15 Japanese Novel Settings You Can Actually Visit
by Will Heath | TRAVEL
© Byodoin Temple, Uji City
Kyoto was the location of the world’s firist novel, and over the centuries, Japanese novels have taken readers on journeys throughout the cities, villages, bays, islands, forests, and mountains of Japan. Here are fifteen beloved Japanese novels and the real-life locations that inspired them, all of which you can visit today. For more on Japanese novels, check out the 20 Best Japanese Authors of All Time.
All the featured novels are independently chosen by the author. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links at no additional cost to you.
1. Matshushima Bay in The Narrow Road to the Deep North
This blended travelogue and book of haiku was written by the most renowned poet of the Edo period, Matsuo Basho. When writing The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Basho was a student of Zen Buddhism. Through this book, he aimed to capture the raw, untouched natural beauty of Japan’s landscape during the 17th Century.
Along his journey, two stops which Basho made were in Nikko and the Matsushima Islands. Both of these areas remain places of magnificent natural beauty to this day; Basho captured them flawlessly in his writing. To understand his work properly, visiting these areas is a must.
© Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization, Matsushima Bay
Today, Nikko is a small city in the mountains just outside of Tokyo, where visitors can find temples and shrines, rivers and bridges, and magnificent waterfalls. The Matsushima Islands are a collection of more than two hundred tiny islands off Matsushima Bay. The view of the islands from the bay is considered to be one of the ‘Three Views of Japan’ alongside the sandbar of Amanohashidate and the great torii gate of Itsukushima.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Matsuo Basho, Available on Amazon
2. Setagaya in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, Available on Amazon
One of most successful novels from one of Japan’s most popular modern authors, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is perhaps the definitive example of his aloof surrealism and how that surrealism is intricately woven into his plots. The novel’s protagonist is a directionless, somewhat lethargic and hapless middle-aged, middle-class man whose cat and wife both go missing.
© Go Tokyo, Setagaya Park
The setting of this novel is vital to its characters and plot. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is set in the Setagaya suburbs of Tokyo, a place where middle-class families of middling success typically live in calm quietude. Visiting the middle-class suburbia of this area gives weight to the context of a dissatisfied and restless modern-day salaryman.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, Available on Amazon
3. Biruka, Hokkaido in A Wild Sheep Chase
Haruki Murakami’s third book was also his first full-length novel, as well as his first true foray into the supernatural and surrealism that the author’s style is now so intricately tied to. The novel begins in Tokyo, but eventually leads to a searching journey across the open, cold, and rugged landscape of Hokkaido.
Ending in Sapporo, Hokkaido’s capital, and then in a small fictional Hokkaido town inspired by the very real town of Bifuka, the landscape of this novel is almost a character in itself. Visiting these two locations gives weight to the protagonist’s struggles and his desperate search during the novel’s story.
A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami, Available on Amazon
4. Uji in The Tale of Genji
Not only was The Tale of Genji the first novel written in Japan, but it is in fact considered the first novel anywhere in the world. It tells the story of a young emperor’s son removed from the line of succession, who goes on to learn much about love, the land, and its people. Written by lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu in 11th Century Kyoto, which, at the time, was Japan’s capital, The Tale of Genji is considered the most influential piece of Japanese fiction.
© Byodoin Temple, Uji City
The Tale of Genji is set partly in Uji, a town near Kyoto which still stands today. Now, Uji has its own Tale of Genji Museum, a must-visit place for fans of the book and for those who wish to understand more about the book’s setting, time period, and author. You can also read more about The Tale of Genji in Japanese Art.
The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, Available on Amazon
5. Ueno Park in Tokyo Ueno Station
Only recently released in English, Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri, is an aggressively political story which deconstructs the evils of modern-day capitalism, as well as the class system in Japan. The novel’s protagonist is a ghost who haunts the park next to Ueno Station, where he died homeless and forgotten. Born on the same day as the emperor, he was one of the forgotten thousands who build modern Japan’s infrastructure with his own hands, only to be unappreciated and abandoned.
© Wiennat Mongkulmann / Creative Commons, Ueno Park
Ueno Station today is a vital part of Tokyo’s network, and Ueno Park is a cultural hub which houses a zoo and several worldclass museums (such as the Tokyo National Art Museum). Visiting this area with the novel and its characters in mind provides a new appreciation for the nameless working class who did so much for modern-day Japan and should be appreciated.
Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri, Available on Amazon
6. Nakano Broadway in The Nakano Thrift Store
Hiromi Kawakami is one of Japan’s most beloved contemporary authors, with a knack for understanding and capturing the modern sensibilities and attitudes of young people in Tokyo. The Nakano Thrift Store collects an eclectic cast of young oddballs living and working in Nakano, a somewhat bohemian and hipster area of Tokyo.
Nakano is a real microcosm of Tokyo life, with its own miniature Akihabara in the shape of Nakano Broadway, and with so many coffee shops and boutique shopping areas, as well as a residential area that attracts more young than old. Exploring the area is very much like getting to intimately know the characters of the novel and the world that they inhabit.
The Nakano Thrift Store by Hiromi Kawakami, Available on Amazon
7. Yokohama in The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima, Available on Amazon
The writings of the far-right activist Yukio Mishima are a source of great fascination for so many. While his politics are not something most of us can abide, nor even understand, they inspired many intriguing stories, many of which are metaphors for his philosophies. The sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea is perhaps Mishima’s most on-the-nose metaphor, telling the story of a psychopathic boy who becomes enamoured with the life and work of a sailor who begins dating the boy’s mother. When the sailor leaves the sea behind to follow his love, the boy is enraged.
