Japan is a dream destination for so many travelers, due to its incredible food, fascinating history, and unique culture. I was fortunate enough to spend two months traveling in Japan in 2023, and since then I’ve frequently returned to the country via the pages of a book. Today I’m excited to share a selection of my favorite books set in Japan with you!
Japan has a flourishing domestic publishing industry and a growing list of globally recognized authors like Yu Miri (Tokyo Ueno Station), Banana Yoshimoto (Kitchen), and Haruki Murakami (1Q84). If you do find yourself journeying to Japan soon, you’ll want to make sure that Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Book Town is on your itinerary. With everything from rare book collections to a bookshop devoted to cats, it’s a reader’s dream destination. In the meantime, keep an eye out for your closest branch of the global Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya, which has locations across the U.S. and around the world.
Yet despite their love of books, Japan’s literary scene remains less accessible to western readers than that of many other countries, in part due to the challenges of translation. Only a small number of titles are translated from Japanese to English each year: the Publisher’s Weekly Translation Database listed 14 titles from Japan in 2023, although this notably did not include manga (Japanese comics or graphic novels.) Many of the books I discovered while scouring the library and bookstores for Japanese reads that fit my tastes were simply unavailable or much more expensive than I was willing to pay. For example, I hope to read Kayano Shigeru’s Our Land Was A Forest: An Ainu Memoirsomeday but it sells on Bookshop for $207 and is $36 to rent on Kindle!
However, with the growing success of Japanese authors and interest in English translations of their books, I’m excited to see more and more Japanese titles in translation on American bookshelves. This 2022 interview with a publisher in Japan helped me understand some of the more recent trends in publishing and translation.
If your travels don’t take you to Japan anytime soon, you can still immerse yourself in the Japanese experience through the words on the page. Today, I’m sharing two non-fiction picks that are on my all time favorites shelf, along with an assortment of fiction titles from Middle Grade to philosophical thriller and everything in between. I’d love to know your favorite books that are set in Japan or by Japanese authors. Please leave a comment and share your suggestions with me and the rest of your fellow armchair travelers!
Literary Tourism: Japan
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This young adult contemporary romance follows Izumi “Izzy” Tanaka, a Japanese American girl growing up in a northern California town with her single mother. She’s always felt different in her small community—and then she discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Billed as The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians, the story really starts when Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she’s never known. But showing up in Japan as a princess isn’t that simple, and Izzy finds herself caught between her American and Japanese identities, all while trying to figure out what to do about her handsome, gruff bodyguard. This was a fun look at one girl’s cross-cultural experience. If you love it as much as I did, you’ll be happy to hear there’s a sequel, Tokyo Dreaming. More info →
In this springtime tale that immerses the reader in Tokyo, affluent Japanese singer-turned-housewife Mizuki struggles with boredom and feels overlooked by her workaholic husband. When she catches the interest of a handsome restaurateur, she is unable to resist his advances. I discovered this book thanks to MMD Book Club, and while it’s not my typical genre, I loved reading it while riding the bullet train in Japan and thinking of all of the places in Tokyo it so vividly calls to mind. More info →
First published in 2002, this series might be considered a young adult romantic fantasy on today’s bookshelves. When sixteen-year-old Takeo’s family is killed, he is rescued and adopted by a warring clan leader and raised as a warrior. Along the way, he is trained in magical skills, falls in love, and seeks to avenge those he’s lost. Set in a fictional world but based on Japan in the Sengoku period, this trilogy expanded to a total of five books as well as a spinoff series in 2020. More info →
This nonfiction book by journalist Kirshner, a part-time resident of Japan, is my all-time top recommendation for those interested in the country’s rural culture and traditional handicrafts. Each chapter explores a unique art form, from woodturning to sake brewing, foraging to hunting, and more. Kirshner’s writing is immersive and richly detailed: reading this book inspired several of our off-the-beaten-track detours during our time in Japan last year. It would make a beautiful armchair travel choice for anyone with a curiosity about or passion for this country. More info →
Brown, an American who has lived in Japan since 1985, compiled this unique and fascinating book that reflects on the lifestyle and traditions of the Edo period of Japanese history and what these traditions teach us about sustainable living. Broken into three sections that consider rural lifestyles, urban design, and societal constructs, this is best read in print due to Azby’s hand-drawn sketches and notes in the margins. This would be a dream gift for anyone broadly interested in the subtitle topics or specifically curious about Japanese history. More info →
Drawn from Japanese mythology, this YA trilogy follows Emi, a young shrine maiden destined to become a living host for a goddess. Emi’s spent her life hiding from the earth spirits who are locked in eternal combat with the gods. But when Emi stumbles upon a life-changing secret, she flees to the woods, where she has an encounter with an earth spirit and ultimately saves his life. Shiro, the spirit Emi rescues, doesn’t realize who Emi is and has baggage of his own. The two begin to develop a relationship that will call everything into question in this slow-burn romantic fantasy. More info →
Thirteen-year-old Kiki must follow the tradition of her witch heritage and spend a year on her own in a new city, proving she can support herself and be of service to her community. In this award–winning, sweet middle grade fantasy story, Kiki and her loyal cat Jiji experience a range of misadventures during their trial year. The book was released in Japan in 1985 and translated into English by Emily Balistrieri in 2003. You may also recognize this title from the 1989 Studio Ghibli animated film. More info →
