“Read Real Japanese Fiction” translated by Michael Emmerich “Short Stories in Japanese” translated by Michael Emmerich “Exploring Japanese Literature” translated by Giles Murray “Breaking into Japanese Literature” translated by Giles Murray “The Cat That Lived a Million Times” by Yoko Sano “The Elephant Vanishes” by Haruki Murakami “Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman” by Haruki Murakami

“Palm-of-the-Hand Stories” by Yasunari Kawabata

“Shinichi Hoshi Short Short Selection” by Shinichi Hoshi

“Ichiyo Higuchi Complete Works” by Ichiyo Higuchi “Koizumi Yakumo Complete Works” by Koizumi Yakumo “A Treasury of Japanese Folktales” by Yuri Yasuda “Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination” by Edogawa Ranpo “Teach Us To Outgrow Our Madness” by Kenzaburō Ōe Here are 17 well-known Japanese short stories (and short story collections) to add some fun to your bookshelf! So maybe it’s time to swap your usual books for some authentic Japanese short stories. I know I do, but since travel isn’t always possible, watching Japanese films, and especially reading Japanese books is the next best thing. Overall, it’s a fun read and is deserving of your time.ApJapanese Short Stories: 17 Captivating Stories and Collections To Read in 2023ĭo you sometimes find yourself daydreaming about visiting Japan? However, I think all readers could be able to enjoy this book just as much. I would highly recommend this book to readers that are just starting to get into horror stories, but don’t want to start off with a book that’s overwhelming. That’s where the feeling of horror comes from.įor most, the stories in Japanese Tales of Mystery & Imagination aren’t very high on the horror spectrum. If someone had read to me any of those stories and told me it was a true story, I would’ve believed them. What really disturbed me was how realistic these stories seemed. With his imagination and straight-forward writing, Edogawa wrote excellent, disturbing worlds driven by corrupted human motives. I remember hearing my heart in my ears and being so engrossed with the story that I had refused to do anything until I finished it. It left me with the feelings of disgust and horror at once. Of the nine short stories, “The Human Chair” was the most memorable. Every story didn’t disappoint they were spine-chilling page-turners. Edogawa added an unexpected twist to each of them that I could not have predicted. I’ve read this again and again and never managed to get sick of it.Įach short story managed to scare and surprise me. Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination is a collection of nine mystery and psychological horror short stories, such as “The Caterpillar” and “The Red Chamber”.

Japanese tales of mystery & imagination