Japanese Lit and Cats

If you love Japanese literature and cats then you will love this list. These books are written by Japanese authors with either cats as the main character, cats that hold a small but integral role in the story, or simply just cats on the cover. But be warned - some of these may pull on the heartstrings and cause a tear or two.

Updated October 16, 2024
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The blanket cats
Shigematsu, Kiyoshi
Paper Book
"Utterly charming . . . I would read a hundred of these stories" Shelby Van Pelt, bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures Is three days with a cat enough to change your life? The troubled and anxious of Tokyo are desperate to find out. They...
She and her cat
Shinkai, Makoto
Paper Book
For fans of Mieko Kawakami's Breasts and Eggs and Murata Sayaka's Earthlings, this Japanese bestseller from renowned anime director Makoto Shinkai features four inspirational and heartwarming vignettes following women and their cats in their quests for love and connection.<...
The goodbye cat : seven cat stories
Arikawa, Hiro
Paper Book
In the much-anticipated follow-up to the bestselling and beloved The Travelling Cat Chronicles, seven cats weave their way through their owners' lives, climbing, comforting, nestling, and sometimes just tripping everyone up in this uplifting collection of tales by international bestselling...
The Full Moon Coffee Shop : a novel
Mochizuki, Mai
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Translated from the Japanese bestseller, a charming and magical novel that reminds us it's never too late to follow our stars. "Mochizuki dazzles in her beautifully crafted contemporary fantasy debut. . . . This gentle fantasy is not to be missed."--...
The Kamogawa food detectives
Kashiwai, Hisashi
Paper Book
WATERSTONES BEST FICTION BOOKS OF 2023 PICK The Kamogawa Food Detectives, translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood, is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese sleuthing series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. What...
Mornings With My Cat Mii
Inaba, Mayumi.
Paper Book
The perfect Christmas gift for cat lovers. It was the end of summer, 1977. I found a cat, a little ball of fluff. A teeny tiny baby kitten. A beloved Japanese modern classic about our special connection with cats, and how they can change our lives...
Temple alley summer
Kashiwaba, Sachiko
Ebook
Chibineko Kitchen
Takahashi, Yuta.
Paper Book
Follow the bank of the Koitogawa river until you reach the beach. From there a path of white seashells will lead you to the Chibineko Kitchen. Step inside, they'll be expecting you. These are the directions Kotoko has been given. She arrives at the tiny restaurant, perched...
What you are looking for is in the library : a novel
Aoyama, Michiko
Paper Book
A TIME BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A WASHINGTON POST BEST FEEL GOOD BOOK OF 2023 For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, a charming, internationally bestselling Japanese novel about how the perfect book recommendation can change a...
Before the coffee gets cold
Kawaguchi, Toshikazu
Paper Book
The million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese cafe that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time. Toshikazu Kawaguchi's uplifting Before the Coffee Gets Cold, translated from Japanese, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could...
The Lantern of Lost Memories
Hiiragi, Sanaka.
Paper Book
From acclaimed Japanese author Sanaka Hiigari comes a heartwarming, life-affirming novel about a magical photo studio, where people go after they die to view key moments from their life--and relive one precious memory before they pass into the afterlife. ...
More days at the Morisaki Bookshop : a novel
Yagisawa, Satoshi
Paper Book
In this charming and emotionally resonant follow up to the internationally bestselling Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa paints a poignant and thoughtful portrait of life, love, and how much books and bookstores mean to the people who love them. Set again in the beloved...

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