Ex-con Sentaro is trying for a fresh start, but isn’t sure his dead-end job at a tiny confectionery shop will do the trick. After he reluctantly hires an elderly, disfigured woman named Tokue for her culinary skill, things start to change. Sentaro feels hopeful for the first time in ages, until Tokue’s mysterious past comes to light and Sentaro has to grapple with prejudice, regret, and societal expectations. Starting off as a charming story of sweets and redemption, this novel grows into something even more satisfying, balancing a beautiful story of friendship with an honest look at a darker chapter of Japanese history. Content warnings apply. More info →
This story-within-a-story follows two plotlines over the course of a year. Flo is an American translator living in Japan. When she decides not to follow her girlfriend abroad, she’s left feeling adrift, until she discovers a mysterious memoir, and decides it's the perfect choice for her next translation project. Meanwhile, after failing his university exams, nineteen-year-old Kyo is sent from the city to a small village to live with his grandmother Ayako. Kyo is a talented artist who struggles to communicate with his grandmother, a formidable woman who shares a secret grief with Kyo. Much more character-driven than plotty, this story gently paints a picture of modern Japan; I found it a quick read and enjoyed the different layers of culture and society on display. Readers will want to note that this story deals with difficult themes including family trauma, depression, and suicide. More info →
So many urban stories in Japan are set in Tokyo, so this delightful cozy set in Kyoto was a nice departure. Reader, beware: reading this book will make you hungry (and likely to start googling all sorts of ingredients and recipes). Unlike cozy detective stories that feature a crime or murder, this collection of mysteries centers on food. When customers come to the Detective Agency in search of long-lost or nearly forgotten meals or recipes, retired police detective Nagare and his daughter Koshi hunt down the missing pieces and present their clients with the meal they’d been searching for. I devoured this sentimental read that speaks to the power of food and drink to evoke memory, and can’t wait to read more books in the series. More info →
Apparently sending young men to the village is a theme in Japanese stories: the start to this delightful coming of age novel felt somewhat similar to Four Seasons in Japan, but with a very different voice. Yuki Hirano has just graduated high school with no real prospects, so his parents send him to the small mountain town of Kamusari and forcibly enroll him in a forestry training program. Yuki doesn’t want to be here and is plotting his escape from the moment he arrives. But with no choice but to stay and make the best of it, Yuki begins to learn the traditional skills of forestry. While he learns how to trim and fell trees, he also develops an appreciation for the rural lifestyle he originally disdained and forms relationships that will leave a lasting mark on his life. I can’t wait to read the sequel, Kamusari Tales Told at Night. Translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters Carpenter. More info →
This premise is WILD: a prominent family hosts a party where 17 people die from cyanide in their drinks. The only clues to what happened are a mysterious scrap of verse and one survivor: Hisako, the blind daughter of the hosts. This intricate puzzle mystery and psychological thriller jumps around in time, place, and perspective, leaving the reader not entirely certain of what, exactly, happened. I found it fascinating, although ultimately, the resolution was not as satisfying as I prefer in my mysteries. However, the telling of the story is a work of art, giving the reader insight into Japanese culture and an atmospheric setting. Translated from the Japanese by Alison Watts. Content warnings apply. More info →
This 1975 classic, which became an award-winning streaming series on FX in 2024, follows English sailor John Blackthorne after he is marooned in Japan in 1600. From his original arrival and imprisonment to his eventual alliance with daimyo Toranaga and elevation to the samurai ranks, the story also follows Blackthorne’s love affair with a Japanese woman and his adoption of Japanese culture. Set against the backdrop of the Catholic and Protestant schism and the era of colonial exploration, Clavell’s novel is based on the journals of the first Englishman to reach Japan. Content warnings apply. More info →
Readers may know Japanologist Kempton from her previous book, WABI SABI: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life. When I heard about her forthcoming book (already released in the UK and out October 1 in the US), the description caught my imagination and I immediately added this title to my preorder list. I’m excited to read about Kempton’s travels in rural Japan and how her observations and experiences supported her during a time of grief. More info →
Do you have any favorite books set in or about Japan? Please share in the comments.
Holly Wielkoszewski is our What Should I Read Next Media Production Specialist. Her go-to genres are Fantasy and Sci-Fi. You can follow Holly on her Substack: A Liminal Life.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – The book was one of the top 10 fiction books of 2017 on the New York Times list and a finalist for the National Book Award. It was praised as an accurate historical account of the lives of a downtrodden people, forced from their homeland and exiled as Korea and Japan were torn apart by war.
Holly says:
Thanks for the recommendation, Carole – I love Pachinko, too, and that’s a great addition to this list!
Mariah says:
Pachinko is primarily a story about Korea and Koreans who are displaced in Japan. I would not recommend that novel as “Japan Literary Tourism”.
Cheryl Collins says:
Thank you for this list. I’ve always wanted to visit Japan and never will, but I love going there in my imagination. BTW I would also recommend ‘Miss Happiness and Miss Flower’ and ‘Little Plum’ by Rumer Godden. They are children’s books but will appeal to the little girl in all of us.
Holly says:
Thank you Cheryl, I haven’t read either of those and will have to go check them out!
Martha says:
Two of my favorite books!
Laura Reu says:
I got a chance to spend 2 weeks in Japan last fall and it was beautiful. Kyoto, Nara, Fukui prefecture- I’m glad we went into Osaka and saw smaller towns instead of Tokyo. Maruzen bookstore in Kyoto had a large English language section. I really liked the Devotion of Suspect X and Strange Weather in Tokyo.
Holly says:
Laura, isn’t it a beautiful country? I haven’t actually read Strange Weather in Tokyo yet so thank you for reminding me to put it on my priority TBR 🙂
Angela says:
I loved Pico Iyer’s The Lady and The Monk. The non-fiction book revolves around a budding relationship, as he falls for both a woman and Japan itself. His words paint lovely pictures of Kyoto and Japanese culture.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I’ve heard great things about this title, Angela—thanks for sharing it here!
