My top 10 favorite Japanese books!
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
- My top 10 favorite Japanese books!
The list:
0:00 Intro
2:00 Sawako Ariyoshi : The Twilight Years
4:39 Kenzaburo Oe : A Personal Matter
7:39 Shusaku Endo : The Sea and Poison
10:15 Akira Yoshimura : Shipwrecks
12:55 Kobo Abe : The Box Man
17:00 Eiji Yoshikawa : Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan
19:41 Shohei Ooka : Fires on the Plain
22:20 Masuji Ibuse : Black Rain
24:30 Hiroko Oyamada : The Hole
26:50 Yasushi Inoue : Shirobamba: A Childhood in Old Japan
Bonus book:
Seishi Yokomizo : The Village of Eight Graves
Other books mentioned:
Kobo Abe: The Face of Another; The Woman in the Dunes
Eiji Yoshikawa: Musashi
Yasushi Inoue : The Hunting Gun
This was so valuable. Too many booktube videos are vacuous and superficial, but this was full of genuine passion. Thank you for all of the recommendations!
Your passion can be felt through the screen; the way you describe these books is very calm and eloquent! I surely will be looking further into some of them!
Thank you so much for the lovely compliment. I sure hope you find a few in this list that please you.
This is one of my favourite videos on UA-cam. You gave it so much heart and appeal. I think I will go and search for shipwrecks and fire on the plain to start with.
What an amazing compliment. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on those two!!
Thank you for sharing (and discussing,) your favorite books and by extension, broadening my Japanese authors-to-discover/read. Always love your content!
Happy to share the Japanese reading love!
A fantastic list. Thank you so much.
What a goldmine of recommendations.
Thank you for doing this - your enthusiasm is palpable, and it's nice to hear from somebody who has so obviously worked through the most popular japanese books in the west and is giving recommendations that most western readers haven't heard of.
I'm going to buy black rain and a couple others - you've convinced me.
Thanks again.
I'm glad I was able to inspire you into buying some of my recommendations. Hope you enjoy them!
Really looking forward to reading A Personal Matters. Thank you for suggestions and loving your content 😊
No prob! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!
Damn. That was the best video of its genre. Great detailed explanations full of passion.
Woot! Thank you. :)
This must be one of the best book related videos on UA-cam I've ever seen. Thank you for the amazing reading list!
Aw, shucks, thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. Happy reading!
Your voice is so soothing and calm, great video
thank you for this video!!
I have never read or even heard the books you listed. And that’s what makes ur videos so amazing. Thank you
You’re welcome! I hope you choose one or two for upcoming reading.
Thank you so much for this list, I think I’m gonna start with your recommendation Shipwrecks so glad to know there are English translation 💕
Really good video. I hope I decide to check at least a couple of these out.
Thank you so much for this reading-list, I love your taste and I love how you talk about books. I'll definitely follow some of these recommendations (and I'm subscribed!)
Thank you! I hope you enjoy all the books you choose to read from this list.
I had recently picked up Tun-Huang by Yashuri Inoue I’ll have to grab it off my shelf. Thanks for the recommendations
I like your spirit in this video :) you're so passionate about the books you mentioned. I am already intrigued by some titles. I trust your channel and Fiction Beast when it comes to Japanese literature. Great video!
Thanks! I hope you pick up some of these to read and enjoy!
I know this is an exciting book to read because of the way you describe the book. I can feel the enthusiasm of it.
Yay, that makes me happy to hear.
I just finished reading Shipwrecks after your recommendation and thought it was only polite to say thanks.
It's phenomenal. It develops at such a perfect pace that as I closed the book it felt as if I just read a horror or thriller without even realizing it. Definitely one of my favorites. It's such a pleasure when you find a book like that so thanks again.
That is super wonderful! It's such a gripping book isn't it? Oh, this comment makes me very happy!
Shipwrecks was so good I am on a quest to find anything remotely similar :(
i love how you're having a visceral reaction to these books ahaha i will read all of these!
Yes! Thank you! Enjoy!
