During three years of solitary confinement, he delves into the classics of Japan and China. The lovely Otsu, seeing in Musashi her ideal of manliness, frees him from his tortuous punishment, but he is recaptured and imprisoned. On his way home, he commits a rash act, becomes a fugitive and brings life in his own village to a standstill-until he is captured by a weaponless Zen monk. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai-without really knowing what it meant-he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed and wounded among thousands of the dead and dying. Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. How many of these books have you read or plan to read on this list? Let us know in the comments below.The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman.

The scary movie was released in the early 2000’s which was based on Koji Suzuki’s novel. The novel was written in the 11 th century in an archaic language and it was in the 20 th century that it was translated into modern Japanese.Īnother book on this list that you may have heard of is called Ring by Koji Suzuki. It is considered to be the first work of literature in Japan’s history and often debated to be the first novel ever written.

In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro TanizakiĮven if you are unfamiliar with Japan, you may have heard of The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.

Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn.

Dragon Sword and Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara.

The Lonesome Bodybuilder by Yukiko Motoya.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell.

Night on the Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.

Taiko: An Epic Novel of War and Glory in Feudal Japan by Eiji Yoshikawa.

The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki.

The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Matsuo Basho.

The Seven Samurai and Other Screenplays by Akira Kurosawa.

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro.

The Tale of the Heike by Multiple Authors.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa.

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami.

The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi.

Almost Transparent Blue by Ryu Murakami.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata.

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima.

The Gossamer Years by Michitsuna no Haha.

The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura.

Even if you know little about Japan, it is hard to deny the influence Japan has had in Western culture in the past few decades. The good news is that there will be 50 books that will get a much-deserved spotlight. Like any list, many great books will be left off the list.

Musashi eiji yoshikawa book