Andrea says:
The Roads to Sata by Alan Booth follows the author’s walk from one end of Japan to the other and is both insightful and funny. Gaijin is another by James Clavell, this one set in the 1860s. He is top notch on the history and culture, as well as being a compelling story teller.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Andrea, I bought The Roads to Sata but haven’t had the chance to read it yet! I look forward to it!
Janice Cunning says:
A friend of mine who many years ago lived in Japan teaching English recommended one to me recently and I really enjoyed it. A Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Oh, I haven’t heard of this one. I love how much cats feature in Japanese fiction! Thanks for the recommendation.
Susan says:
For some reason I found myself reading a lot of japanese books this year.
If you like cats, Hiro Arikawa’s books The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat were great reads. There are some themes of dying, but they were treated respectfully and sensitively.
If you like mysteries, Susan Spann’s series the Shinobi mysteries was also a great read. The main characters, Hiro Hattori and Father Matteo solve whatever mystery comes their way, usually at risk to their lives. It is set in feudal Japan and features the Shinobi/ninja culture. If you loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon back in the day, this might be for you!
I loved the Traveling Cat Chronicles! I’ll definitely check out the Shinobi mysteries- those sound right up my alley. Thanks for sharing!
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Excellent, just added the Shinobi mysteries to my Storygraph. Thanks Susan!
Kelly says:
My book club recently read ‘What you are looking for is in the library’ by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts). It is a lovely story about this librarian in Tokyo who senses what people are searching for and recommends the right book to help them find it. The book follows five people as they are all at a crossroads in their life.
Jená says:
I second this recommendation and would add ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ for a similarly satisfying blend of wistfulness and hope.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I’ve seen this one everywhere, Kelly, and it sounds fantastic!
Nancy says:
I really enjoyed What You Are Looking For Is In the Library!
Elizabeth says:
Loved this book! I chose it for my book club and it was well liked.
Beverly Swanson says:
This stunner by Oswald Wynd. There was also a wonderful tv adaptation by either PBS or BBC. The Ginger Tree
suzy says:
Yes! I thought of that one, too!
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Oh, I will have to check that out. Thank you Beverly!
Guest says:
I’m currently listening to Abroad in Japan and laughing out loud in various parts. The narrator is the author and took part in the JET program where he taught English in a Japanese high school. He is British and has that wonderful dry sense of humor that I love about my British friends and colleagues.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I always enjoy British humor – this sounds like a great audiobook option!
Thank you so much for these books! I lived in Japan for 3 years and while I absolutely love manga, here are some other books about Japan or by Japanese authors that I also adored. The Road Through Miyama by Leila Philip (author’s memoir about her apprenticeship in a Japanese Pottery studio), Before the Coffee Gets Cold book series by Tochikazu Kawaguchi (short stories set in contemporary Tokyo around a cafe that can send you back in time), The River Ki and The Doctor’s Wife by Sawako Ariyoshi (both are about women in Japan from around the Meiji era and are classics in Japanese Literature), Kokoro by Natsume Soseki (a book exploring loneliness, love and friendship in Meiji Japan, though TW suicide is involved), and The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa (about a young man who adopts a cat and their travels together). I’ve found a lot of Japanese stories to be bittersweet and sad because that’s a huge part of their culture so many of these books have that.
And while a lot of people here probably don’t read much Manga, Barakamon by Satsuki Yoshino is a manga series about a young Tokyo calligrapher exiled to a rural island in southern Japan for punching a critic and learns about Rural Life. It’s cute and comedic and there’s a lot of Southern Japanese cultural history. Himawari House by Harmony Becker is a graphic novel about 3 girls who came to Japan to study abroad (one from the States, one from Korea, and one from Malaysia) and their year living together in a boarding house.
Keren Form says:
Putting the Manga on my TBR – thank you!
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Thank you for these wonderful recommendations, Jen—by TBR just got a lot longer!
Lisa says:
Thank you for this excellent list. Two additional books I enjoyed in anticipation of my spring trip to Japan were Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, and Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Yes! Two great suggestions, Lisa. I will admit that Convenience Store Woman wasn’t to my tastes, but I know so many readers love that story!
Janice says:
I also enjoyed those two books.
Heather L says:
These are two of my favorite books from Japan! Thanks for mentioning them. ☺️
Lee says:
We just visited Japan for the first time in June, and I read a lot of Japanese books before, during, and after our trip. My favorite by far was What You Are Looking for is in the Library. I love a weird little Japanese book. 🥰
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
So glad you were able to make that trip, Lee!
kristen says:
50 Words for Rain is a fabulous book for Japanese culture. This list is so timely as I am travelling to Japan in a few weeks.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Have an amazing trip, Kristen!
Kim says:
Just a friendly reminder from a small town librarian that that expensive book you want to read is probably available for free through your local public library. I live in Minnesota and it’s available through our state wide system. Thank you for this list!
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Thanks Kim – always a great reminder. I recently moved and just got my new library card so I will run this down!
Rebecca Merrell says:
Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata- I love all of his books.
Haruki Murakami
Hiromi Kawakami
Teru Miyamoto’s KINSHU Autumn Brocade
Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardner
The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Thank you for these additions, Rebecca!
Becky says:
I loved Lady Joker by Kaoru Takamura. It is a 2 book series. I believe it is based on a real crime that was never solved. It’s long but very good.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Oh, that sounds fascinating. Thanks Becky!
Melanie says:
This is perfect, I’m taking a trip to Japan in a couple months! I just added a number of books to my TBR from this post and the comments. I love that that so many of the (few) books translated from Japanese into English involve cats and books.
