14 Comments

I found a copy of Breasts and Eggs while walking down my street. I adored it and will read again at some point. You may like The Buddha in the Attic too.

Expand full comment

I'll add it to the list - thank you!

Expand full comment

check out Banana Yoshimoto

Expand full comment

Thanks for the recommendation, I just picked up Kitchen and Goodbye Tsugumi!

Expand full comment

Have you read What You’re Looking For Is In the Library or There’s No Such Thing As An Easy Job? I liked both better than Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Though for Japanese fantasy, I adored Lonely Castle in the mirror! For nonfiction, I thought books like 自分疲れ (self tiredness) was good!

Expand full comment

I haven't read any of these but I feel like WYLFISTL is right up my alley and Lonely Castle sounds amazing too. x

Expand full comment

I hope you get the chance to read them, I really enjoyed them all!

Expand full comment

been trying to get into more Japanese literature! i recently read convenience store woman by sayaka murata, bit slow but thought it had a good theme about society today in japan and expectations placed on women.

Expand full comment

I'm so glad you found this Substack!

Expand full comment

I’m unsure if I liked Life Ceremony, it kept me intrigued but none of the individual stories really stuck with me!

Expand full comment

Interesting!!!

Expand full comment

Reading this now since I also have an unabashed love for Japanese literature…

I just requested The Memory Police at the library! I’ve heard so many good things about it

Also, Life Ceremony is one of my all-time favorites. Some of the short stories I liked more than others, but they all have the same theme of making the bizarre feel commonplace, which I loved. Rereading it always reminds me of how arbitrary some of our social norms are! Convenience Store Woman is another Sayaka Murata that I loved!!! Highly recommend

Expand full comment

,Yoko Ogawa sounds like a Japanese female version of Philip. K. Dick. Definitely want to read The Memory Police. Thanks for recommending it.

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Aug 7
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Let me know how you find The Memory Police. I'm reading her book, Revenge, next

Expand full comment