I’d have guessed at something by Haruki Murakami, but which modern fiction book can the give the best insight into Japanese sensibilities?

3 comments

1. He should read these:

   * The Penal Code
   * The Police Duties Execution Act
   * The Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act

   *How* exactly does he think that he’s going to get into trouble?

2. Or even True Crime Japan by Paul Murphy. He is a journalist documenting cases in the court in Matsumoto, so he can have a brief overview of what offense are considered offenses (with jail) in Japan.

3. Your reasoning seems somewhat odd, but since “modern” doesn’t necessarily mean “contemporary” I’m gonna throw out Natsume Soseki’s *Kokoro*. Soseki is basically the father of modern Japanese literature and *Kokoro* is widely considered one of his best. It’s also still commonly read in schools in Japan, so it’s definitely still relevant. Depending on your friend’s age, Dazai Osamu (particularly his magnum opus *No Longer Human* ) may be a good choice, as his work is perennially in vogue with newly emerging adults. And you can never go wrong with the short stories of Akutagawa Ryunosuke or Tanizaki Junichiro’s *The Makioka Sisters* (a retrospective look on Classical Japanese life after that had largely died out in mid 20th century) or *Naomi* (an erotic allegory of East-West relations and the struggle of preserving a national identity in the face of modernization).

   Also, Haruko Murakami really isn’t the best example of “Japanese sensibilities”. His work reads as very western-influenced and somewhat alien. That weird meddling of Japanese with a ton of western influence is a big part of why he’s so popular around the world, especially compared to other Japanese authors.

   Yasunari Kawabata would probably be another good modern author to look into (I’ve heard yukiguni is very good (I think it’s *snow country* in English) but if you’re looking for anything more contemporary, that’s not really my forte. Maybe Yoshimoto Banana (yes, that’s actually the pen name of a very well known award winning author). I’ll also throw in Mishima Yukio as an author who absolutely doesn’t represent Japanese sensibilities, but he’s a dang good read. If you had some more specifics about what you’re looking for (Japan and Christianity, Japan and it’s classical history, Japan and it’s modern history, Japan and feminism, Japan and foreigners, etc) I might be able to give some more suggestions, but still mostly early to mid-20th century stuff (like I haven’t even managed to throw in Endo Shusaku yet!).