With this year wrapping up soon and my accomplishment of reefing over a hundred books in 2025, I have been sharing many of the books I have read. And in this list, I will be sharing all of the Japanese books I read in 2025!

If you haven’t read a Japanese book as of yet, then you should do so very soon. Japanese novels are unlike any other novels and no matter what you like to read, there is a Japanese book for your favorite topic or genre.

I got into reading Japanese novels by seeing them in bookstores and online lists. Over the past half decade or so, more Japanese books have been translated into English. And that has led them to make various lists as international readers discover these hidden gems.

There are classic Japanese novels that are getting translations and then there are the more modern novels that are taking the world by storm. These novels have had a lot of success in Japan and now they are having a moment in the international stage.

Series like The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai and Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa are heartwarming novels that will evoke emotions and melt your heart. These are subgenres that don’t really don’t exist in the U.S. or Western literature and it is a new experience that I have enjoyed a lot. You cans the full list of all the Japanese books I read this year.

Japanese Books I Read in 2025!

I have loved The Kamogawa Food Detectives and recommend it to anyone who loves food or thinking about traveling to Japan. But these novels are also more than just love letters to the various dishes of Japan. These novels highlight the power of food and how it brings people together and how it can heal relationships and show how important food is in our daily lives.

The other series that I have loved just as much is the Morisaki Bookshop as well as the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. Both of these series have made me shed tears and I can’t recommend them enough. As someone who loves bookshops and cafes, these novels were perfect comfort reading.

A Kamogawa Food Detectives Novel Book 2) by Hisashi Kashiwai
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes (A Kamogawa Food Detectives Novel Book 2) by Hisashi Kashiwai

Japanese novels tackle tons of heavy topics and these novels do it in such a delicate fashion and with gentle care. These comfort read books are some of the best books that I gave read. But they are not the only Japanese novels that are popular.

The Memory Police is a sci-fi and dystopian novel that is reminiscent of 1984 and it is a chilling and beautifully written story. The plot is creative and it is a novel that will leave you pondering what you just read. The novel saw a lot of success and ended up being nominated for the 2020 International Booker Prize Award.

Another Japanese work that was nominated for the International Booker Prize award was Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa. This is a short novella that is about a protagonist who suffers from myotubular myopathy, a congenital muscle diseases.

International Booker Prize novel
Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa

The novel points to Japan’s shortcomings in providing access for disabled people and it has been called one of the most important of works of Japanese literature of the 21st century. And after reading this novella, you can see why it.

Lastly, I read The Devil’s Flute Murders and this is an older novel that has been recently translated. It is part of the popular Detective Kindaichi Mysteries series. This was the one Japanese novel that I was let down by and it happens. Not every novel is going to be a great read.

Conclusion

These are all of the Japanese books I read in 2025 so far. I may end up reading a couple more knowing me and if I do, I’ll update this list.

Overall, I read a ton of Japanese books and enjoyed almost all of them. I read some of my favorite series as well as reading popular novels and I can’t wait to keep reading more Japanese books as more of them get translated. How many Japanese books have you read this year? Let us know in the comments below!

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