© Japan Rail Pass, Yokohama Bay
This novel is set in Japan’s second largest city, Yokohama. For readers of Mishima’s works visiting Japan, seeing the harbour of Yokohama lends real weight and understanding to the themes of the book, as the combination of industrial cityscape and endless ocean views renders visitors speechless and helps us to understand Mishima’s vision and inspiration.
The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea by Yukio Mishima, Available on Amazon
8. Yuzawa in Snow Country
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata, Available on Amazon
Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata who, incidentally, took his own life after hearing of his dear friend Mishima’s death, was known for being a great aesthete of the Japanese literary world. His novels, often slender in size, had the ability to capture the soul of a place in words, much like Basho before him.
Set in the onsen town of Yuzawa in Niigata, Kawabata’s most famous work, Snow Country, brings to life this remote and wintry place. This is a romantic and remote area that fans of the book should take the chance to visit; perhaps even find the same spark of influence that Kawabata himself found. Aside from its literary links, Yuzawa is also one of the 10 Best Towns to Enjoy the Winter Snow in Japan!
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata, Available on Amazon
9. Shikoku in The Silent Cry
Kenzaburo Oe was another Nobel Prize winner who focussed less on aesthetics and more on politics and people. The Silent Cry is a rare book set in rural Shikoku, in a village surrounded by lush and dense forest.
Although the village of The Silent Cry is not a specific place, the unique atmosphere of rural Shikoku would definitely help fans of Oe and his writing feel a deeper connection to the novel and its characters who were born and raised there, left, and once again returned to deal with old ghosts. You can enjoy the breathtaking scenery yourself in a holiday home such as Tougenkyo Iya, pictured above!
The Silent Cry by Kenzaburo Oe, Available on Amazon
10. Gion in The Old Capital
Yasunari Kawabata receiving the Nobel Prize was partly secured by the power of this novel, The Old Capital (Koto in Japanese), which captures the heart of Kyoto during a time of dramatic industrial growth in post-war Japan.
© Patrick Vierthaler / Creative Commons, Gion Festival
The Old Capital, while at once being an exploration of the genders and their relationships, is also a celebration of Kyoto and its traditions. Partly set in Gion, a middle chapter of the novel describes the Gion Festival which is celebrated annually in the district. Fans of Kawabata and the novel can experience the festival themselves during the month of July every year. For some other great suggestions for visitors, check out Gion Kyoto: 9 Must-See Highlights of the Geisha District.
The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata, Available on Amazon
11. Kamakura in Kokoro
Natsume Soseki is regarded as one of the great Japanese writers, and in his works, he timelessly captured the mood and the world of the Meiji era (1868-1912). In Kokoro, one of Soseki’s most beloved books, he explores the changing landscape of the Meiji era as Japan was going through a surge of modernisation in the early 20th Century.
© JR Pass, Daibutsu at Kotokuin Temple, Kamakura
Reflecting this theme of modernisation, Kokoro is set partly in Kamakura, an ancient capital of Japan and a popular day trip from Tokyo. Kamakura is a treasured piece of history that has remained almost untouched by time – a perfect place to visit to feel Soseki’s Meiji era.
Kokoro by Natsume Soseki, Available on Amazon
12. Shinjuku in In the Miso Soup
Ryu Murakami is known for bringing the seedy underbelly of modern Tokyo into the spotlight through his literature – this includes characters and topics like gangsters, punk rockers, drug addicts, and more besides.
© Chris Yang / Creative Commons, Shinjuku
Set in Shinjuku, In The Miso Soup reflects the nightlife, neon lights, and often invisible dark savagery of infamous areas like Kabukicho. Exploring Kabukicho after reading this book provides a whole different perspective on the seemingly glitzy and charming district.
In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami, Available on Amazon
13. Hiroshima in Black Rain
This lesser-known Japanese novel by Masuji Ibuse is set partly in 1945 Hiroshima during the August when the atomic bomb was dropped, and also in modern day Hiroshima once the wounds have healed and the city has been rebuilt.
© Oilstreet / Creative Commons, Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Reading this book and visiting sites like the Hiroshima Peace Memorial provides a completely rounded insight into the modern history of the city of Hiroshima and its people.
Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse, Available on Amazon
14. Osaka in The Makioka Sisters
One of the contemporary classics of Japanese literature, The Makioka Sisters (Sasameyuki in Japanese) by Junichiro Tanizaki, is the story of a wealthy Osaka family and the drama that the Japanese gentry typically found themselves in, but with the added shadow of World War II looming over the novel’s setting, story, and characters.
© Dean Cook / Creative Commons, Osaka Castle
The novel’s family are Osaka natives, and the setting provides historical context to a city that’s often considered a very modern place of fun and excitement. The city and the book work in tandem, providing a greater insight into one another. If you’re heading to the city yourself, check out the 50 Best Things To Do In Osaka.
The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki, Available on Amazon
15. Ise Bay in The Sound of Waves
As already mentioned, Yukio Mishima’s nationalism fed fervently into his literature. The Sound of Waves embodies that just as much as The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. It is such a beloved novel in Japan, in fact, that it has been adapted to film five different times.
© JNTO, Ago Bay
Set on Uta-kima in Ise Bay, this novel captures the rugged beauty of the surrounding sea and the people who live close to it. Visiting Ise Bay means understanding the inspiration that led to Mishima choosing this location for his novel about Japanese people who work with Japan’s land, its waters, and their resources.
The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima, Available on Amazon
April 17, 2020 | Travel, Japan
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