Japanese fiction

[DesperateADHDMum]

I’ve worked my way through the new translations of Seishi Yokomizo books this year and picked up a couple of other Japanese fiction books when browsing the bookshop. Has anyone any recommendations for other good translations? I like reading translated fiction but some of the translations can be really poor - it’s definitely an art form in itself!

Miura

I thought I’d revive the thread to add a couple of books

Lonely Castle in the Mirror - I thought it was a really good book to get you thinking and one that would be great for teenagers to read

I’m halfway through Diary of a void by Emi Yagi. Interesting concept of a woman who pretends to be pregnant on the spur of the moment when she’s expected to do the menial jobs at work. So far it’s a good read and will be interested to find out how she gets away with it - if she does!

Heartily second the Tanizaki recommendation by @highlandcoo
Natsume Soseki, Sanshiro, Botchan and I am a Cat are enjoyable satires on early 20th century social changes in Japan.

Only a few of Keigo Higashino's Detective Kaga series has been translated but they stand alone quite well and are more cosy / slice of life. I think the first English book is Newcomer.

The Aosawa Murders is a recent favourite. Again you could shelve it as 'mystery' but it's very unusual, almost dreamlike. Dark but not in a gory or forced topical-issues-y way.

I just finished this....brilliant. absolutely brilliant!

Agreed - although I wasn’t keen on the ending

Did anyone read Yoko Ogawa?

I haven't yet..the housekandfthe professor is on my TBR. Have you@cassiatwenty

@cassiatwenty I've read The Memory Police and adored it.

I find the themes of some of her work quite disturbing so haven’t read them yet. I do have the memory police in my ‘to be read’ pile

ive been reading the ‘when the coffee gets cold’ series as a bit of light reading.

the last books I’ve read are

the Master Key by Masako Takagi
strange weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami
a quiet place by seicho matsumoto
convenience store woman by say aka murata

enjoyed them all!

@DesperateADHDMum, @Helpmefly, @JaninaDuszejko I have read a little bit of the Diving Pool but I found it a tad dark for the time being.

I much prefer Banana Yoshimoto as it's lighter and more gentle, Amrita and Kitchen

I've read a lot of the books mentioned, and wanted to add The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa.

I thought it a very touching book

The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a beautiful book and would definitely recommend it. Also Before the Coffee Gets Cold - I’ve just bought the second one. I would add

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sôsuke Natsukawa
and everything by Haruki Murakami

The Mill House Murders

How Do You Live

I just read beast in the shadows by Edogawa Rampo which is a pen name taken from the Japanese transliteration of Edgar Allen Poe which I thought was delightful!! And a good book. Certainly get you thinking!!!

Just started The woman in the dunes by Kobo Abe and realised I’d read another by him(The Ark Sakura) which I really enjoyed

Just to add this link here to Pushkin Press’s selection of books by Japanese authors

https://pushkinpress.com/?s=Japanese

Ah yes Kobo Abe is fabulous.
Everything by Haruki Murakami.

Although US Japanese I think Ruth Oseki deserves a mention (she won the Booker a few years ago). Tale for the Time Being is masterful. A work of great beauty.

Seconding Mieko Kawakami especially All the Lovers in the Night

Kitchen is fabulous, I loved it.

I did hate Before the Coffee Gets Cold though, I thought the decision one character made was completely unrealistic.

I've just bought, at great expense, Places by Jakucho Setouchi thanks to a BB4 documentary. Lets hope it's good.

Before the coffee gets cold is a light quick read. I think it’s a book to make you think a bit and disagreeing is part of that! I read the next 2 but found them a bit too formulaic. I’m not mad keen on the translation (or the original writing style) and he makes the cafe staff a bit holier than thou.

My teen, who is obsessed with Japanese culture, recommends The Beast Player series by Nahoko Uehashi.

Just finished sweet bean paste as recommended by @Kaamos

lovely book