Read Japanese Literature

Alison Fincher
  • 5.0 (17)
  • FICTION
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
Read Japanese Literature

A podcast about Japanese literature and some of its best worksNew episodes more-or-less monthly

  1. LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 1

    OCT 30

    LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 1

    RJL is excited to bring you this two-parter about LGBTQ+ stories from Japan. Part one covers some of the earliest writing in Japanese through the end of the Meiji Period in 1912.Part two (coming soon) covers Taisho Japan (when women finally enter the stage) through some of Japan's contemporary queer writers.This episode is rated mature. CW: homophobia, brief mentions of suicide (fictional and historical), historical accounts of practices today recognized as pedophilia and pederastyNotes and s...

    55 min
  2. Japanese Crime and Mystery Writing

    SEP 13

    Japanese Crime and Mystery Writing

    Today, we’re talking about crime and mystery novels from Japan. We’ll start with the development of the crime and mystery genre in the English-speaking world. We’ll move on to Japanese crime and mystery writing—how it was inspired by Anglo-American crime and mystery writing and how it evolved in its own way. And we’ll end with the life and work of writer Seishi Yokomizo, especially his novel The Honjin Murders, translated into English by Louise Heal Kawai.Notes and sources on the episode page...

    54 min
  3. Atomic Bomb Literature

    AUG 17

    Atomic Bomb Literature

    This episode is marked mature.In this episode, we take a look at Japanese writing about the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed as many as 215,000 people in August 1945. We’ll start with the history of the atomic bomb, its use, and its effects on the hibakusha who survived. Then we’ll take a look at atomic bomb literature itself. Our focus text is "Masks of Whatchamacallit" by Kyoko Hayashi (follow the link to read for free), translated by Kyoko Selden.CW: war, illness (hi...

    59 min

  4. JUN 3

    Zainichi Literature—Koreans Writing in Japan

    In this episode, we take a look at the history of Koreans writing in Japan. We’ll start with the history of Koreans in Japan, including anti-Korean prejudice before and after WWII. We’ll move on to Zainichi Korean writing. And we’ll finish with a look at Kazuki Kaneshiro’s Go, translated into English by Takami Nieda.Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.Correction: This episode claims Yi Kwang-su's book Ai Ka ("Is It Love?") does not appear in English translation. Ai Ka ...

    55 min

  5. APR 29

    The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 3

    In part three of this episode, we’ll finish our story of Japanese apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. First, stories from the mid-90s and 20-aughts. Then, stories from after the March 2011 Triple Disasters. We’ll end with a look at the life and work of author Yoko Tawada who has written several apocalyptic stories, including one of the most important works of post-3/11 apocalyptic fiction available in English translation—The Emissary, also known at The Last Children of Tokyo.CW: brief mentions...

    57 min

  6. APR 15

    The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 2

    In part two of this three part episode, we're looking at the apocalyptic and dystopian fiction of Japan. We'll begin with the evolution of the idea of "the end of the world" in Japan, especially after Japan started importing American and European science fiction. We'll move on to Japanese apocalyptic stories, especially between 1945 and the 1970s and then during the 1970s and 1980s. CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rapePart two mistakenly implies Jules Verne was an ...

    50 min

  7. APR 1

    The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 1

    In part one of this three part episode, we're looking at apocalyptic and dystopian fiction as genres. Their origins in Western and Central Asia. Their evolution in Western Europe. And a history of English-language apocalyptic and dystopian storytelling that will provide us with context and a basis for comparison when we turn to Japanese stories in part two.Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rapeThis episode’s...

    40 min

  8. FEB 23

    Misogyny and Yukio Mishima, Part 2

    In part two of this two-part episode on misogyny in Japanese literature, we're talking about the life and work of Yukio Mishima, especially by way of his I-Novel, Confessions of a Mask.Check out part one for400 years of attitudes about women in JapanWoman in modern Japanese literature, especially in the work of some of its most important writersNotes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.This episode is rated mature. CW: misogyny, fictional rape, internalized homophobia, ...

    40 min
See All (39)

5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

A podcast about Japanese literature and some of its best worksNew episodes more-or-less monthly

Information

  • Creator
    Alison Fincher
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Read Japanese Literature
  • Show Website
    Read Japanese Literature

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada