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Japanese Literature
Japan has a rich literary tradition which spans from the seventh century to the present. Japanese literature covers a wide breadth from the diminutive haikus of Basho to the short stories of Akutagawa Ryunosuke to the epic Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki. Japanese literature reveals much of the history, culture, and values, of Japan.
Literary Hot List
A comprehensive list of links to Japanese literature web sites from the Literary Homepage Horagai.
Haiku for People
Selected haiku poems by Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Basho, and others.
The Heron's Nest... a haikai journal
A monthly web journal of English language haiku edited by Christopher Herold.
Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972)
A brief biography of this Nobel laureate for literature.
Kawabata's Stories Translated
Article from the Archives of the Boston Globe examines themes and styles of Yasunari's short stories, written between 1921 and 1972.
Kawabata's "House of the Sleeping Beauties and Other Stories
Review by David M. Chess of Kawabata's short stories.
Yukio Mishima 1925-1970
A tribute page to "the most spectacularly talented young writer to emerge in Japan after world War II".
Featured Author: Yukio Mishima
News and Reviews of Yukio Mishima From the Archives of The New York Times. A great repository of information on Mishima.
A Yukio Mishima Page
A collection of essays on Yukio Mishima's work.
The Tale of Genji
Overview and discussion of Murasaki Shikibu's work. Explores the structure of the lengthy novel. Also provides biographical information on the author.
Asian Topics: The Tale of Genji
A comprehensive examination of this Japanese classic by Columbia University's Asian Studies department.
Female Heroes of the Regions of the World: Murasaki Shikibu
Women In World History Curriculum, Lyn Reese, Director. Biography of Lady Murasaki with excerpts from the Tale of Genji and diary entries.