Books about Japan

Read on for GEEO’s suggestions on books to read before you travel on our Japan program. Our book club is a way for teachers and other participants to learn through literature about the places they will be traveling. Reading about Japan is the next best thing to being there!

Reading fiction or nonfiction based on a country gives travelers the context needed to have deeper, richer experiences abroad. It is completely up to the participant whether they choose to read them, as the GEEO book club is not a required element of our programs. We hope our participants will enjoy the books we have selected and they will enhance their experience.

You should be able to find most of our selections through the links below and in your local library system as well. Do you have any feedback on our selections or suggestions for additions? Contact us and let us know!

Recommended books to read before traveling on the Japan program:

Fiction:

• I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki
• The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches by Matsuo Basho
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Nonfiction:

• Zen and Japanese Culture by D.T. Suzuki
• Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival by David Pilling

For those looking for more suggestions, here are some other books you may want to consider:

• A Concise History of Japan by Brett L. Walker
• The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu
• Four Major Plays of Chikamatsu translated by Donald Keene
• The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture by Roger J. Davies and Osamu Ikeno
• Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan by Will Ferguson
• Geisha: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
• Living in Japan by Alex Kerr
• Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
• The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
• Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone by Richard Lloyd Parry
• Hiroshima by John Hersey
• Studio Ghibli: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata by Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc

Recommended films and videos to watch before traveling to Japan:

GEEO travelers can register with SIMA Academy for free using a unique access code that we provide after our programs end. Feel free to contact us if you would like to receive the access code early. For this program, we recommend watching Women of Fukishima. SIMA Academy utilizes the storytelling power of award-winning global short documentaries to nurture globally competent and socially active learners worldwide.

Other films and videos:

• Ikiru (1956)
• Harakiri (1964)
• Seven Samurai (1956)
• Tokyo Story (1953)
• Shōgun (2024 series)
• Lost in Translation (2003)
• The Last Samurai (2003)
• Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
• Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

Anime is immensely significant in Japanese culture, transcending age groups and genres, from fantasy and sci-fi to slice-of-life and horror. It is often a reflection of Japanese societal norms, aspirations, and creativity and imagination. Many of Japan’s most famous anime films are from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. Here is a sampling of some of Japan’s top anime films.

• The Boy and the Heron (2023)
• Spirited Away (2001)
• My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
• Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
• Your Name (2016)
• Suzume (2022)
• Akira (1988)

Another popular genre in Japan is kaiju cinema, featuring giant monsters wreaking havoc on cities. The term kaiju translates to “strange creature,” and these films often showcase colossal creatures that have become iconic characters within Japanese cinema.

• Godzilla (1954)
• Godzilla Minus One (2023)
• Shin Godzilla (2016)
• Mothra (1961)

GEEO utilizes Amazon Associates links for the above-suggested books. If you purchase a book through one of the links above, you’re supporting us as a nonprofit and helping more teachers travel through GEEO!