Over the past year I’ve been making an effort to read books set in Japan and by Japanese authors. Many have already been mentioned, but here is my list of recommendations:
Really Liked
The Housekeeper and the Professor, Yono Ogawa
Sweet Bean Paste, Durian Sukegawa
The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat, Hiro Arikawa
Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata
What You Are Looking for is in the Library, Michiko Aoyama
The Guest Cat, Takashi Hiraide
Confessions, Kanae Minato (dark and disturbing but well crafted)
Diary of a Void, Emi Yagi
Liked
Tales from the Cafe (series), Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Kamogawa Food Detectives, Hisashi Kashiwai
The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsuwaka
The Turtle House, Amanda Churchill
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I hope you have a wonderful trip, Melanie. Thanks for sharing all of your suggestions!
Keren says:
Agreed on Shogun! I’ve read it before 2 of my trips to Japan (and many other times) and it never disappoints.
I also just started Butter by Asako Yuzuki which I haven’t gotten far into yet but it’s great so far.
If you’re into comics/Manga there are so many that would be a fun primer for traveling to Japan – whether for the nerd culture or the tourism. There is so much background ambiance that is distinctly Japanese that you unconsciously learn – there was so much I recognized about culture, etc once I was there!
I based quite a few day trips off of Laid Back Camp – a Manga/anime about a group of girls who have a camping club and they go on countless beautiful trips to see Mount Fuji, etc. I also learned about the seasonal and regional food specialties to eat/get souvenirs (which is a must do if you ever get to travel there). There’s so much subject matter out there – basically you can find a subject you’re interested in and there is a Manga for it 🙂
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Keren, thanks for the Manga suggestions. That’s a genre I’ve not yet explored and Laid Back Camp sounds like a great entry point.
Elise says:
Earlier this summer I read The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa — a very sweet story about friendship and memory that also explores the wonder and weirdness of math and numbers. A bonus for me was learning a bit about Japanese professional baseball.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
This one is definitely on my list, Elise! Thanks so much.
Shauna says:
My family and I are going to Japan in October, so this is a timely list. We’ll have to add the bookstores to our Tokyo itinerary.
Yesterday I read The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada, a short Alice-in-Wonderland-type mindbender set in small-town Japan. I enjoyed the insights into Japanese culture. In addition to many books mentioned in the post and comments, I hope to read Pico Iyer’s A Beginner’s Guide To Japan before our trip.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Have a wonderful trip, Shauna!
Colleen says:
Being a big fan of historical fiction, I loved Shogun. A more recent read that I very much enjoyed was Fifty Words for Rain, by Asha Lemmie.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Colleen, I’m so glad Shogun was a good pick for you, too.
Suzy says:
Oh yeah! I read Shogun back in the day and fell in love with Japan, the language, the culture, everything! Shogun is responsible for it all! And, wait, you mention the 2024 series, but what about the original?? With Richard Chamberlain and Yoko Shimada?? Soo good. I memorized some of the Japanese dialogue (we learned right along with Richard Chamberlain) and I remember it to this day!
Thank you for your list, I wrote down several to look for. After Shogun, I found very few books about Japan, which included:
Gaijin by Clavell,
Japanese Inn by Oliver Statler,
The Lovely World of Ricki-San by Allan Bosworth
Sayonara by James Michener
Before the Blossoms Fall by Agnes N Keith
~~~None written by Japanese!
Since then, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Geisha, A Life, by M. Iwasaki
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by T. Kawaguchi
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
Convenience Store Woman by S. Murata
Chronicles of a Travelling Cat by H. Arikawa
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
~~But these are the ones I enjoyed best (after Shogun!):
Tales for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Japan took the J. A. P. out of me! by Lisa Fineberg Cook
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
and Fault Lines, that you listed!
Tales for the Time Being by Ruth O
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I’ve not seen the original, Suzy, but now I think I need to!
Paige Evers says:
I agree with another commenter that Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi is a unique and quick read. It offers a fascinating window on what it’s like to be a woman in the workplace in Japan. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa is charming, too.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I need to read both of these, so many have suggested them. Thanks for sharing, Paige!
Mark Renaud in Cape Town, South Africa says:
My son has been living and working in a small town, Utsunomiya, about 100km north of Tokyo. He loves it. This has aroused my interest in Japanese literature. These are some of the books I’ve enjoyed:
1. The Bookshop Woman, by Nanako Hanada – Nanako works at the eccentric Village Vanguard Bookshop in Tokyo. As Nanako’s life falls apart, reading books is the only thing giving her life.
2. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, by Satoshi Yagisawa – A young woman discovers the joy of reading.
3. What I Talk about when I talk about Running, by Haruki Murakami- part memoir, part training log.
Thanks so much for the books you have recommended – There look like some great reads there. Take care and keep up the great work.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Thanks so much Mark, glad you enjoyed and appreciate your recommendations as well!
Sandy says:
What You Are Looking for is in the Library! One of my top books. So charming.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Fantastic!
Victoria Lord says:
I loved reading Memoirs of a Geisha before visiting Kyoto.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Kyoto’s such a beautiful place, I am definitely looking for more books set there.
DebbieS says:
We read this for book club and I (a grownup Navy brat who lived in Japan)loved it!
The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns
Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage to the son of her father’s business associate would secure her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community, but Naoko has fallen for another man—an American sailor, a gaijin—and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.
America, present day. Tori Kovač, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation—one that calls into question everything she understood about him, her family and herself. Setting out to learn the truth behind the letter, Tori’s journey leads her halfway around the world to a remote seaside village in Japan, where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption.
In breathtaking prose and inspired by true stories from a devastating and little-known era in Japanese and American history, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
That sounds fascinating, Debbie. Thank you for sharing!
Nancy says:
I just finished the Rei Shimura mystery series by Sujata Massey. They definitely introduce you to the seamy side of present day Japan and some of the incidents are a little far fetched, but over all it was a fun series.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I love Massey’s Perveen Mistry series but haven’t yet read her Rei Shimura series. Glad that you enjoyed it!