I'm Japanese and I didn't know about more than half of these books! Thank you for this video. I will definitely be reading them all. Also it's clear you're pera pera since your pronunciation is spot on! sugoi!
Yay, I hope you enjoy them!
There’s none better than you in the booktubing domain! 🎉 instant sub
Wow that's a powerful compliment. Hope you enjoy the rest.
I just found your channel and I'm really delighted with your commentary! Some of my recent reads are all contemporary (?) writers (Yoshimoto, Kawakami, Murakami) but upon seeing my uni's Japanese collection that's filled with classics and postwar lit, I didn't know where to start. This made me excited about the books I can check out ^.^ definitely gonna watch the rest of your vids!
I'm most intrigued by Fires on the Plain as a Filipino. It's interesting to know the Japanese perspective of experiencing the 2nd WW and occupation that took place here. The Hole and Black Rain sound like my cup of tea, too!
It's a great adventure what you are about to embark in! I really hope you enjoy the books that you've picked as they are definitely excellent. Thank for stopping by!
Thank you for the recommandations, I found Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimura (in french) and woman in the dunes by Kobo Abe in a secondhand bookstore, I hope I will like them
Hello and thank you so much for this list . I love Japanese literature and the first book you mentioned “ The twilight years “ is a book I read yearly as I love it . I also think River Ki and The doctors wife by same author are great. The makings sisters and The waiting years are also excellent . I never tire of rear easing these novels. I will certainly get all the books you mentioned , I am so glad I found your channel, you are so passionate about reading , so am I .Thank you . Looking forward to more of your videos .
I love your list of rereads. I definitely think our tastes align. I will actually be purchasing The River Ki and The Doctor’s Wife soon and am so looking forward to finally reading them!
This is another video I bookmarked so as to come back later to it to get the titles and author's names when I can purchase more books again. I cut my teeth on 20th century Japanese literature so that much of what you mentioned here appealed to me and a few I have previously owned and read. I believe I may have read The Twilight Years in the mid 70s. I must get my hands on a copy!
It’s probably too late to write this comment, but anyway. I’m glad that UA-cam recommendations showed me your channel. Thank you so much for creating this video, you’ve helped me a lot with choosing what to read next. Now I’m looking forward to buying Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimura and a couple of others.
And the most important thing is that I could feel your passion while I was watching this video, it’s amazing! Definitely going to watch your other videos! 💌
I'm so glad you'll be picking up some of my recommendations! Hope you end up enjoying them as much as I did.
Merci! Bonjour! I took notes. Subscribed :)
Great recommendations that fall outside of what I would usually see on the top literature of Japan; I love your passion for Japanese litterature and I share it. When I was in high school and read The Temple of the Golden Pavillion, then the collection of short stories "Acts of Worship" by Mishima Yukio, the impression left was life changing. Snow Country, and the stories of Akutagawa were other works that were fundamental to who I am as a reader today. After commenting on a video of yours a year ago, I have reached a year of learning Japanese now, and I plan to finally start reading books so that I can enjoy the full breadth of litterature that hasn't been translated. There's something about the specific post-war period in the country that led to a mass of amazing litterature which I feel hasn't been matched in the rest of the world.
Thank you for sharing your passion of litterature with the rest of the world, an interest in Japanese culture that I feel is underrepresented in the current climate.
Thank you for this wonderful comment and I'm so happy to hear about your ongoing Japanese journey. I hope you continue to update me with your progress.
I’ve only just begun my journey into reading Japanese literature and I’m adding all of these to my list, esp Box Man that one sounds immensely up my alley.
Way to choose the hardest one on the list. Enjoy your journey!
I was impressed by your presentation, which was full of love for literature! I respect you as a Japanese and as a person who truly loves literary works as much as you do. I have read almost all of the books you introduced, but those were written in Japanese. I am very interested to see what stories are written in English. I would love to give it a try. Once again, I truly appreciate your excellent presentation! I look forward to more inspiring book introductions in the future!
Thank you for the very kind message. I'm so happy to get to talk about these books since they are so wonderful!
Thank you for the list! I really liked the descriptions and how you depict what to talk about and what's important to mention. You are a great speaker, I enjoyed following your mind.
the first one was very thrilling, that's what I'm gonna read next.
And wherever I see Kobo Abe, I put a like😀
I definitely can't read Oe, neither this book nor another one. Since I feel physically sick when I dive into his books. Not just because they are too heavy or something, cuz I do read other heavy stuff , it's just probably that it's not for me. As mentioned in the video, not for everyone. Definitely not my author. But I love Abe. All of his books 😀
Yes! Another Abe fan!
Thank you very much for having introduced these 14 Japanese novels! Only two female writers I haven't heard of. I'm also interested in Japanese novels. Hope you can continue to introduce more.
I'm glad you enjoyed the list!
Thank you so much for these treasures of yours! Your top 10 is amazing! I'd like to read them all but unfortunately half of them haven't been ever translated in Russian and I'm not capable of reading books in foreign languages (my envy of you knowing 3 languages is endless 😅🙈). I read Kobo Abe's Woman In The Dunes and Yasushi Inoue's Dreams of Russian and they both became my true love. I have to say that I've read about 15 Japanese books and none of them disappointed me. Looking forward to read some books from your list! ❤️
Thank you for the lovely comment. I hope you get your hands on the ones that have been translated to Russian!
Hi. I just discovered your channel. I love Japanese writers. Your passion has me hooked. Thank you!!!! Happy to have found you😊
Oh that makes me so happy to hear! Enjoy your Japanese literature adventure!
Instant sub.
I read Shipwrecks because you recommended it and I absolutely loved it!! The end broke me though😭 I first read it on kobo but eventually decided to buy a copy😊 So thank you so much for your videos and I'll definitely check out some of your other recommendations❤
I’m glad you loved it so much. It’s an impactful book!
Thanks a lot! I am Korean living next to Japan but I'm suprised that the Shipwrecks is not translated in Korean. I must read it in English even if it will be hard because of my English level.
How did I not find you earlier? After about 30 very contemporary novels I just finished The Tale of Genji plus three critical books on it, and am halfway through the earlier The Tale of the Cavern. I can see you are a treasure trove. ❤
P.S. I have a t-shirt that says tsundoku in Japanese. I wore it there and everyone loved it. Tells you so much about a culfure that they actually have a word for this.
Well hello there and welcome! That tsundoku tshirt sounds amazing!
'This video defines who I am as a reader' Pressure! I am putting all of these books on my 'radar'. Even before you start talking about them.
Love how your passion really shines through!
Ok, I lied, the vivisections did not make it to my 'to-read' list
I'm going to watch the second half tomorrow when I need a pick-me-up.
For what it's worth, Endo doesn't actually describe the vivisections. He just describes what is going on around them. My personal recommendation to you would be:
Akira Yoshimura : Shipwrecks
Masuji Ibuse : Black Rain
Yasushi Inoue : Shirobamba
Shohei Ooka : Fires on the Plain
And then read the rest of the list. :)
I took a Japanese literature class in college. These are great reads! Black Rain is one of my all time favorites.
That's a good one!
What a delightful video! Will definitely look up many of these titles and add to my to-read-list! So tired of how ALL videos about Japanese literature consists of 100% Murakami.
Yes, definitely add these to your list! I think there is a good variety here with something suitable for everyone. And I totally understand you. I always hope people will eventually delve into more
Jpn literature past Haruki Murakami. At least make it to Ryu Murakami!
@@tokyochemistRyu's Almost Transparent Blue is pretty great 👍
Love Japanese Literature for a long time; lived there for two years.
Taiko is one of my favorite to this day ❤
I read the box man 20 years ago and it changed my life. The words I would use to describe Abe's writing is symbolistic and existential. I wonder if you have read Yoko Tawada, I think she is one of the most interesting contemporary writers today in any language.
Box Man is really a remarkable book. I’ve read one Tawada book but wasn’t bowled over by it. But I will still be trying more.
