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Read Japanese Literature

Alison Fincher

A podcast about Japanese literature and some of its best works

New episodes more-or-less monthly

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22 episodes
every few months
Avg 55 min
English

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S6 · E2
Monday · 1 hr 1 min
Japanese Horror Stories
This episode is rated mature. Horror and uncanny stories are fundamental elements of Japanese storytelling. We’ll start with a note about genre in general and “horror” in particular. We’ll continue with a discussion of horror in traditional Japanese storytelling, especially the kaidan popular in Edo Japan. We’ll move on to the decline and rebirth of kaidan and uncanny fiction between the Meiji Restoration and the Pacific War before we discuss Japanese horror fiction of the last 70 years. Then we’ll wrap up our conversation today with Ryu Murakami, especially his novel In the Miso Soup. cw: fictional violence, fictional sexual assault Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. Buy your copy of In the Miso Soup on Bookshop to support the podcast. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S6 · E1
August 29 · 1 hr 3 min
Japanese Women Writers
This episode is rated mature. For decades, writing by women was treated as its own separate genre in Japan, joryu bungaku. In today's episode, we’ll start with an explanation of why joryu bungaku became its own separate genre. We’ll move on to the story of women’s writing between the Meiji Era and the Pacific War and then immediately after the Pacific War. We’ll zoom in on three writers who really changed the narrative for women’s writing in Japan—Taeko Kono, Takako Takahashi, and Yumiko Kurahashi—and then talk very briefly about how women’s writing has changed since these women debuted in the 1960s. And we’ll wrap up with a discussion of Taeko Kono’s story “Toddler Hunting”, translated by Lucy North. cw: sadism/masochism, violence against women and children, rape as motifs and in fiction Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. Buy your copy of Toddler-Hunting and Other Stories on Bookshop to support the podcast. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S5 · E6
June 25 · 59 min
Aum Anxiety in Japanese Fiction
In this episode, we examine the history of the Aum Affair and its lasting impact on Japanese fiction. We'll start out with the history of new religions in Japan, including Aum Shinrikyo. We'll take a look at Haruki Murakami's non-fiction book, Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche. We'll move on to an examination of four novels that respond directly to Aum or the Aum attacks—Keiichiro Hirano's Eclipse, Kenzaburo Oe's Somersault, Banana Yoshimoto's The Lake, and Haruki Murakami's 1Q84. And we'll end with a discussion of three novels that I'll argue show the new religion's continuing influence—Kikuo Tsumura's There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job, Sayaka Murata's Earthlings, and Erika Kobayashi's Trinity, Trinity, Trinity. cw: terrorist attack resulting in injury and death, religions some people think of as cults, fictional cannibalism Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S5 · E5
May 11 · 57 min
Yasunari Kawabata
In this episode, we're taking a look at Yasunari Kawabata's life and work. As we tell his story, we'll ask ourselves two big questions. Is Kawabata really a traditionalist? And what is up with the way he writes about adolescent girls? cw: author suicide, problematic imagery about adolescent girls Buy The Dancing Girl of Izu and Other Stories (translated by J. Martin Holman) on Bookshop to support RJL. Join the RJL Patreon to support RJL and for nine minutes of bonus content— including comparisons between Noh plays and Kawabata's writing, thoughts about queer readings of two Kawabata stories, and skepticism about Donald Keene's description of Keene as "a master of feminine psychology". Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S5 · E4
February 10 · 1 hr 3 min
Japanese Monster Stories on the Big Screen: Godzilla and Mothra
In this episode, we look at the writers behind two of Japan's greatest movie monsters—Godzilla and Mothra. We'll start out by looking at Godzilla—its context, author, and story—before we turn to Mothra. We'll close with a reflection on why the stories behind the movies are important, even for people who have already seen the films. Buy Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama on Bookshop to support RJL. Buy The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Shinichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta on Bookshop to support RJL. Join the RJL Patreon to support RJL and for six minutes of Godzilla bonus content—more information about its context, author, and American adaptation. Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. *correction: Please note that this episode incorrectly states the only other translated fiction by an author mentioned in this episode is Takehiko Fukunaga's Flowers of Grass. There is also translated fiction available by Yoshie Hotta. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S5 · E3
Dec 14, 2025 · 48 min
The Japanese Cell Phone Novel
