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Read Japanese Literature

Alison Fincher
Japanese Literature
Yukio Mishima
Japanese Apocalyptic Fiction
World War II
Japan
LGBTQ+ Stories
Atomic Bomb Literature
Confessions Of a Mask
Kenji Miyazawa
Kobe Earthquake
Taisho Japan
Natural Disasters
Haruki Murakami
Nobuko Yoshiya
Bullying
Lafcadio Hearn
The Peony Lantern
Obon Festival
Misogyny
Edogawa Ranpo

A podcast about Japanese literature and some of its best worksNew episodes more-or-less monthly

PublishesInfrequentlyEpisodes49Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArtsFiction

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Latest Episodes

In this episode, we're taking a look at Yasunari Kawabata's life and work.

As we tell his story, we'll ask ourselves two big questions. 

• Is Kawabata really a traditionalist? 

• And what is up with the way he writes about adolescent girls?

cw: au... more

In this episode, we look at the writers behind two of Japan's greatest movie monsters—Godzilla and Mothra.

We'll start out by looking at Godzilla—its context, author, and story—before we turn to Mothra. We'll close with a reflection on why the stori... more

In this episode, we take a look at the Japanese cell phone novel and the classic story of Train Man.

We’re going to start today by explaining the Japanese cell phone novel, including some relevant background like the history of serialized publishing... more

In this episode, we explore the enduring legacy of Greek/English/Irish/American/Japanese author Lafcadio Hearn and the ghost story The Peony Lantern.

We'll start out by looking at Hearn's life. We'll discuss the long history of the story Boton Doro,... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Keiichiro Hirano
Author of the Akutagawa-winning novel Eclipse
Episode: LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 2
Li Kotomi
Taiwanese-born Japanese lesbian author known for her novel Solo Dance.
Episode: LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 2
Ted Goosen
Highly regarded translator of Japanese fiction, known for translating works of Haruki Murakami.
Translator
Episode: The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 2

Host

Alison Fincher
Host of Read Japanese Literature

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 220 ratings
  • Show notes

    The show not page shows only the 404-errorpage, after listening some years after producing the piece. That is very bad indeed.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Tippfehlerteufel
    Germany2 months ago
  • Pronunciation

    What was the recycled paper called, in the episode on literature around WW II, and please write the word down in the show notes.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Tippfehlerteufel
    Germany9 months ago
  • American Privileged Liberalism

    The kind of feminist, “queer-friendly,” and worldview-by-headlines political ideology burns the edges of this podcast, making it a kind of awkward relic of modern American privileged self-abasing academic supremacy. I’d rather just learn about and be excited to read Japanese literature, but this podcast seems to at least be 1/3 about the authors own ideological preoccupations.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Shrandpa
    United Statesa year ago
  • Better than nothing …

    … to know about Japanese literature, but the pronunciation of Japanese terms and names is too much American. Up to virtually not understandable for non-American.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Tippfehlerteufel
    Germany2 years ago
  • A godsend for fans of Japanese Literature

    A thoroughly researched and interesting podcast that mixes history (for context) and literature.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bookonaut
    Australia3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host's thorough research and thoughtful delivery, noting how episodes connect literary history to broader cultural contexts.
Some critics cite pronunciation and occasional editorial polish as drawbacks, but praise the overall quality and rigor.
The show is frequently described as well-produced and well-structured, with depth that supports serious readers and students.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#245
Italy/Fiction
Apple Podcasts
#217
Japan/Fiction
Apple Podcasts
#220
Finland/Fiction
Apple Podcasts
#238
South Korea/Fiction

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Household IncomeSocial Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Read Japanese Literature

What is Read Japanese Literature about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The series offers deeply researched explorations of Japanese literature, weaving biographical context, historical backdrop, and close readings of key works. Episodes cover a wide range of topics—from Nobel-era figures and wartime literature to modern reception, film adaptations, and literary culture—often connecting authors' lives to broader societal themes. Listeners likely value thoughtful analysis, clear organization, and substantial scholarly context, with praise for audio quality and well-structured narratives, and some critiques about pronunciation and editorial polish.

What stands out is the combination of historical breadth and literary focus, plus an evident emphasis on tracing how translations, translation politics, and cultural ... more

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To see how many followers or subscribers Read Japanese Literature has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Read Japanese Literature?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Read Japanese Literature:

1. Philosopher's Zone
2. In Our Time
3. History of Japan
4. The LRB Podcast
5. Backlisted

How many episodes of Read Japanese Literature are there?

Read Japanese Literature launched 5 years ago and published 49 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Read Japanese Literature?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Read Japanese Literature?

Recent guests on Read Japanese Literature include:

1. Keiichiro Hirano
2. Li Kotomi
3. Ted Goosen

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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