Kawabata, for example, wrote some of the greatest novels of all time such as Snow Country and Thousand Cranes. In both of these books, he explores the relationship between beauty, lust and love in a near ethereal landscape.
Junichiro Tanizaki
One of the best Japanese authors of all time, Junichiro Tanizaki, was a novelist, essayist and playwright. He is known for his stylistic virtuosity and depiction of unusual psychological situations.
He had a deep interest in Japan's past and was especially fascinated with culture in the Kansai region. In 1923 he moved to Kyoto and started writing.
His first book was "Chijin no ai" or "Naomi", published around 1924 to 1925. It reflects Tanizaki's interests in sexual obsession, class exploration and cultural identity.
In his next major work, "Sasameyuki" or "Light Snow", published in 1943-1948 and translated into English as "The Makioka Sisters" in 1957, Tanizaki portrayed a loving recollection of the refined domestic life of an Osaka merchant family. This novel is considered to be a classic of Japanese literature.
Kobo Abe
Abe, who was born in Tokyo but spent most of his life in Manchuria, was a member of an avant-garde group that sought to fuse surrealist techniques with Marxist ideology. He wrote many experimental stories and won several literary prizes.
In his best-known works, Abe explored the theme of an alienated protagonist trying to find meaning in an increasingly bizarre world. He drew inspiration from Kafka and Beckett, and his narratives are often quite dark.
One of his most acclaimed books, The Box Man (1962), tells the story of a nameless protagonist who wears a cardboard box over his head and wanders Tokyo. In his strange world, the box man is surrounded by an array of odd people who try to take advantage of him.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Ryunosuke Akutagawa was one of the best Japanese authors of all time. He wrote many short stories and had a great influence on Akira Kurosawa's famous film called Rashomon.
In his earliest writings, Akutagawa reinterpreted classical Chinese and Japanese tales. He was a highly skilled stylist who favored macabre themes.
He also possessed a Zen taste for paradox, dramatizing the complexities of human psychology. These traits make his writings difficult to read but they are rewarding.
Akutagawa was born in Tokyo, Japan on March 1, 1892, but his mother "went insane" before he was nine months old. After her death, he was adopted by his maternal uncle and received the name Akutagawa.
Osamu Dazai
Osamu Dazai is one of the most influential modern authors in Japan, and has influenced many other writers around the world. He is most famous for his novel No Longer Human, which is considered a classic.
The author also wrote a lot of other great works. He had a very successful career, but unfortunately suffered from alcoholism and depression.
Despite this, he was able to successfully finish the book before committing suicide. He died with his last love, Tomie Yamazaki.
Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami is one of the most famous and celebrated Japanese authors of all time. His works are acclaimed all over the world and are known for their elements of surrealism and nihilism.
His most famous books include Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore. These novels are very popular among Japanese youth and helped him become a household name.
He was born in Kyoto, Japan on January 12, 1949 and studied theater arts at Waseda University. After graduating he started working at a coffee and jazz bar named Peter Cat with his wife.
He began writing at the age of twenty-nine and published his first book Hear the Wind Sing at thirty-one. It was a success and he continued to write. He has since written over 30 books.