In this episode, we take a look at the Japanese cell phone novel and the classic story of Train Man. We’re going to start today by explaining the Japanese cell phone novel, including some relevant background like the history of serialized publishing in Japan and the rise of Japanese cell phone culture. We’ll spend some time on the early 2000s internet culture, especially on-line message boards. And today’s focus text is Train Man, attributed to Hitori Nakano and translated into English by Bonnie Elliott. content warnings: rape as a trope in romance novels, online misogyny Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. --- Correction: Please note that this episode incorrectly calls the 2channel thread in which Train Man originally appeared Doko Otoko. The thread was actually called Doku Otoko. Doku is a play on words, meaning both "single" (独) and "poison" (毒). Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S5 · E2
Oct 29, 2025 · 54 min
Lafcadio Hearn: The Master of the Japanese Ghost Story
In this episode, we explore the enduring legacy of Greek/English/Irish/American/Japanese author Lafcadio Hearn and the ghost story The Peony Lantern. We'll start out by looking at Hearn's life. We'll discuss the long history of the story Boton Doro, more commonly known as The Peony Lantern, including its most famous incarnation under Hearn's pen. And then we'll look at two modern adaptations of the story by Aoko Matsuda and Kyoko Nakajima. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Buy on In Ghostly Japan on Bookshop to support RJL. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S5 · E1
Sep 20, 2025 · 57 min
Bullying in Japanese Literature: Mizuki Tsujimura and Lonely Castle in the Mirror
In this episode, we look at bullying in Japanese literature. We'll start out by defining bullying and looking at bullying in Japanese schools as well as the Japanese workplace. We'll see some examples in Japanese novels. And then we'll talk about Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror, translated into English by Philip Gabriel. This episode is rated mature. CW: bullying and suicide If you're thinking about suicide, please get help. Open Counseling hosts a list of international suicide hotlines. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Be sure to check out the new and improved RJL website! Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E8
Jun 5, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Christianity in Japanese Literature
In this episode, we look into the history of Christianity in Japan—especially the role Christianity has played in Japanese literature. Our focus text is Shusaku Endo's Silence. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E7
Mar 18, 2025 · 1 hr 3 min
Japanese Writers Standing Up to the State: Genzaburo Yoshino and How Do You Live?
In this episode, we take a look at the Japanese proletarian writers’ movement of the 1920s and early 1930s. We also take a deep dive into the life of author Genzaburo Yoshino—not a proletarian writer, but a man who spent prison alongside them and for some of the same beliefs—and his novel How Do You Live?. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E6
Feb 5, 2025 · 52 min
Keiichiro Hirano
For the first time ever, RJL brings you information from an interview with a Japanese author—Akutagawa-winner Keiichiro Hirano. This episode takes up his life and work, the influence of Yukio Mishima on his fiction, and his most-recently-translated novel, Eclipse. CW: attempted suicide in a discussion of Yukio Mishima's The Temple of the Golden Pavilion Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E5
Dec 14, 2024 · 52 min
Christmas in Japanese Literature
Happy holidays! And, in the interest of today’s episode, merri kurisumasu! Today we’re going to start with the origins of Christmas, especially why Christmas is celebrated in Japan at all. We’ll move on to how Christmas is celebrated in Japan. And we’ll end with some examples of what part Christmas seems to play in Japanese literature—or at least Japanese literature that gets translated. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E4
Dec 1, 2024 · 57 min
LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 2
RJL is excited to bring you this two-parter about LGBTQ+ stories from Japan. Part two covers Taisho Japan (when women finally enter the stage) through through contemporary LGBTQ+ writing, especially the life and work of Nobuko Yoshiya, Edogawa Ranpo, Yukio Mishima, and Li Kotomi. We also spend a little time on the role of queer manga. Part one covered some of the earliest writing in Japanese through the end of the Meiji Period in 1912. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. This episode is rated mature. CW for the two-part series: historical accounts of practices today recognized as pedophilia and pederasty, mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation (fictional and historical), rape, homophobia, harassment of a trans author Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E3
Oct 30, 2024 · 54 min
LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 1
RJL is excited to bring you this two-parter about LGBTQ+ stories from Japan. Part one covers some of the earliest writing in Japanese through the end of the Meiji Period in 1912. Part two (coming soon) covers Taisho Japan (when women finally enter the stage) through some of Japan's contemporary queer writers. This episode is rated mature. CW for the two-part series: historical accounts of practices today recognized as pedophilia and pederasty, mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation (fictional and historical), rape, homophobia, harassment of a trans author Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E2
