Japanese books about nothing

I love Japanese fiction. Like, embarrassingly so.

There's something about the way these books handle emotions. Internal, quiet, observed rather than declared. Works for me.

Growing up I burned through manga and anime like they were going out of style. Then somewhere along the way I found Murakami, Kawakami, Banana Yoshimoto. That was it.

These slice-of-life stories about nothing in particular—someone working in a convenience store, organizing a thrift shop, living in a weird factory town—give me peace I don't find anywhere else. Probably escapism. I'm fine with that.

Read most of these on planes or late at night when the kid's finally asleep. Perfect for that. Calm, contemplative, no explosions required.

Worth reading

• The Tatami Galaxy, Tomihiko Morimi
• The Nakano Thrift Shop, Hiromi Kawakami
• The Factory, Hiroko Oyamada (genuinely unsettling)
• The Easy Life in Kamusari, Shion Miura
• Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata
• Fune wo Amu (The Great Passage), Shion Miura
• Supermarket, Satoshi Azuchi
• Strange Weather in Tokyo, Hiromi Kawakami
• Wind / Pinball, Haruki Murakami