.

Elicia · Answer

the convenience store by the sea: the convenience stores really hit different in japan

Marla Darwin · Answer

Perfect Days (2023): I know you specifically requested for books/articles but I highly recommend squeezing in this movie before you leave for Japan. It's my favorite movie of all time. It's a slice of life movie about a Tokyo toilet cleaner. If you'll be spending time in Tokyo, this in invitation to see the slower, hidden aspects of the city.

Pamela · Answer

What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama: Sweet, gentle stories that pull you into the lives of five distinct characters living in the same Tokyo neighborhood.

Jeanine Nault · Answer

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: Had the pleasure of reading this on a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Incredible storytelling

Adelaide · Answer

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (David Mitchell): An extraordinary novel, period, and a riveting window into the period when Japan’s radical isolationism was cracked apart by the West

Anna Songsong · Answer

a daughter of the samurai

Caitlin · Answer

Hiroshima by John Hersey: Originally published as a single issue of the New Yorker in 1946, this short book tells the story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima from the perspective of six survivors. A must-read.

Amy · Answer

The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Hisashi Kashiwai): These books are very charming and a series, if you end up liking them. I liked the descriptions of all the food and stories of why people loved them. Very lighthearted.

GK · Answer

The Monocle Book of Japan: If you can find the Monocle old travel guides, they may be a little out of date, but are the best.

Loose Links · Answer

Convenience Store Woman: Fascinating. Will help you understand konbini culture.

Clara · Answer

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop: I really enjoyed this book as an easy, light read last year. The sequel’s lovely too. Gives you such a vivid sense of the coffee shop culture in Japan.