Etta Buckley Clark says:
The Traveling Cat Chronicles!
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
I’ve heard such great things about this one!
Liz Heaney says:
Thank you for these great recommendations. Our son has lived in Japan for 26 years and we go there often. I am going to add many these titles to my TBR list. While the authors isn’t Japanese, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell is set in Nagasaki: “The year is 1799, the place Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, the “high-walled, fan-shaped artificial island” that is the Japanese Empire’s single port and sole window onto the world, designed to keep the West at bay; the farthest outpost of the war-ravaged Dutch East Indies Company; and a de facto prison for the dozen foreigners permitted to live and work there. hen the West was the period in Japanese history when the rest of the country was closed to foreigners.”
And if you like long epics (970 glorious pages!), I highly recommend Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa.
“The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Musashi is a novel in the best tradition of Japanese story telling. It is a living story, subtle and imaginative, teeming with memorable characters, many of them historical. Interweaving themes of unrequited love, misguided revenge, filial piety and absolute dedication to the Way of the Samurai, it depicts vividly a world Westerners know only vaguely.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Liz, Musashi is now on my holds list and I think it’s going to be a perfect fall/winter read. Thank you for the recommendations!
LizHeaney says:
Yay! Let me know how you like it. Taikido is another great read.
Debbie Burke says:
Absolutely must add is The Housekerper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa 💕
Martha Long says:
A Song for Nagasaki by Paul Glynn tells the story of Dr. Takashi Nagai, a radiologist who survived the bomb. At the sam time the author tells the history of the “hidden Christians/Catholics” in Japan. It is a beautiful story and I highly recommend it.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Wow, that sounds like an incredible account. Thanks for sharing, Martha.
Julie says:
I have lived in Japan for the last 14 years, so I love this list! I’m always looking for books set in Japan or by Japanese authors that have been translated into English. I love many of the books already mentioned, so let me add a few Middle Grade titles to the discussion. I am a Literacy teacher at an International school, and these are books I use with my students but recommend to adults all the time. 🙂
All the Ways Home by Elsie Chapman- about a Japanese boy who has mainly grown up in Canada but goes back to Japan to reconnect with his long lost father and brother. It has so many great descriptions of cultural differences and themes of fitting in and finding home.
Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki- translated from Japanese. This follows a group of Middle schoolers in Hiroshima 25 years after the atomic bomb.
Grenade by Alan Gratz- The Battle of Okinawa told from the perspective of an American soldier and Okinawan boy.
The Girl with the White Flag by Tomiko Higa- true account of the Battle of Okinawa.
And these are not middle grade, but Above the East China Sea and The Yokota Officers Club by Sarah Bird are great historical fiction books.
The Secrets of Mariko: A Year in the Life of a Japanese Woman and her Family by Elisabeth Bumiller- an American journalist spent a year observing a Japanese woman and her everyday life. This is a fascinating look at Japanese culture.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Julie, I love these recommendations which are nearly all new to me. Thank you for sharing!
Jennifer Swenson says:
I love all of these suggestions. I was in Japan in June 2024 and read many of the suggestions to prepare for the trip. We took the Bullet train a few times, and I listened to A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. The author narrates it, and it is an excellent listen. There are two narratives, and one primarily takes place in Japan (Tokyo and a remote mountain town). The other takes place in Canada.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Jennifer, what a great suggestion—I’m going to use one of my Libro.fm credits to get the audiobook. Thanks and so glad you enjoyed your trip to Japan!
Mary says:
Silence is the best book I’ve read that’s set in Japan. Not sure it would work for literary tourism — not particularly uplifting!
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Thanks for the suggestion, Mary!
Victoria Saxon says:
Have you read Untangling My Chopsticks: A Culinary Sojourn Into Kyoto by Victoria Abbott Riccardi? I actually borrowed it from my library but ended up purchasing it on Amazon I enjoyed it so much.
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
Victoria, I haven’t read that one yet but it sounds great. Appreciate the suggestion!
Caroline says:
I’m currently reading The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. It’s about a magical coffee shop run by talking cats who solve customers’ problems with astrology. Need I say more?
Holly Wielkoszewski says:
That sounds so delightful, Caroline!
Sarah says:
Last year I read How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino- it’s a coming of age story about a teenage boy being raised by his mother. Every time he makes a mistake, his grandfather provides wisdom that he takes with him. It’s a very quiet and sweet story, and I was reading that it’s one of those children’s books that most Japanese people would have read like Anne of Green Gables or Secret Garden might be over here. I really enjoyed it even if it’s not very action packed.
Kim K says:
Susan Spann’s Shinobi mysteries series has already been mentioned, but Susan has also written a memoir called Climb.
The book chronicles a pilgrimage of sorts as the author challenges herself to defeat lifelong fear by climbing 100 Japanese mountains in one year. Throw in sedentary middle-age and a simultaneous battle with breast cancer and the odds are definitely not “ever in [her] favor.”
The journey takes the reader across Japan and gives insight into the geography, culture, and foods of the country.
JoAnn Magers says:
An excellent book about Japanese food culture is Rice Noodle Fish by Roads & Kingdoms an Anthony Bourdan book. If you are interested in the Japanese culture you will love this book.
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90 comments
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – The book was one of the top 10 fiction books of 2017 on the New York Times list and a finalist for the National Book Award. It was praised as an accurate historical account of the lives of a downtrodden people, forced from their homeland and exiled as Korea and Japan were torn apart by war.
Thanks for the recommendation, Carole – I love Pachinko, too, and that’s a great addition to this list!
Pachinko is primarily a story about Korea and Koreans who are displaced in Japan. I would not recommend that novel as “Japan Literary Tourism”.
