Famous Authors from Japan

Updated August 30, 2019 16.4k views868 items

List of the most popular authors from Japan, listed alphabetically with photos when available. For centuries authors have been among the world's most important people, helping chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of the earliest forms of storytelling. Whether they're known for fiction, non-fiction, poetry or even technical writing, the famous Japanese authors on this list have kept that tradition alive by writing renowned works that have been praised around the world. You can find useful information below about these notable Japanese writers, such as when they were born and where their place of birth was.

This is a list that includes authors like Kaiko Takeshi and Yoshida Sunao.

This list answers the questions, "Which famous authors are from Japan?" and "Who are the best Japanese authors?"

For further information on these historic Japanese authors, click on their names. If you're a bookworm then use this list of celebrated Japanese authors to discover some new books that you will enjoy reading.

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1
Yukio Mishima
Confessions of a Mask, Forbidden Colors
Birthplace: Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Birthdate: 1925
Nationality: Japan
Yukio Mishima (三島由紀夫, Mishima Yukio) is the pen name of Kimitake Hiraoka (平岡公威, Hiraoka... more on Wikipedia
More Yukio Mishima
The Tale of The Japanese Author Who Botched A Coup D'etat And Committed Seppuku#291 of 1,172 The Best Writers of All Time
2
Yoshihisa Yamamoto
Phonon-Assisted Exciton-Polariton Emission in a Microcavity, Wannier Exciton Superradiance in a Quantum-Well Microcavity
Birthplace: East Asia, Tokyo, Asia, Japan
Birthdate: 1950
Nationality: Japan
Yoshihisa Yamamoto (山本喜久, Yamamoto Yoshihisa) is a Japanaese physicist and winner of the... more on Wikipedia
3
Kisho Kurokawa
Kishō Kurokawa, Kyosei no shiso
Birthplace: Aichi Prefecture, Chūbu region, East Asia, Honshu, Asia
Birthdate: 1934
Nationality: Japan
Kisho Kurokawa was a leading Japanese architect and one of the founders of the Metabolist... more on Wikipedia
4
Takeshi Shudo
Eien no firēna. 7, Eien no firēna. 4
Birthplace: East Asia, Asia, Japan, Fukuoka, Kyushu
Birthdate: 1949
Nationality: Japan
Takeshi Shudo (首藤剛志, Shudō Takeshi, August 18, 1949 – October 29, 2010) was a Japanese... more on Wikipedia
5
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
The Responsa of Professor Louis Ginzberg, Halakha For Our Time
Birthplace: East Asia, Asia, Japan, Hokkaido
Birthdate: 1986
Nationality: Japan
Matsuoka Yoshitsugo is a voice actor.
6
Sawako Ariyoshi
The Doctor's Wife, The River Ki
Birthplace: East Asia, Kansai region, Wakayama Prefecture, Honshu, Asia
Birthdate: 1931
Nationality: Japan
Sawako Ariyoshi (有吉佐和子 Ariyoshi Sawako, 20 January 1931 – 30 August 1984) was a prolific... more on Wikipedia
7
Daisaku Ikeda
Choose Life, Planetary Citizenship
Birthplace: East Asia, Tokyo, Asia, Japan
Birthdate: 1928
Nationality: Japan
Daisaku Ikeda (池田大作, Ikeda Daisaku, born 2 January 1928) is a Japanese Buddhist philosopher,... more on Wikipedia

