Literary Histories
Literary histories provide an overview of the development of Japanese literature from the earliest written works to the present.
Japanese Literature: from Murasaki to Murakami by 
A History of Japanese Literature by 
The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature by 
A History of Japanese Literature, Volume 1 by
Volume 1: Archaic and Ancient Years
Volume 2: Early Middle Ages
Volume 3: High Middle Ages
(eBook version; volume 3 only)
The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature by 
Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan by 
Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre by 
Japanese Women Writers by Anthologies
Collections of literary works that were judged to be particularly well written.
Sources of Japanese Tradition: From Earliest Times to 1600 by 
Ancient Tales in Modern Japan by 
Shinkokinshu: New collection of poems ancient and modern by 
Traditional Japanese Literature by 
A Kamigata Anthology by
he present work focuses on the years in which bourgeois culture first emerged in Japan, telling the story of the rising commoner arts of Kamigata, or the "Upper Regions" of Kyoto and Osaka, which harkened back to Japan's middle ages even as they rebelled against and competed with that earlier era.
Early Modern Japanese Literature by
This is the first anthology ever devoted to early modern Japanese literature, spanning the period from 1600 to 1900, known variously as the Edo or the Tokugawa, one of the most creative epochs of Japanese culture. This anthology, which will be of vital interest to anyone involved in this era, includes not only fiction, poetry, and drama, but also essays, treatises, literary criticism, comic poetry, adaptations from Chinese, folk stories and other non-canonical works.
Use these databases to locate scholarly articles regarding Japanese Literature. While there may be some overlap in what you discover with your search, keep in mind that each database includes some unique works of academic literature. So, searching more than one database will provide you with different resources. For detailed information about each database, click the relevant "Information Icon" 
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EBSCO Databases
These databases can be searched at the same time by clicking on the "Choose Databases" link above the search bar. The more databases you add, the more likely you are to find articles, but it can also take longer to load.
Japanese Historical Text Initiative
The Japanese Historical Text Initiative at the University of California at Berkeley is a digitized, searchable database of important Japanese historical documents and their English translations. It includes ancient chronicles, ancient gazetteers, ancient religio-civil codes, medieval stories, medieval and early-modern interpretive histories.
Japan Foundation Database of Translated Japanese Literature
Use this database to find out when and where translations of Japanese literature in all genres were published. Then use the HBLL library catalog to see if we have copies of the published translations in our collection.
Asian Theatre Video Collection
The Asian Theatre video collection offers interviews with leading performers and practitioners, and houses several filmed performances, documentaries, rehearsal footage, and training videos. This collection is a vital repository for students and academics interested in Asia’s enduring theatrical traditions. The collection is especially rich in materials related to the Japanese and Indian traditions.
Japanese Noh 能 Drama (The-Noh.com)
This site provides a wealth of information on the history of Noh drama in Japan. Including English and Japanese synopses and transcriptions of many famous Noh plays.
Japanese Aesthetics (Stanford Dictionary of Philosophy)
Conquering Demons by
Conquering Demons examines the origins and influence of three popular anti-Kirishitan (anti-Christian) works from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
World Within Walls by
With a sharp eye on the fate of literary forms and with abundant examples, Keene shows that, although isolated, Japanese writers were not timid and succeeded in shaking or exhausting most of their artistic traditions well before the cultural revolution that began in 1867.
Records of Ancient Matters
| Editor: | Ō no Yasumaro |
| Pub.: | 712 AD |
| Book: | Japanese |
The Kojiki is considered to be the first literary work in the history of Japan. It is a compilation of myths, history, songs, legends, genealogies, and other disparate works from which written history and literature were later created.
| Author: | Sei Shōnagon |
| Pub.: | 1002 ce |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English |
Description: Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon is by far our most detailed source of factual material on life in eleventh-century Japan at the height of Heian culture.
| Author: | Murasaki Shikibu |
| Pub.: | 1008 ce |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English |
Description: "Lady Murasaki's great 11th century novel is a beautifully crafted story of love, betrayal and death at the Imperial Court. At the core of this epic is Prince Genji, the son of an emperor, whose passionate character, love affairs and shifting political fortunes, offer an exquisite glimpse of the golden age of Japan."
| Author: | Ki no Tsurayuki and others |
| Pub.: | 905 ce |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English (4 Different Translations) |
Description: The first imperial anthology of Japanese poetry : with Tosa nikki and Shinsen waka.
| Author: | unknown |
| Pub.: | late 9th, early 10th century |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English |
Summary: This story is considered the oldest surviving monogatari in Japan although the original copies are long gone. The oldest manuscript of the story is from 1526. This tale is about an aging childless couple who finds a magical baby in bamboo.
| Editor: | Kakuichi |
| Pub.: | 1371 ce |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English |
Description: An epic account of two warring clans.
| Author: | Musashi Miyamoto |
| Pub.: | ~1645 ce |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English |
Description: Written by a Japanese swordsman on martial arts.
| Author: | Ueda Akinari |
| Pub.: | 1776 ce |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English |
Description: An anthology of supernatural short stories.
| Author: | Chikamatsu Monzaemon |
| Pub.: | 1703 ce |
| Book: | Japanese |
| English |
Description: A jōruri play based on the true events of lovers committing a double suicide.
To Find Books in Japanese:
If you know the author or title you want:
Look up the book in the library catalog using Kanji 漢字, or Kana かな, or Hepburn Romanization.
Click for detailed rules on Romanization
If you have a suggestion for what the library should order, fill out this form. You must have a library account to do so.
All books published in Asian languages are located on the 4th Floor in the Asian Collection. English materials on Asian topics are located in different parts of the library. All Japanese Language and Literature
If you are looking for an English translation, it will be on the 5th floor. But if you are looking for a book in Japanese, it will be on the 4th floor. The exception is children's books which will be on the 1st floor regardless of language.
Only a fraction of the library's books are available in digital format. Those who browse the stacks always discover additional research materials! Books on the same topics are shelved next to each other, so if you find one relevant book, you will likely find others next to it on the shelf. You can also do this online by using the alphabetic browse or the "search books nearby" function on the library website.
If you have trouble finding a book ask the Asian Studies Librarian or inquire at any library help desk.