Thank you for this list. I’ve always wanted to visit Japan and never will, but I love going there in my imagination. BTW I would also recommend ‘Miss Happiness and Miss Flower’ and ‘Little Plum’ by Rumer Godden. They are children’s books but will appeal to the little girl in all of us.
Thank you Cheryl, I haven’t read either of those and will have to go check them out!
Two of my favorite books!
I got a chance to spend 2 weeks in Japan last fall and it was beautiful. Kyoto, Nara, Fukui prefecture- I’m glad we went into Osaka and saw smaller towns instead of Tokyo. Maruzen bookstore in Kyoto had a large English language section. I really liked the Devotion of Suspect X and Strange Weather in Tokyo.
Laura, isn’t it a beautiful country? I haven’t actually read Strange Weather in Tokyo yet so thank you for reminding me to put it on my priority TBR 🙂
I loved Pico Iyer’s The Lady and The Monk. The non-fiction book revolves around a budding relationship, as he falls for both a woman and Japan itself. His words paint lovely pictures of Kyoto and Japanese culture.
I’ve heard great things about this title, Angela—thanks for sharing it here!
The Roads to Sata by Alan Booth follows the author’s walk from one end of Japan to the other and is both insightful and funny. Gaijin is another by James Clavell, this one set in the 1860s. He is top notch on the history and culture, as well as being a compelling story teller.
Andrea, I bought The Roads to Sata but haven’t had the chance to read it yet! I look forward to it!
A friend of mine who many years ago lived in Japan teaching English recommended one to me recently and I really enjoyed it. A Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide.
Oh, I haven’t heard of this one. I love how much cats feature in Japanese fiction! Thanks for the recommendation.
For some reason I found myself reading a lot of japanese books this year.
If you like cats, Hiro Arikawa’s books The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat were great reads. There are some themes of dying, but they were treated respectfully and sensitively.
If you like mysteries, Susan Spann’s series the Shinobi mysteries was also a great read. The main characters, Hiro Hattori and Father Matteo solve whatever mystery comes their way, usually at risk to their lives. It is set in feudal Japan and features the Shinobi/ninja culture. If you loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon back in the day, this might be for you!
I loved the Traveling Cat Chronicles! I’ll definitely check out the Shinobi mysteries- those sound right up my alley. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent, just added the Shinobi mysteries to my Storygraph. Thanks Susan!
My book club recently read ‘What you are looking for is in the library’ by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts). It is a lovely story about this librarian in Tokyo who senses what people are searching for and recommends the right book to help them find it. The book follows five people as they are all at a crossroads in their life.
I second this recommendation and would add ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ for a similarly satisfying blend of wistfulness and hope.
I’ve seen this one everywhere, Kelly, and it sounds fantastic!
I really enjoyed What You Are Looking For Is In the Library!
Loved this book! I chose it for my book club and it was well liked.
This stunner by Oswald Wynd. There was also a wonderful tv adaptation by either PBS or BBC. The Ginger Tree
Yes! I thought of that one, too!
Oh, I will have to check that out. Thank you Beverly!
I’m currently listening to Abroad in Japan and laughing out loud in various parts. The narrator is the author and took part in the JET program where he taught English in a Japanese high school. He is British and has that wonderful dry sense of humor that I love about my British friends and colleagues.
I always enjoy British humor – this sounds like a great audiobook option!
Thank you so much for these books! I lived in Japan for 3 years and while I absolutely love manga, here are some other books about Japan or by Japanese authors that I also adored. The Road Through Miyama by Leila Philip (author’s memoir about her apprenticeship in a Japanese Pottery studio), Before the Coffee Gets Cold book series by Tochikazu Kawaguchi (short stories set in contemporary Tokyo around a cafe that can send you back in time), The River Ki and The Doctor’s Wife by Sawako Ariyoshi (both are about women in Japan from around the Meiji era and are classics in Japanese Literature), Kokoro by Natsume Soseki (a book exploring loneliness, love and friendship in Meiji Japan, though TW suicide is involved), and The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa (about a young man who adopts a cat and their travels together). I’ve found a lot of Japanese stories to be bittersweet and sad because that’s a huge part of their culture so many of these books have that.
And while a lot of people here probably don’t read much Manga, Barakamon by Satsuki Yoshino is a manga series about a young Tokyo calligrapher exiled to a rural island in southern Japan for punching a critic and learns about Rural Life. It’s cute and comedic and there’s a lot of Southern Japanese cultural history. Himawari House by Harmony Becker is a graphic novel about 3 girls who came to Japan to study abroad (one from the States, one from Korea, and one from Malaysia) and their year living together in a boarding house.
Putting the Manga on my TBR – thank you!
Thank you for these wonderful recommendations, Jen—by TBR just got a lot longer!
Thank you for this excellent list. Two additional books I enjoyed in anticipation of my spring trip to Japan were Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, and Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi.
Yes! Two great suggestions, Lisa. I will admit that Convenience Store Woman wasn’t to my tastes, but I know so many readers love that story!
I also enjoyed those two books.
These are two of my favorite books from Japan! Thanks for mentioning them. ☺️
We just visited Japan for the first time in June, and I read a lot of Japanese books before, during, and after our trip. My favorite by far was What You Are Looking for is in the Library. I love a weird little Japanese book. 🥰
So glad you were able to make that trip, Lee!
50 Words for Rain is a fabulous book for Japanese culture. This list is so timely as I am travelling to Japan in a few weeks.
Have an amazing trip, Kristen!
Just a friendly reminder from a small town librarian that that expensive book you want to read is probably available for free through your local public library. I live in Minnesota and it’s available through our state wide system. Thank you for this list!
Thanks Kim – always a great reminder. I recently moved and just got my new library card so I will run this down!
Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata- I love all of his books.