8
Jun Henmi
Otoko-tachi no Yamato
Birthplace: Toyama Prefecture, Chūbu region, East Asia, Honshu, Asia
Birthdate: 1939
Nationality: Japan
Jun Henmi is an author.
9
Takashi Nagatsuka
The Soil, Nagatsuka Takashi
Birthplace: Kantō region, East Asia, Honshu, Ibaraki Prefecture, Asia
Birthdate: 1879
Nationality: Japan
Takashi Nagatsuka (長塚節, Nagatsuka Takashi, April 3, 1879–February 8, 1915) was a Japanese... more on Wikipedia
10
Kenichi Ohmae
Beyond national borders, The Invisible Continent: Four Strategic Imperatives of the New Economy
Birthplace: East Asia, Asia, Japan, Kyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture
Birthdate: 1943
Nationality: Japan
Kenichi Ohmae (大前研一, Ōmae Ken'ichi, born February 21, 1943) is a Japanese organizational... more on Wikipedia
11
Michizō Tachihara
Michizō Tachihara (立原道造, Tachihara Michizō, July 30, 1914 - March 29, 1939) was a Japanese... more on Wikipedia
12
Akira Kurosawa
Rashomon, Something like an autobiography
Birthplace: Shinagawa, Japan
Birthdate: 1910
Nationality: Japan
Akira Kurosawa (Kyūjitai: 黒澤明, Shinjitai: 黒沢明 Kurosawa Akira; March 23, 1910 – September 6,... more on Wikipedia
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13
Lafcadio Hearn
Kottō; being Japanese curios, with sundry cobwebs
Birthplace: Southeast Europe, Lefkada, Greece, Lefkada
Birthdate: 1850
Nationality: Ireland, Kingdom of Greece, Empire of Japan, United Kingdom, Japan
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (; Greek: Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χερν; 27 June 1850 – 26 September 1904),... more on Wikipedia
14
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano (北野武, Kitano Takeshi, born 18 January 1947) is a Japanese comedian, television... more on Wikipedia
15
Liv Ullmann
Briefe an mein Enkelkind. Großdruck, Wandlungen
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Birthdate: 1938-12-16
Nationality: Japan, Norway
Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and film director. She was... more on Wikipedia
16
Mamoru Oshii
Hellhounds
Birthplace: Ōta, Tokyo, Japan
Birthdate: 1951
Nationality: Japan
Mamoru Oshii (押井守, Oshii Mamoru, born 8 August 1951) is a Japanese filmmaker, television... more on Wikipedia
17
Yoko Ono
Grapefruit, This is not here
Birthplace: East Asia, Tokyo, Asia, Japan
Birthdate: 1933-02-18
Nationality: Japan
Yoko Ono (born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese-American multimedia artist, singer, songwriter... more on Wikipedia
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18
Yasushi Inoue
Der Stierkampf, Bunmei tozen
Birthplace: East Asia, Asia, Japan, Hokkaido, Asahikawa
Birthdate: 1907
Nationality: Japan
Yasushi Inoue (井上靖, Inoue Yasushi, May 6, 1907 – January 29, 1991) was a Japanese writer of... more on Wikipedia
19
Mitsuo Fukuda
Reliability and degradation of semiconductor lasers and LEDs, Optical semiconductor devices
Birthplace: Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
Birthdate: 1960
Nationality: Japan
Mitsuo Fukuda (福田己津央, Fukuda Mitsuo, 福田満夫 before 1990) (born November 28, 1960) is a... more on Wikipedia
20
Noriko Sakai
Noripī rando, Noripīchan
Birthplace: Fukuoka, Japan
Birthdate: 1971-02-14
Nationality: Japan
Noriko Sakai (酒井法子, Sakai Noriko, born February 14, 1971) is a Japanese singer and actress.... more on Wikipedia
21
Osamu Tezuka
Yami No Matsuei 11, Adolf
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture, East Asia, Kansai region, Honshu, Toyonaka
Birthdate: 1928
Nationality: Japan
Osamu Tezuka (Japanese: 手塚治虫, born 手塚治, Hepburn: Tezuka Osamu, (1928-11-03)3 November 1928... more on Wikipedia
22
Shūsaku Endō
The golden country, The Samurai
Birthplace: Kantō region, East Asia, Honshu, Tokyo, Asia
Birthdate: 1923
Nationality: Japan
Shūsaku Endō (遠藤周作, Endō Shūsaku, March 27, 1923 – September 29, 1996) was a Japanese author... more on Wikipedia
23
Haruki Murakami
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore
Birthplace: Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Birthdate: 1949
Nationality: Japan
Series Written: Trilogy of the Rat
Haruki Murakami (村上春樹, Murakami Haruki, born January 12, 1949) is a Japanese writer. His... more on Wikipedia
24
Mako Iwamatsu
Makoto Iwamatsu (岩松誠, Iwamatsu Makoto, December 10, 1933 – July 21, 2006) was a Japanese... more on Wikipedia
25
Leiji Matsumoto
Capitaine Albator, tome 5
Birthplace: Kurume, East Asia, Asia, Japan, Kyushu
Birthdate: 1938
Nationality: Japan
Leiji Matsumoto (松本零士, Matsumoto Reiji, born Akira Matsumoto 松本晟, January 25, 1938 in Kurume,... more on Wikipedia

Sawako Ariyoshi

Jun Henmi

Osamu Tezuka