I was already a fan of Kobo Abe as I enjoy linking books to film and Hiroshi Teshigahara was the gateway here. These excellent reviews prompted me to read Fires on the Plain and the not mentioned Harp of Burma as the films are stone cold classics. I had read Endo, Silence because of the movie, but the suggested Sea and Poison blew me away. Just finished Black Rain as was again impressed by the overwhelming humanity of the telling (the films of Ozu came to mind with the emphasis on family). Shipwrecks is on the shelf and I am saving it till I now I need to read something I know will be amazing.
Oh wow. You’re really making headway through the list. I’m happy you have been enjoying the recommendations as much as you have!
Interested in all!
I have half of these books in my shopping cart. Your video/suggestions should have more views!!!
Ariyoshi- 2:00
Oe- 4:39
Endo- 7:39
Yoshimura- 10:15
Abe- 12:55
Yoshikawa- 17:00
Ooka- 19:41
Ibuse- 22:20
Oyamada- 24:30
Inoue- 26:50
I had to troll the time stamps to catch one of the novels you mentioned. Hope this helps others too. Again thanks for these awesome suggestions. You are right, some of these are hard to find in Cali, US.
Wow, half of the books are in your cart! That makes me really happy. I hope you love them as much as I do.
And thank you for the time stamps. I've added them to the video to make it easier to navigate!
i am about halfway through the ark sakura by kobo abe. i love it.
That's actually my least liked Abe but I love that you are reading and loving it!
Have you read/reviewed The Makioka sisters (Light Snow) and Naomi, both by J. Tanizaki? He is one of the few Japanese authors I've read, but his works are always very engrossing (IMHO).
I haven't read Tanizaki in a long time but I did very much enjoy The Makioka Sisters. And In Praise of Shadows was incredibly interesting.
Omg this video ❤.. I’m actually obsessed with Asians authors… it’s not for everyone though.. murakami is my fave… thanks sooooo much for great recommendations 😊
I’m just starting to dive into Japanese literature, beginning with I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki. It’s a thick one! I plan to read A Personal Matter soon.
Hope you enjoy both of those!
Really enjoyed your thoughts on all these books! Would you say Shirobamba is a difficult read for someone who is a beginner in Japanese?
While the grammar is not that difficult, it is still a daunting 600 pages and all the conversations are in dialect. Intermediate Japanese? Yes, this could be a worthwhile challenge but it would be a challenge. Beginner Japanese? I would lay off novels for a while still. I recommend you test your reading ability with Michael Emmerich's 'Read Real Japanese' series. It's an excellent introduction to reading native material.
The Twilight Years will be my first read from this compilation, then A Personal Matter... but all on list!
Fantastic! Hope you enjoy them!
Do you have any recommendations from works of Kawabata
Unfortunately I don't because I don't enjoy Kawabata's work.
Whoa, that's a killer list. Only one question: no Akutagawa, or Soseki?
I need more samples from them. I've only read one work from Soseki and it was too long ago and Akutagawa is amazing but my list is also about works that bowled me over the most.
Thanks for this superb video. The Hunting Gun is my favorite novella :) (in my terms it is not a (long) short story but i don’t care that much). Unfortunately germans have to read the english translation far to often :(
What about Kawabata and Sōseki? I also like "An Artist from the Floating World" by Ishiguro from that period.
And thank you for watching. So happy that Inoue is your favorite novella! I am actually not a fan of Kawabata at all (he bores me so!) and I've only read one Soseki that I need to reread. And Ishiguro is a British author, not a Japanese author, so he would never been included on a list of favorite Japanese authors.
Thanks for your answer, i‘m sorry that i didn‘ t react - i‘m hesitating too much when i‘m writing in a foreign language. And of course, you‘re right, Ishiguro is an english author, i should have remembered that. I‘ve just read The woman in the Dunes (in the german translation) an loved it. Unfortunately all his books are out of print, but at least Inter Ice Age 4 and The Face of Another are affordable in used condition. If i totally fall in love with him i could read his books in english but actually i don‘t want to read translations in foreign languages.