Haruki Murakami
Hiromi Kawakami
Teru Miyamoto’s KINSHU Autumn Brocade
Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardner
The Commoner by John Burnham Schwartz
Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
Thank you for these additions, Rebecca!
I loved Lady Joker by Kaoru Takamura. It is a 2 book series. I believe it is based on a real crime that was never solved. It’s long but very good.
Oh, that sounds fascinating. Thanks Becky!
This is perfect, I’m taking a trip to Japan in a couple months! I just added a number of books to my TBR from this post and the comments. I love that that so many of the (few) books translated from Japanese into English involve cats and books.
Over the past year I’ve been making an effort to read books set in Japan and by Japanese authors. Many have already been mentioned, but here is my list of recommendations:
Really Liked
The Housekeeper and the Professor, Yono Ogawa
Sweet Bean Paste, Durian Sukegawa
The Travelling Cat Chronicles and The Goodbye Cat, Hiro Arikawa
Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata
What You Are Looking for is in the Library, Michiko Aoyama
The Guest Cat, Takashi Hiraide
Confessions, Kanae Minato (dark and disturbing but well crafted)
Diary of a Void, Emi Yagi
Liked
Tales from the Cafe (series), Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Kamogawa Food Detectives, Hisashi Kashiwai
The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsuwaka
The Turtle House, Amanda Churchill
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa
I hope you have a wonderful trip, Melanie. Thanks for sharing all of your suggestions!
Agreed on Shogun! I’ve read it before 2 of my trips to Japan (and many other times) and it never disappoints.
I also just started Butter by Asako Yuzuki which I haven’t gotten far into yet but it’s great so far.
If you’re into comics/Manga there are so many that would be a fun primer for traveling to Japan – whether for the nerd culture or the tourism. There is so much background ambiance that is distinctly Japanese that you unconsciously learn – there was so much I recognized about culture, etc once I was there!
I based quite a few day trips off of Laid Back Camp – a Manga/anime about a group of girls who have a camping club and they go on countless beautiful trips to see Mount Fuji, etc. I also learned about the seasonal and regional food specialties to eat/get souvenirs (which is a must do if you ever get to travel there). There’s so much subject matter out there – basically you can find a subject you’re interested in and there is a Manga for it 🙂
Keren, thanks for the Manga suggestions. That’s a genre I’ve not yet explored and Laid Back Camp sounds like a great entry point.
Earlier this summer I read The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa — a very sweet story about friendship and memory that also explores the wonder and weirdness of math and numbers. A bonus for me was learning a bit about Japanese professional baseball.
This one is definitely on my list, Elise! Thanks so much.
My family and I are going to Japan in October, so this is a timely list. We’ll have to add the bookstores to our Tokyo itinerary.
Yesterday I read The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada, a short Alice-in-Wonderland-type mindbender set in small-town Japan. I enjoyed the insights into Japanese culture. In addition to many books mentioned in the post and comments, I hope to read Pico Iyer’s A Beginner’s Guide To Japan before our trip.
Have a wonderful trip, Shauna!
Being a big fan of historical fiction, I loved Shogun. A more recent read that I very much enjoyed was Fifty Words for Rain, by Asha Lemmie.
Colleen, I’m so glad Shogun was a good pick for you, too.
Oh yeah! I read Shogun back in the day and fell in love with Japan, the language, the culture, everything! Shogun is responsible for it all! And, wait, you mention the 2024 series, but what about the original?? With Richard Chamberlain and Yoko Shimada?? Soo good. I memorized some of the Japanese dialogue (we learned right along with Richard Chamberlain) and I remember it to this day!
Thank you for your list, I wrote down several to look for. After Shogun, I found very few books about Japan, which included:
Gaijin by Clavell,
Japanese Inn by Oliver Statler,
The Lovely World of Ricki-San by Allan Bosworth
Sayonara by James Michener
Before the Blossoms Fall by Agnes N Keith
~~~None written by Japanese!
Since then, Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Geisha, A Life, by M. Iwasaki
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by T. Kawaguchi
Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie
Convenience Store Woman by S. Murata
Chronicles of a Travelling Cat by H. Arikawa
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
~~But these are the ones I enjoyed best (after Shogun!):
Tales for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Japan took the J. A. P. out of me! by Lisa Fineberg Cook
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
and Fault Lines, that you listed!
Tales for the Time Being by Ruth O
I’ve not seen the original, Suzy, but now I think I need to!
I agree with another commenter that Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi is a unique and quick read. It offers a fascinating window on what it’s like to be a woman in the workplace in Japan. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa is charming, too.
I need to read both of these, so many have suggested them. Thanks for sharing, Paige!
My son has been living and working in a small town, Utsunomiya, about 100km north of Tokyo. He loves it. This has aroused my interest in Japanese literature. These are some of the books I’ve enjoyed:
1. The Bookshop Woman, by Nanako Hanada – Nanako works at the eccentric Village Vanguard Bookshop in Tokyo. As Nanako’s life falls apart, reading books is the only thing giving her life.
2. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, by Satoshi Yagisawa – A young woman discovers the joy of reading.
3. What I Talk about when I talk about Running, by Haruki Murakami- part memoir, part training log.
Thanks so much for the books you have recommended – There look like some great reads there. Take care and keep up the great work.
Thanks so much Mark, glad you enjoyed and appreciate your recommendations as well!
What You Are Looking for is in the Library! One of my top books. So charming.
Fantastic!
I loved reading Memoirs of a Geisha before visiting Kyoto.
Kyoto’s such a beautiful place, I am definitely looking for more books set there.
We read this for book club and I (a grownup Navy brat who lived in Japan)loved it!
The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns
Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage to the son of her father’s business associate would secure her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community, but Naoko has fallen for another man—an American sailor, a gaijin—and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.
