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25 Japanese Books That Everyone Should Read

While there are a multitude of Japanese books to dig into, from classic manuals to manga, here are 25 books that give you a good idea of the breadth and depth of Japanese literary minds and philosophies. Hope these work well for you!
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Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi)
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
1
Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Book of Five Rings (Miyamoto Musashi)
The Book of Five Rings
2
Miyamoto Musashi
The Heike Story (Eiji Yoshikawa)
The Heike Story
3
Eiji Yoshikawa
Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World (Kamo No Chōmei)
Hojoki: Visions of a Torn World
4
Kamo No Chōmei
The Housekeeper and the Professor (Yoko Ogawa)
The Housekeeper and the Professor
5
Yoko Ogawa
I Am a Cat (Natsume Sōseki)
I Am a Cat
6
Natsume Sōseki
In Praise of Shadows (Tanizaki)
In Praise of Shadows
7
Tanizaki
Japanese Ghost Stories (Lafcadio Hearn)
Japanese Ghost Stories
8
Lafcadio Hearn
Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami)
Kafka on the Shore
9
Haruki Murakami
Kitchen (Banana Yoshimoto)
Kitchen
10
Banana Yoshimoto
Kokoro (Natsume Soseki)
Kokoro
11
Natsume Soseki
The Makioka Sisters (Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Trans. Edward Seidensticker)
The Makioka Sisters
12
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Trans. Edward Seidensticker
Musashi (Eiji Yoshikawa)
Musashi
13
Eiji Yoshikawa
No Longer Human (Osamu Dazai)
No Longer Human
14
Osamu Dazai
The Old Capital (Yasunari Kawabata)
The Old Capital
15
Yasunari Kawabata
A Personal Matter (Kenzaburō Ōe)
A Personal Matter
16
Kenzaburō Ōe
The Pillow Book (Sei Shonagon)
The Pillow Book
17
Sei Shonagon
Rashomon and Other Stories (Ryūnosuke Akutagawa)
Rashomon and Other Stories
18
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
Ring (Koji Suzuki)
Ring
19
Koji Suzuki
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea (Yukio Mishima)
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea
20
Yukio Mishima
Silence (Shūsaku Endō)
Silence
21
Shūsaku Endō
Snow Country (Yasunari Kawabata)
Snow Country
22
Yasunari Kawabata
The Tale of Genji (Murasaki Shikibu)
The Tale of Genji
23
Murasaki Shikibu
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Yukio Mishima)
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
24
Yukio Mishima
The Woman in the Dunes (Kōbō Abe)
The Woman in the Dunes
25
Kōbō Abe
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