Now i‘m watching your new video, big smile in the beginning, thanks for that and the recommendations :)
Génial ! Je ne sais pas comment je suis tombée sur cette vidéo, mais quel bonheur de découvrir votre chaîne !
Vos choix sont très fins et vos commentaires remarquables. Merci infiniment pour ces partages. Je vais encore découvrir de nouveaux auteurs japonais grâce à vous ! Et je m'en réjouis déjà.
Si vous passez par ici, j'ai une petite question, un avis à vous demander, à propos de Shusaku Endo, s'il vous plait. Je le trouve sur internet en traduction française et anglaise. Laquelle me recommanderiez-vous ? Je suis francophone, et je lis l'Anglais couramment. J'étudie le Japonais, mais je suis encore loin de pouvoir lire l'original :-) Merci d'avance.
J'ai également commencé la lecture/étude de Read Real Japanese fiction, je partage totalement votre avis : excellent !
Encore merci 🙂
Et merci infiniment pour les gentils mots. J'espere que tous ces livres vous plaira. Il y a de quoi faire! Endo ce lit tres bien en francais et anglais donc je choisirais l'edition qui vous plait le plus. Read Real Japanese Fiction c'est vraiment top comme method d'etudier. Je suis contente que ca marche bien.
Son buenos libros aunque me sorprende que no esté en esta lista uno de Mishima pero claro cada persona es diferente y tiene sus favoritos
Sigo buscando un Mishima que me cae bien. Pero "Life for Sale" sera lo proximo que leo.
In the beginning i taught i will just skip video and just take sc of book name but i watch whole video bcz of 2 things 1st is ur experience of book like facial expression and sharing feeling 2nd is U are beautiful ❤️
That's very nice of you to say. You are always welcome to skip the videos though; I always put the book titles in the description box.
Off topic but I like that you had to think of the word in Japanese first 迷惑 nusance or bother. 😆 Thanks for this list. I'm going to try and check some of these out.
I’ve code-switched all my life so it’s been a shock to see how that ability is starting to falter as I get older. Ahhh! Hope you enjoy the books!
@@tokyochemist thanks I appreciate it and I never code-switched until studying Japanese for the last 5 years on my own and sometimes the English word comes last and the Japanese word comes first so I get it... Hopefully I'll get there with Korean at some point too. 😆
box man you got my respect
secret rendevous by abe even crazier
no snow country?
1:57
The introduction is obviously the best part. :)
I forgot the name of the book but someone recommended it , It's written by japanese writer before his suicide does anyone know about it?
A few writers have committed suicide so that would be hard to pinpoint. But Mishima is the most well known so I would assume you were recommended one of his books.
I am going to read a personal matter
I would like to recommend reading The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima. This book is a very cute love story I think and it's not political at all really overtly. It's really just about a guy on a small island called Kami Shima in the Bay of Ise, a new rich girl moves to the island and they fall in love. It's my favourite book so far I've read by Mishima.
I'm sure I'll get it to eventually! I have Mishima's Life for Sale next on my TBR.
@@tokyochemist Where is your accent from too I want to ask?
@@hre2044 I'm a born in America French person who lives in Japan. :)
@@tokyochemist Oh that's cool, I thought you were either French or German lol
@@hre2044 Well, I AM full French.
日本人として安部公房の存在は唯一誇れることです
Without Yukio Mishima that hurt!
I'm still waiting to be emotionally blown away by Mishima. There is still a chance that happens though.
金閣寺しか読んだことない
あら～、もっと読めばいい！
U look like Angelina Jolie !!!!
It is certainly interesting, but you are a bit hysterical the way you construct your phrases (with these semi intellectual pauses) and your gestures. It is a pity, but I will fast forward....
The list of all the books is available in the description box so that you don’t have to listen to my “semi-intellectual hysterical” phrasing.
*Nice to meet you! I'm Marcelo, from Brazil. Pls, how can I write to you? An email, perhaps?! Tks!! 1/2