Sep 13, 2024 · 53 min
Japanese Crime and Mystery Writing: Seishi Yokomizo and The Honjin Murders
Today, we’re talking about crime and mystery novels from Japan. We’ll start with the development of the crime and mystery genre in the English-speaking world. We’ll move on to Japanese crime and mystery writing—how it was inspired by Anglo-American crime and mystery writing and how it evolved in its own way. And we’ll end with the life and work of writer Seishi Yokomizo, especially his novel The Honjin Murders, translated into English by Louise Heal Kawai. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. CW: murder (obviously!) and a brief mention of a fictional character’s narcotics addiction (Apologies for small pronunciation issues of English and French surnames. They’ve been corrected in the transcript.) Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S4 · E1
Aug 17, 2024 · 59 min
Atomic Bomb Literature: Kyoko Hayashi and "Masks of Whatchamacallit"
This episode is marked mature. In this episode, we take a look at Japanese writing about the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed as many as 215,000 people in August 1945. We’ll start with the history of the atomic bomb, its use, and its effects on the hibakusha who survived. Then we’ll take a look at atomic bomb literature itself. Our focus text is "Masks of Whatchamacallit" by Kyoko Hayashi, translated by Kyoko Selden. CW: war, illness (historical and fictional), suicide (historical), forced abortion (fictional), emotional abuse (fictional) Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website. Support RJL on Patreon for about 19 minutes of bonus content on this episode. Read "Masks of Whatchamacalit" for free online. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S3 · E9
Jun 3, 2024 · 55 min
Zainichi Literature—Koreans Writing in Japan: Kazuki Kaneshiro and Go
In this episode, we take a look at the history of Koreans writing in Japan. We’ll start with the history of Koreans in Japan, including anti-Korean prejudice before and after WWII. We’ll move on to Zainichi Korean writing. And we’ll finish with a look at Kazuki Kaneshiro’s Go, translated into English by Takami Nieda. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Correction: This episode claims Yi Kwang-su's book Ai Ka ("Is It Love?") does not appear in English translation. Ai Ka is actually a short story and Janet Poole's translation of "Is This Love?" appears in in Queer Subjects in Modern Japanese Literature: Male Love, Intimacy, and Erotics, 1886-2014, edited by Stephen D. Miller. Please note that this is the final episode of season 3. RJL will be back in August 2024. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S3 · E9
Apr 29, 2024 · 56 min
The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 3: Yoko Tawada and The Emissary
In part three of this episode, we’ll finish our story of Japanese apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. First, stories from the mid-90s and 20-aughts. Then, stories from after the March 2011 Triple Disasters. We’ll end with a look at the life and work of author Yoko Tawada who has written several apocalyptic stories, including one of the most important works of post-3/11 apocalyptic fiction available in English translation—The Emissary, also known at The Last Children of Tokyo. CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rape Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S3 · E8
Apr 15, 2024 · 50 min
The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 2
In part two of this three part episode, we're looking at the apocalyptic and dystopian fiction of Japan. We'll begin with the evolution of the idea of "the end of the world" in Japan, especially after Japan started importing American and European science fiction. We'll move on to Japanese apocalyptic stories, especially between 1945 and the 1970s and then during the 1970s and 1980s. CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rape Part two mistakenly implies Jules Verne was an Anglo-American author. As outlined in part one, he was French. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. This episode’s artwork is adapted from a photograph by Du Truong, “The Student of Gunkanjima”. Gunkanjima, also known as Hashima Island, is an abandoned island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Truong’s work is available under a Creative Commons license. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
S3 · E7
Apr 1, 2024 · 40 min
The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 1
In part one of this three part episode, we're looking at apocalyptic and dystopian fiction as genres. Their origins in Western and Central Asia. Their evolution in Western Europe. And a history of English-language apocalyptic and dystopian storytelling that will provide us with context and a basis for comparison when we turn to Japanese stories in part two. Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rape This episode’s artwork is adapted from a photograph by Du Truong, “The Student of Gunkanjima”. Gunkanjima, also known as Hashima Island, is an abandoned island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Truong’s work is available under a Creative Commons license. Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.) Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com. Support RJL on Patreon.com. Buy your books from Bookshop.org. All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.

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