Japan Literature Fiction

Honour, duty, courage - all these are qualities revered in Japanese tradition. Add to these magic, mystery and above all wit and humour and you are instantly transported into the magical world of Japanese fairy tales.

エクセレントコーヒーの契約社員、有田泉は社内の誰もが認める“親切な” 女子社員だ。上司や同僚の好みを完璧に覚えてコーヒーを入れ、つまらない雑用も笑顔でこなす。しかしそれは、エリートばかりの会

Eliza Altairsky-Lointaine is the toast of Moscow society, a beautiful actress in an infamous theatre troupe. Her love life is as colourful as the parts she plays. She is the estranged wife of a descendant of Genghis Khan. And her ex-husband has threatened to kill anyone who courts her. He appears to be making good on his promise. Fandorin is contacted by a concerned friend - the widowed wife of Chekhov - who asks him to investigate an alarming incident involving Eliza.

"WA" is a Japanese word that describes, or encompasses, the “essence” of what it is to “be Japanese”. This spirit is intricately woven throughout these stories as fantastic creatures, fearsome monsters, animals that are all too human, and people that are, well, all too human too. They make choices and fateful decisions that'll take each character on journeys that are terrifying and miraculous, whimsical and thought-provoking, mysterious, magical, and uniquely Japanese. Come along and join them, as life’s lessons are learned, or sometimes not.

Japanese Folktales is the most complete collection of Japanese stories in English. It introduces listeners to the enchanting world of ghouls, goblins, ogres, sea kings, magical birds, dragons and of course, Momotaro, the lovable Peach Boy.

Issun-boshi is a tiny boy, no taller than one sun (3 cm), but he is brave and spirited. With a needle as a sword, he rides down the river in a wooden bowl to find work in the capital. A lord hires him to guard his daughter, the princess. During an outing, the princess is attacked by ogres and Issun-boshi saves her. The ogres leave a mallet, or hammer, behind. The mallet is magical and it will change Issun-boshi's life forever.

The year is 1861. After two centuries of isolation, Japan has opened its doors to the West. And as foreign ships threaten to rain destruction on the Shogun’s castle in Edo, a small group of American missionaries has arrived to spread the word of their God. They have yet to realize that their future in Japan has already been foreseen. For a young nobleman has dreamt that his life will be saved by an outsider in the New Year . . . and it is said that Lord Genji has the gift of prophecy.

We have selected for you nine of the best Japanese myths and fairy tales. Not unlike the western folk tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm, these stories faithfully preserve the spirit of medieval Japan, while rendered in a translation accessible to all ages.

押す？ 引く？ 息が止まるくらいに刺激的な恋の駆け引きが始まる。元彼の結婚式を担当することになった気の毒なウエディングプランナー、市原聖奈。

A selection of eight fairy tales from the book Tales of Old Japan by A B Mitford: The Tongue-Cut Sparrow, The Accomplished and Lucky Tea-Kettle, The Crackling Mountain, The Battle of the Ape and the Crab, The Adventures of Little Peachling, The Foxes' Wedding, The History of Sakata Kintoki, The Elves and the Envious Neighbour

في كتاب "المرأة التي تجلب المطر" للكاتبة إلينيد جراميش، الحائزة على جائزة الكتابة الويلزية، تأخذنا إلينيد في رحلتها لاكتشاف أرض غريبة، جزيرة هوكايدو في شمال الأرخبيل الياباني. تعايش الكاتبة اليابانيين خطوة بعد خطوة، وتتعلم لغتهم، كما تتنقل بنا بين طبيعة جزيرة هوكايدو وتاريخها وثقافتها. يبدأ الكتاب بتعرف إلينيد على عائلتها المضيفة، حيث تتكيف تدريجياً مع طرقهم في العيش، ويزداد تمكنها من اللغة اليابانية.

The regulars at the magical Cafe Funiculi Funicula are well acquainted with its famous legend and extraordinary, secret menu time travel offering. Many patrons have reunited with old flames, made amends with estranged family, and visited loved ones. But the journey is not without risks and there are rules to follow. Travellers must have visited the cafe previously and most importantly, must return to the present in the time it takes for their coffee to go cold.

読んでるあなたも共犯者？32歳無職、天草美晴は高額報酬につられ、ゴミ屋敷の掃除を引き受けた。チームを組んだ女性2人の挙動が明らかにおかしい。もしや強盗犯？

かくして前世と現世が交差し―― リオは美しき春の少女と巡り会う。両親の故郷カラスキを出立したその足で、ラティーファたちの待つ精霊の里を訪れたリオ。

An old warrior is confronted with the truth of himself and his actions as he is stripped of all his accolades, merits, and honors in an instant, and is forced to live in the worst of conditions. Yet through the gift of solitude, he learns to forgive himself in order to forgive his wife. And as his life takes yet another unexpected turn back to the joys of freedom, he begins to understand what it truly means to live in peace.

A dream I wish to have in the night most often isn’t about dating a Hollywood star or making a great hit song. It’s not about my parents saying to me with tears, “We were wrong. We’re sorry”, either. It’s about numbers. I once saw a woman on TV who won four million dollars by the lottery with the numbers she had seen in her dream. Shortly after that, I myself saw numbers in my dream and began to buy a lottery ticket with those numbers.

Nicht nur die Brüder Grimm oder Hans Christian Andersen haben Märchen gesammelt oder geschrieben, auch in anderen Ländern ist das Märchen selbstverständlich kulturelles Volksgut. In Japan wurden und werden gerne Märchen erzählt - wie diese feine Sammlung von zwanzig wunderbaren Geschichten beweist! Einige Themen kommen uns bekannt vor, anderes ist ganz neu - und natürlich mit dem Kolorit des Asiatischen versehen!

Singapore, 1941: Singapore City lights up with explosions as the first Japanese bombs rain down. Until now, the war has seemed a distant threat for Issey and her friends, drinking and dancing at Raffles. But with the Japanese invasion looming, Issey knows she must leave. Mysterious, handsome Alex Cartwright has sworn he will see her to safety. Cornwall, 2025: Nursing a broken heart, Lamorna flees her life in Singapore, returning to Trelenna, her Cornish family home. With ambitious plans to save and finance the crumbling house, her sister Zennor needs Lamorna’s help.

両親の故郷で語られるリオ出生の秘密とは!?精霊の里の民たちとの充実した生活に別れを告げ、遂に当初の目的であった両親の故郷ヤグモに辿りついたリオ。

These six plays are Japanese classics from the 14th century and are presented in the order of a traditional Nō programme. Nō, the Japanese word for "skill", is a form of Japanese musical drama that originated in the eighth century, and is the oldest major theatre art that still survives today. Alongside Nō plays were kyōgen plays, which were short works typically inserted as a comedic interlude of sorts between the more classical Nō performances.