The Japanese Literature Challenge 15: January through March, 2022

Posted on by Bellezza
Uemura Shōen, Fragrance of Spring.

Welcome to the Japanese Literature Challenge, now in its fifteenth year. What a joy it is to share our affection for Japanese literature together!

The term ”challenge” comes from the early days of blogging, when reading challenges were set forth by so many of my blogging friends. But, this is not really a challenge; it is more of an opportunity to read and share works written by Japanese authors.

Here are a few guidelines:

  • Read as many books as you like from January through March. (Even if that is ”only” one.)
  • Make sure the work was originally written in Japanese.
  • Choose from classic to contemporary works, whatever appeals to you.
  • Leave a link here to your review so that we can visit you.
Here is a button in case you would like to use it.

Finally, there will be prizes. I have several books I would like to give as prizes during the three months of the Japanese Literature Challenge 15. So, do stay tuned for those announcements. I will leave this post as a sticky post at the top of my blog. Hopefully, that will help you access it easily to leave the links to your reviews. I am so looking forward to what it is that you read!

(Just click on the widget below to add the link to your review.)

66 thoughts on “The Japanese Literature Challenge 15: January through March, 2022”

  4. Yay! I haven’t done Japanese literature challenge for a couple of years now (extended reading block), but I have some cool books lined up, and am all set for the challenge.

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  11. Sure I’ll read at least one novel from a Japanese author early in 2022. Count me in. First I’ll research which one I’d like to read … that came out in Japan in 2021. hmm.

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    1. Yay, Susan! It was my hope that “merely” reading one would entice people to pick up some Japanese literature this winter. There are many, many exciting books published this year, and I’m sure some of them will be highlighted. I even have a few picked out myself, such as My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura (which might just show up as a prize, wink wink). A few others on my radar are Heaven by Meiko Kawakami, The Woman In The Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, and There’s No Such Thing As An Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura.

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    1. So glad you’re joining in! If you are not sure of what to read, you might find some ideas from the titles I’ll read on my sidebar. Of course, once people start posting their reviews, that list of what to read gets a lot longer!☺️

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    1. I’m starting low with one book a month for a total of three. Here is my blog page with my proposed selections. I will post links to their reviews when that occurs! Crossing my fingers for discipline this coming year.

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        1. I enjoyed all 3 of the books that I chose for this challenge and completed a Mr. Linky link to 2 of the review. The third review for the book I read in January – Before the Coffee Gets Cold – has not yet been posted on the review site (FreshFiction.com) where I received it yet. I suspect it will go up when the 3rd book in the trilogy is published or a new edition of book 1 or 2 is released.

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  14. I see your books on the left, but can’t seem to find a post on them, so I’m commenting here on them. Seeing all kinds of new books to me, looking forward to your reviews.
    I have read the two by Murakami. His latest one on his collection of T-shorts is fun.Very short pieces, but they make think I get to know Murakami a bit better

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    1. I would love to get to know Murakami better! He and his writing are always a bit elusive to me. I didn’t post on the books in my sidebar as I just finalized them last night, but perhaps I will. They look awfully exciting to me!

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  23. I’m spending January on various areas of Japanese culture, and have linked my review to the first Japanese book in translation that I’ve read this month – Kobo Abe’s The Woman in the Dunes, a nice bit of absurdist dystopia!

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  26. […] plans too. Reviews were planned for Annabookbel’s #NordicFINDS Month and perennial favourite Japanese Literature Challenge, but at the moment I can’t seem to muster the energy to write anything that requires too much […]

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