If you're looking to add some spice to your autumn reading and wish you could travel to Japan this fall, let the pages of a book take you there.
Oct 17, 2023 • Subscribe
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2021 Reading List (Japanese Literature & More…)
After my challenge to read 20 books of Japanese literature in 2020 – and absolutely smashing it – I took a short break over the winter holidays to…


10 Japanese Literature Books To Read This Halloween
In the spirit of spooky season, it’s time to delve into the mysterious, the unsettling and the downright terrifying.


Reading list: independent Japanese animation
This is a work in progress (and probably always will be), but here’s a list of resources on indie animation in Japan. I will use a generous definition…
20 Books in 2020 (Part IV) Japanese Literature
It’s getting closer and closer to the end now, but there’s still a little while to go. Thanks to my Kindle screen becoming a temperamental little nuisance (by…
20 Books in 2020 (Part V) Japanese Literature
So, here we are. After spending a whole year attempting the challenge to read 20 books’ worth of Japanese literature in 2020, the deadline is here.


Reading List for Fall 2019
We’re entering an era were CLAMP released a lot of short works in quick succession, so we wanted to give you folks a list of the upcoming series…
Books: Reading Murakami
By Jonathan Clements. Almost everything that is written about fiction is either reception (what the reader thought of the book) or production (an occasional making-of about the author…


Read Japanese Books with the Listening-Reading Method
Want to read Japanese books and novels? We outline a method to help get you started - and build your Japanese listening skills along the way.


Japanese Atomic Literature
Kenzaburo Oe edited one of the most important anthologies of atomic bomb literature, The Crazy Iris and Other Stories of the Atomic Aftermath. In his 1985 introduction, Oe…


Autumn 2021 Premiere List
Well, I made it, just in time for the new anime season to start in like less than four weeks, lol. In all seriousness, though, one of my…


Christmas in Japanese Literature
Christmas originated as a Christian holiday, but it’s still celebrated in Japan—a country where somewhere between one and two percent of the country is Christian. So maybe it…


Boost Your Japanese Reading Level with These Sources
We’re all familiar with the language plateaus, the point where you feel like you’re not learning anything new. Which is probably great in the more advanced stages but…


Rise’s Recommendations – Unexpected Shojo to add to your reading list
I haven’t done a recommendation post in awhile, despite making some bold comments about shojo being stale, and that I haven’t made the time to talk about some…


5 Japanese Fragrances for Autumn/Winter 2022
If you’re in the market for a new fragrance for autumn/winter 2022, there’s no better place than to look at Savvy Tokyo’s round-up of favorites below. The enchanting…


Japanese “Cat Books”
Anyone who reads Japanese literature has surely noticed the overwhelming number of books about cats. It’s not just a phenomenon of fiction in translation—there are a lot of…
Books: Japanese Drinking
By Shelley Pallis. Masaaki Watanabe’s anime series Bartender is part of a long tradition of TV shows about smart loners who help others in secret. Its leading man…
Books: Japanese Cinema
By Jasper Sharp. There are many paths one might take through the vast and varied terrain of Japanese cinema. Peter Cowie’s addition to the ever-expanding range of publications…


Updated Reading List {2022 Edition}
It has been a while since I last published a book post. In fact, it’s been over a year at this point and considering I used to regularly…
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![Background image for [ Manga/Manwha ] 2021 Reading List](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210105/1609860495.713.22155.png)
[ Manga/Manwha ] 2021 Reading List
Happy New Year! A new year is upon us, and so is another year of blogging! To kick off the new year, I have a few posts I…


Reading List | Winter 2020-2021
Hello friends! As we wind down on X, here’s a quick look at the next few months. Those of you reading along at home: this is a great…


Reading List | Winter 2024-2025
It was time for a good, old-fashioned reading list! With our current work schedules, we’ve moved to doing one episode a month, so the next few months should…


Episode 27: Japanese Children’s Literature
Check out Episode 27 of the Read Literature podcast. Transcript available. In this episode, we’re talking about Japanese children’s literature. The history of children’s literature in g…
(Updated)Books Im reading Summer 2022
Since I haven’t fully finished all these books yet, this is just a summary or review on some of the ones I’m reading currently. I have a lot…


10 Japanese Books in Translation to Read in 2025
Let’s think about less brain rot and more brain growth! Here are 10 Japanese books in translation for 2025 to add to your reading list.


