Top 10 Books That Help to Understand Japanese Culture

I am quite interested in Japanese culture and history and have also read some books regarding that. I am no expert in this field, nevertheless, I'd love to share with you some books that helped me understand Japanese people a little bit. These are not textbooks. The following books are of various kind, are easy and fun to read, and one can get the right feeling of either historical or contemporary Japan since some concepts are rooted in this nation's ancient history.

10. Kusamakura - Natsume Sōseki

Novels by Natsume Sōseki describe Japanese culture right after western culture flooded Japan. These books describe the rapid changes that happened in Japan in contrast to contemplative escape into the inner peaceful garden or to the depths of nature.

9. The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Matsuo Bashō

This belongs to the classics of Japanese literature. Simply enjoy a poetic description of the 17th century Japan's countryside and contemplations of a renowned poet.

8. Hagakure - Yamamoto Tsunetomo

This book is probably the closest description of the concept of bushido. Samurai, especially in the Edo period, cherished the physical, martial arts-related, and also spiritual inner way of the warrior. The main idea is the constant awareness of possible death which is not to be understood in a negative way. The point is to value life as something fragile and beautiful, where every moment is worth living.

7. The Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi

A must-read book for all people interested in martial arts. The author of this book, famous and extremely skilled samurai swordsman, shares not only his advice on the swordfight techniques, but also on living a worth life and dealing with obstacles on the life's way.

6. The Anatomy of Dependence - Takeo Doi

Being the part of the group plays a major role in Japanese society. This easy-to-understand research thesis explores the roots of the dependence on people around which might lead to a childish behavior of individual, probably internally seeking the parent-child relationship with the society.

5. Musui's Story - Kokichi Katsu

There are many books about famous samurai who ruled the land, but what did ordinary samurai live like? This book is an unique autobiography of a middle-class samurai who describes his life, which sometimes looks miserable but also fun to live.

4. Silence - Shūsaku Endō

This novel, and a 2016 movie, are masterpieces based on a true story of catholic priests who came to Japan in the 17th century to spread Christianity. The main topic of this book is the cultural and religious clash between the western world and isolated Japan.

3. Heike Monogatari

A historical novel about the downfall of a mighty warrior clan, who ruled the nation. The story is not just a historical record, but also contains parts of Buddhist philosophy about the impermanence of all things.

2. Kojiki - Ō no Yasumaro

Shinto plays a major role in Japanese culture and is present everywhere as a national religion. The Emperor himself is the highest priest of Shinto and the Shinto shrines are places that many Japanese visit regularly, every day. This compilation of ancient Japanese myths is a fundamental book for this religion.

1. The Japanese Mind - Roger J. Davies & Osamu Ikeno

This book is a nice compilation of essays, written by Japanese university students, regarding topics closely related to the unique traits of Japanese culture. Each chapter discusses a different cultural subject, especially those that seem to be unique and differ from other cultures. This is really a great guide that explains the most important terms used when describing various typically Japanese social behaviors.

I'd also love to mention books by James Clavell who, after imprisonment in Singapore during WWII discovered the Asian culture and later wrote some well-known books regarding Japan during the samurai era, usually from the foreigners point of view. Shogun and Gai-Jin are examples of these books. I hope you found something new and exciting to read here. Let me bid you farewell by sharing a video of one of my trips to the land of the rising sun:

Keywords: Japan, culture, history
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