America, present day. Tori Kovač, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation—one that calls into question everything she understood about him, her family and herself. Setting out to learn the truth behind the letter, Tori’s journey leads her halfway around the world to a remote seaside village in Japan, where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption.
In breathtaking prose and inspired by true stories from a devastating and little-known era in Japanese and American history, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.
That sounds fascinating, Debbie. Thank you for sharing!
I just finished the Rei Shimura mystery series by Sujata Massey. They definitely introduce you to the seamy side of present day Japan and some of the incidents are a little far fetched, but over all it was a fun series.
I love Massey’s Perveen Mistry series but haven’t yet read her Rei Shimura series. Glad that you enjoyed it!
The Traveling Cat Chronicles!
I’ve heard such great things about this one!
Thank you for these great recommendations. Our son has lived in Japan for 26 years and we go there often. I am going to add many these titles to my TBR list. While the authors isn’t Japanese, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell is set in Nagasaki: “The year is 1799, the place Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, the “high-walled, fan-shaped artificial island” that is the Japanese Empire’s single port and sole window onto the world, designed to keep the West at bay; the farthest outpost of the war-ravaged Dutch East Indies Company; and a de facto prison for the dozen foreigners permitted to live and work there. hen the West was the period in Japanese history when the rest of the country was closed to foreigners.”
And if you like long epics (970 glorious pages!), I highly recommend Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa.
“The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Musashi is a novel in the best tradition of Japanese story telling. It is a living story, subtle and imaginative, teeming with memorable characters, many of them historical. Interweaving themes of unrequited love, misguided revenge, filial piety and absolute dedication to the Way of the Samurai, it depicts vividly a world Westerners know only vaguely.
Liz, Musashi is now on my holds list and I think it’s going to be a perfect fall/winter read. Thank you for the recommendations!
Yay! Let me know how you like it. Taikido is another great read.
Absolutely must add is The Housekerper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa 💕
A Song for Nagasaki by Paul Glynn tells the story of Dr. Takashi Nagai, a radiologist who survived the bomb. At the sam time the author tells the history of the “hidden Christians/Catholics” in Japan. It is a beautiful story and I highly recommend it.
Wow, that sounds like an incredible account. Thanks for sharing, Martha.
I have lived in Japan for the last 14 years, so I love this list! I’m always looking for books set in Japan or by Japanese authors that have been translated into English. I love many of the books already mentioned, so let me add a few Middle Grade titles to the discussion. I am a Literacy teacher at an International school, and these are books I use with my students but recommend to adults all the time. 🙂
All the Ways Home by Elsie Chapman- about a Japanese boy who has mainly grown up in Canada but goes back to Japan to reconnect with his long lost father and brother. It has so many great descriptions of cultural differences and themes of fitting in and finding home.
Soul Lanterns by Shaw Kuzki- translated from Japanese. This follows a group of Middle schoolers in Hiroshima 25 years after the atomic bomb.
Grenade by Alan Gratz- The Battle of Okinawa told from the perspective of an American soldier and Okinawan boy.
The Girl with the White Flag by Tomiko Higa- true account of the Battle of Okinawa.
And these are not middle grade, but Above the East China Sea and The Yokota Officers Club by Sarah Bird are great historical fiction books.
The Secrets of Mariko: A Year in the Life of a Japanese Woman and her Family by Elisabeth Bumiller- an American journalist spent a year observing a Japanese woman and her everyday life. This is a fascinating look at Japanese culture.
Julie, I love these recommendations which are nearly all new to me. Thank you for sharing!
I love all of these suggestions. I was in Japan in June 2024 and read many of the suggestions to prepare for the trip. We took the Bullet train a few times, and I listened to A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. The author narrates it, and it is an excellent listen. There are two narratives, and one primarily takes place in Japan (Tokyo and a remote mountain town). The other takes place in Canada.
Jennifer, what a great suggestion—I’m going to use one of my Libro.fm credits to get the audiobook. Thanks and so glad you enjoyed your trip to Japan!
Silence is the best book I’ve read that’s set in Japan. Not sure it would work for literary tourism — not particularly uplifting!
Thanks for the suggestion, Mary!
Have you read Untangling My Chopsticks: A Culinary Sojourn Into Kyoto by Victoria Abbott Riccardi? I actually borrowed it from my library but ended up purchasing it on Amazon I enjoyed it so much.
Victoria, I haven’t read that one yet but it sounds great. Appreciate the suggestion!
I’m currently reading The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. It’s about a magical coffee shop run by talking cats who solve customers’ problems with astrology. Need I say more?
That sounds so delightful, Caroline!
Last year I read How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino- it’s a coming of age story about a teenage boy being raised by his mother. Every time he makes a mistake, his grandfather provides wisdom that he takes with him. It’s a very quiet and sweet story, and I was reading that it’s one of those children’s books that most Japanese people would have read like Anne of Green Gables or Secret Garden might be over here. I really enjoyed it even if it’s not very action packed.
Susan Spann’s Shinobi mysteries series has already been mentioned, but Susan has also written a memoir called Climb.
The book chronicles a pilgrimage of sorts as the author challenges herself to defeat lifelong fear by climbing 100 Japanese mountains in one year. Throw in sedentary middle-age and a simultaneous battle with breast cancer and the odds are definitely not “ever in [her] favor.”
The journey takes the reader across Japan and gives insight into the geography, culture, and foods of the country.
An excellent book about Japanese food culture is Rice Noodle Fish by Roads & Kingdoms an Anthony Bourdan book. If you are interested in the Japanese culture you will love this book.
I would recommend The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. He also wrote The Goodbye Cat, but I haven’t read that one yet.
Here is my review of The Traveling Cat Chronicles.
https://www.sincerelystacie.com/2019/03/book-review-the-travelling-cat-chronicles-by-hiro-arikawa/
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