Manga Reading List Update (July 2020)
There is a lot of manga that I read but don’t post about. Here’s a quick spin through what’s currently on my priority read list, omitting series that…


Reading List – The Year of X
Nothing is set in stone, but here’s a quick road-map for the year ahead!
Books: By Your Side
By Jonathan Clements. The inauguration of Barazoku (“Rose Tribe”), a magazine for gay men in 1971, brought with it a sop to the ladies, in the form of…
Books: Branding Japanese Food
By Jonathan Clements. In 2013, the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe took the remarkable step of appearing on YouTube to talk about Japanese food. He was addressing the…


Episode 18: Cats in Japanese Literature
“Cats of the Tokaido Road” by Utagawa Kuniyoshi Check out Episode 18 of the Read Literature podcast. Today, we’re going to look at cats in Japanese literature. We’ll…


Episode 41: Christmas in Japanese Literature
Listen to Episode 41 of the Read Literature podcast. Transcript available. Happy holidays! And, in the interest of today’s episode, merri kurisumasu!Today we’re going to start with the…


Audiobooks of Japanese Literature in Translation
Kobo Abe The Woman in the DunesTranslated by E. Dale SaundersNarrated by Julian Cihi Hiro Arikawa The Traveling Cat ChroniclesTranslated by Philip GabrielNarrated by George Bladden Osamu Dazai…


Japanese Children’s Literature in English Translation
RJL’s booklists don’t include children’s literature, so here’s a list for your reference. Support RJL by buying through our links. Check out our Bookshop.org page. Middle Gr…


Episode 12: Japanese Literature in WWII
“Flag Merchant” by Sanzo Wada, 1940 (via Ukiyo-e.org) Check out Episode 12 of the Read Literature podcast. Today we’re talking about the 1930s and 40s in Japan—fascism, World…


Comfort Reading in Japanese
I was in the middle of reading 「熱源」, which won the most recent Naoki Prize, when the coronavirus began spreading, and suddenly reading a book in which the…


RJL’s Totally Arbitrary List of 31 Great Reads for January in Japan, or “Where Do I Begin with Japanese Literature”
The books on this list are some of my favorite books translated from Japanese. They are also great “starting points” for readers new to Japanese literature, especially because…
What Are Your Top 10 Anime, Voyager? | Lightning List
As I get older, I find myself continually asking myself "Why in the world are we so fascinated with these lists?"


Susumu Higa's OKINAWA picked for the USBBY 2024 Outstanding International Books List
A major award for Okinawa, and we're so incredibly proud!


Reading “The Boy and the Heron” as Children’s Fantasy Literature
The Boy and the Heron is built from the stones of past children’s stories. If it cannot be untangled from Miyazaki’s life, neither can it be untangled from the…


The Evaporated People in Contemporary Japanese Literature
Each year in Japan, thousands of people disappear. They haven’t been kidnapped. They haven’t been murdered. (Japan has one of the lowest murder rates in the world. An…


Transcript of Episode 27: Japanese Children’s Literature
Find out more about Episode 27 of the Read Literature podcast on the episode page. Link to listen Notes and sources Ways to support the podcast This is…


5 More Tips for Reading Manga in Japanese (Part 8)
I'm happy to answer any clarifying questions in the comments! ⇩ Timestamps, Helpful Links, and Notes: 🚩Goal Reminder: To Learn to Read Manga in Japanese Fluently 0:00 Intro 0:45 Two Focus Areas: …


10 Tips for Your First Convention!
I was asked by Eventbrite to give you some advise today on how to attend your first convention, and you can share your own advise too! Check them…


10 Great Anime for Learning Japanese
Love anime and want to learn Japanese? Here are 10 anime for a fun and engaging way to familiarize yourself with the language.


Comics Lockdown: A COVID-19 Reading List Series
For the past two months, much of the world has been in a state of lockdown, self-isolating because of the rapid spread of COVID-19. In the midst of…


Transcript of Episode 41: Christmas in Japanese Literature
Find out more about Episode 41 of the Read Literature podcast on the episode page. Link to listen Notes and sources Ways to support the podcast This is…


100+ Japanese Books under 200 Pages
Japanese literature excels at novellas and short fiction. RJL brings you a list of 100 Japanese books in translation under 200 pages, listed in alphabetical order by title.…


Books on Japanese Culture and Society
This past semester I taught a class on Japanese science fiction and fantasy, and I was surprised by how interested my students were in learning more about the…


Reading Japanese Food Labels: Kanji Cheatsheet
A cheat sheet of all you need to know when reading Japanese food labels for efficient and safe grocery shopping in Japan.


10 Great Free Apps for Studying Japanese
Our pick of the best free apps for iOS and Android to help your nihongo.


10 Autumn Hikes in Japan
Looking to get outdoors this season? Check out the breathtaking fall foliage in our round-up of autumn hikes in Japan.