The third part is the highlight of the story that proceeds with a letter from Sensei to the main character. The story starts with the encounter with a young man and an older man called Sensei (teacher). Kokoro consists of three parts, and the setting is Tokyo in the late Meiji period. His most famous novel Kokoro (こゝろ/こころ), published in 1914, is one of the best selling Japanese novels ever.

Speaking of Japanese literature in the present day, you cannot avoid talking about Soseki Natsume. Kokoro (Soseki Natsume) Kokoro by Soseki Natsume on Of course, you can read them in English.įor not only bookworms but also those who are interested in Japanese culture, novels written by Japanese writers are recommended to read.Ģ. Today, I’d like to introduce 10 best Japanese novels of all time from the classic books to modern novels. Japanese novels written by them have been translated into multiple languages and have been read all over the world. There are quite a few modern authors in Japan who are renowned worldwide including the famous Haruki Murakami and the Nobel laureates Yasunari Kawabata (1968) and Kenzaburo Oe (1994). In 1008, The Tale of Genji was written by Murasaki Shikibu, which is famous as the world’s first novel. The oldest chronicle Kojiki ( Records of Ancient Matters) was written in 712 and the second oldest Nihon Shoki ( The Chronicles of Japan) was completed in 720. Japanese literature dates back to the early 8th century when Kanji (a Chinese character) came from China to Japan. Are you a voracious reader? If you read a lot, it is recommended to read Japanese novels.

Kokoro by soseki