{"id":106230,"date":"2023-05-04T20:44:02","date_gmt":"2023-05-05T00:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/famous-japanese-authors\/"},"modified":"2025-02-27T04:09:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T09:09:07","slug":"famous-japanese-authors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/famous-japanese-authors\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Famous Japanese Authors You Shouldn’t Miss Out On"},"content":{"rendered":"

Japanese literature is full of classics, but due to the complexity of the language, the Western world is mostly introduced to translations. Often, these don’t entirely capture details like cultural nuances and what the original authors intended to convey.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, if you’re not reading Japanese novels\u00a0in<\/em> Japanese<\/em><\/a> yet, there’s a whole other world of history (that isn’t about samurai) and thoughtful explorations of human nature you’re missing out on.<\/p>\n

Here’s a list of 10 famous Japanese authors you should add to your reading list.<\/strong> I’ve also included suggested reading to get you started if a particular author sounds like someone you’d want to get to know better.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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1. Junichiro Tanizaki<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/a>First up is Junichiro Tanizaki (\u8c37\u5d0e \u6f64\u4e00\u90ce, Tanizaki Jun’ichir\u014d<\/i>), considered one of the pillars of modern Japanese literature.<\/p>\n

Born in 1886 in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, he was shortlisted for the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, although he would die the year after. His works ranged from thoughtful depictions of family life to unflinching juxtapositions of violence and sexuality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His body of work was solid enough that he’s had a prestigious literary prize named after him<\/a>. In fact, a few other entries on our list are Tanizaki Prize winners!<\/p>\n

My recommendation:<\/strong> It’s honestly difficult to recommend just one book from an author of Tanizaki’s caliber. But if I had to choose one, it would be “The Makioka Sisters<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Set in pre-World War II Japan, it’s a character study that follows a wealthy family as they attempt to find a husband for one of their daughters. Meanwhile, the threat of war looms over their heads.\u00a0<\/p>\n

2. Kobo Abe<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/a> Born in 1924 in Kita City, Tokyo, under the name Kimifusa Abe, Kobo Abe (\u5b89\u90e8 \u516c\u623f, Abe K\u014db\u014d<\/i><\/i>) was a 20th-century Renaissance man. Not only did he write books, but he also authored plays, composed music and dabbled in photography. (Fun fact: His birth name and pen name use the same characters\u2014just with alternate readings.)<\/p>\n

If you enjoy Kafka’s works, you’ll probably enjoy Abe’s just as much, as his writing was also characterized by\u2014to quote the Encyclopedia Britannica<\/em><\/a>\u2014”bizarre and allegorical situations to underline the isolation of the individual.” Some of the prestigious awards he’s won include the 1951 Akutagawa Prize and the 1967 Tanizaki Prize.<\/p>\n

My recommendation:<\/strong> If you want to get a feel for the works of Japan’s Kafka, I suggest “The Woman in the Dunes<\/a> (\u7802\u306e\u5973).” Aside from winning the 1962 Yomiuri Prize<\/a>, it’s one of the more accessible of his books. It explores existentialist themes and some of the struggles someone living in Japanese society would face (arguably to this day).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

3. Kenzaburo Oe<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/a> Like Tanizaki, Kenzaburo Oe (\u5927\u6c5f \u5065\u4e09\u90ce, \u014ce Kenzabur\u014d<\/em>) was one of the giants of modern Japanese literature.<\/p>\n

Born in 1935 in a quiet village in the forests of Shikoku, he began writing seriously at the age of 23 and won the Nobel Prize for Literature<\/a> almost 40 years later in 1994.<\/p>\n

Oe was described<\/a> as having created “an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today.”<\/p>\n

Strongly influenced by French and American literature, Oe wrote about the dignity of human beings. He dealt with sociopolitical issues, exploring non-conformism and existentialism.<\/p>\n

My recommendation: <\/strong>“The Changeling<\/a> (\u53d6\u308a\u66ff\u3048\u5b50 or \u30c1\u30a7\u30f3\u30b8\u30ea\u30f3\u30b0)” explores the relationship between two friends after one commits suicide. If you can read Japanese, you can check out its two yet-to-be-translated sequels (it’s part of a trilogy).\u00a0<\/p>\n

It’s a pity a large portion of Oe’s work remains untranslated, but that won’t stop you<\/em> now, will it? After all, if there’s any word you don’t understand, you can always look it up via a program like FluentU<\/a>.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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