4 Best Short Japanese Books To Read Over The Weekend

 

The weekend ahead and want to read something cozy and short? These 4 Japanese books will be perfect to keep you up for the weekend. Japanese literature is drenched in themes of ethereal beauty, surrealism, and existentialism. You’ll find novels that delve into social criticism, obsession with coffee or cats, the comfort of a bookshop, etc. These beautiful books would be the best partners for a small journey or a lazy weekend. 

Japanese Books for the Weekend

1. Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Any book lover’s solace would be to live surrounded by books. That is the life that the main protagonist of this novel, Takako is living, though she is not even the least bit interested in books. Jimbocho, a book lover’s paradise is a place hidden in Tokyo, filled with antiquarian bookshops. 

After a bumpy relationship, Takako takes up with her uncle, Satoru, on the offer to live rent-free in a room above the Morisaki Bookshop.  Takako discovers the new world of words that engulf her and protects her from being broken after her relationship.  

Days At The Morisaki Bookshop discovers the relationship between a reader and the literature. Takako discovers what impact is held under the pages of the books that became part of her life. It’s her journey to discover herself once again and find joy in reading and new relationships. A perfect read for those obsessed with bookshops. 

2. After Dark by Haruki Murakami 

After Dark covers the journey of Asai Mari and the people she interacts with in one night. Mari is able to form close connections through these late-night interactions and learn more about herself and her sister, Eri, who has been sleeping for two months. 

The main theme that surrounds the book is ‘identity’, as each of the characters is on a path of exploring themselves. They question their existence and their feelings of alienation and loneliness. 

Mari’s encounters include a young man who plays the trombone, an intimidating woman who runs a love hotel and a mysterious Chinese girl. Murakami creates a relaxed ambience through his references to music, movies and the world of the night. It’s perfect for overnight readers. 

3. Before The Coffee Gets Cold

“If you could go back, who would you want to meet?”  This beautiful novel traverses the theme of time travel through stories of various characters who are stricken with grief or regret and how they make amends by travelling back in time. Set in a small back alley cafe in Tokyo, this shop offers its customers a unique chance to travel back in time. 

Kazu Tokita, the waitress at the Café Funiculi Funicula, is the main protagonist that is constant throughout the stories of various characters. We meet a woman trying to get back with her boyfriend, a man with Alzheimer’s wanting to gift his wife a letter, a sister who wants to see her younger sibling one last time and a mother who wishes to meet her daughter she never got the chance to know. Each of them hopes to make use of the cafe’s special abilities. 

The journey into the past may seem magical but it isn’t without risks. There are various rules set for anyone to travel. Amongst them, one that is dreaded by everyone and also a deterrent for the most is the one where their actions cannot change the future. Explore how each of these characters travels back in time for their loved ones and makes peace with their minds and hearts despite the heavy rules of travelling. A perfect read for coffee lovers as the narratives are all intertwined by the essence of coffee.

4. Men without Women by Haruki Murakami  

This is a Japanese short story collection that explores the relations between men and women in this world. It revolves around the theme of lonely men in the seven stories presented by Murakami. It depicts men in a vulnerable light where they try to overcome their griefs and sorrows after the departure of their loved ones. 

Men without women are comforted through the frequented visits to a jazz bar or in the solace of their cats. There is a certain melancholy surrounding the protagonists of these stories as they are informed of their lovers’ deaths. We come across characters who received phone calls about his childhood sweetheart committing suicide and other calls from his dead girlfriend’s husband.   

Many of the titles of these stories are inspired by Beatles songs, such as “Yesterday” or “Drive My Car”.  Each of these stories is memorable and reveals a conflicting side shown by these men without women.