Makoto Shinkai
KADOKAWA

After having a strange dream in which they switch bodies, Mitsuha and Taki wake up to find that it has become a reality. However, a short while later, Taki finds that he has returned to his original body. Not knowing the name of her hometown and relying solely on his memory and sketches, Taki journeys in search of Mitsuha, but with unforeseen consequences… The original book-version of the hit anime!

Sayaka Murata
Bungeishunju Ltd.

36 and unmarried, Keiko has been working at a convenience store for 18 years. According to her, this manually operated store is a haven, a place where she feels completely at ease. Enter Shiraha, a newbie part-timer, who is all set to change things. Fluctuating between the ‘normal’ and the ‘abnormal,’ and throwing it into sharp relief, is Konbini-ningen, winner of the 155th Akutagawa Prize.

Isaka Kotaro
Kodansha

It has been 12 years since the release of Children and its much-awaited sequel is finally out. The protagonists are none other than family court examiners Jinnai and Muto. This time, they are dealing with a case in which a 19-year old boy without a driver’s license hits and kills a man while driving. But behind this sensational incident lies a link to an unfortunate tragedy...

Jun Ikeido
Shueisha Inc.

Business-novel expert Jun Ikeido has chosen the setting for his next book: shoe manufacturing. In order to sustain the company and continue operations, the 4th president of a veteran cloth-manufacturer ‘Kohaze-ya’, located in Saitama, introduces and implements a new business plan that uses the company’s know-how to develop a new product: running shoes. But can a small-scale enterprise ever become a global sports brand!?

Hiro Arikawa
Kodansha

For the sake of filial piety towards Haruko - his father’s second wife and his stepmother - Ryo, returns to Okinawa. While out sightseeing with Haruko one day, he experiences a miraculous moment where dreams and reality intermingle. Inspired by music artist Kariyushi58’s famous song ‘Anma,’ comes this moving story about family.

Jun Ikeido
Shogakukan

Following the 145th Naoki prize-winner Shitamachi roketto comes its sequel, Shitamachi roketto 2: gaudi keikaku. While the first book follows the story of a company that produces special rocket valve systems, the second sees the same company embarking on a mission to develop an artificial heart valve called ‘Gaudi,’ by employing unconventional methods.

Miyuki Miyabe
Shogakukan

Centered on the investigation behind the truth of a confession, “I killed someone,” left behind by a client’s dead father... And a mother’s concern for the safety of her partner that she lost contact with after an earthquake... Solving four mysterious cases is Private Investigator Sugimura Saburo’s challenge. The newest book in the much-anticipated series.

Shintaro Ishihara
Gentosha Inc.

A biographical account spanning half of former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka’s lifetime, Tensai looks back on his unique modus operandi, his entry into politics, the normalization of Japan-China diplomatic relations, and his involvement in the Lockheed case. It brings to light the true spirit of the man who built Japan.

Keigo Higashino
Gentosha

Kaoruko, a housewife going through the motions of being married, decides to stay married only until her daughter Mizuho’s primary school exam is over. But one day, a tragic accident leads to Mizuho becoming brain-dead. When her daughter’s condition takes a turn for the worse, Kaoruko must make a difficult decision... Released on the 30th anniversary of the author’s debut!

Naoki Hyakuta
SHINCHOSHA

A group of frogs looking for a peaceful place to live arrive at the seemingly harmonious country of Napaj. It is a country where the inhabitants abide by ‘3 Commandments’ without question. But in these precepts, it appears that there is something strange...

Ryo Asai
SHINCHOSHA

From the same collection of stories that sparked the live action film “Nanimono,” comes another story Nanisama. Kotaro, previously a member of a band, aims to join a publishing company, and encounters people like Rika and Takayoshi... Six stories that complete ”Nanimono” come together to make up this short compilation.

Maha Harada
SHINCHOSHA

Picasso’s masterpiece with a strong anti-war message is ‘Guernica.’ When this famous tapestry disappears from the lobby of the UN headquarters, an international conspiracy is uncovered in the art world. An art suspense-thriller.

Mizuki Tsujimura
Mainichi Shimbun Publishing

Tokyo Kaikan, known for hosting the Akutagawa Prize and Naoki Prize press conferences, forms the backdrop for this debut historical novel. Spanning a period of nearly 100 years, this book describes the glitter and glamour of the various people that visited the Tokyo Kaikan and their interwoven lives. A deeply impactful title.

Kotaro Isaka
Shodensha

Talented pick-pocket Kuon saves Hijiri from being beaten up. A ‘hyena’ reporter who doesn’t protect the privacy of the victim at any cost, Hijiri find outs that Kuon is a member of a gang called ‘the cheerful gang’... A new release from this popular series for the first time in 9 years!

Kaoru Takada
Kadokawa Haruki Corporation

Sachi is a 14 year-old girl who works as an apprentice in a kimono shop in Osaka Tenma called ‘Go Suzuya.’ With talks of her becoming the second wife to the owner, what path will Sachi choose for herself? The young 14 year-old girl comes of age, in this second book in the series.

Ito Ogawa
Gentosha

Hatoko owns and runs the Tsubaki Stationary Store in Kamakura. And although the shop sells stationery, its main specialty is providing a letter writing service. Season’s greetings, condolence notes, break-up letters... By writing all these letters, one after the other, what does Hatoko finally discover?

Sumino Yoru
Futabasha

Nanoka looks down on all her classmates at school, and only has four friends: Minami, Abazure, her Grandma, and a black cat. With her four friends, Nanoka goes looking for the definition of happiness. However... This is Sumino Yoru’s much-anticipated second novel.

Keigo Higashino
Kodansha

In the veterinary hospital where Hakuro works, the phone rings. The caller, who introduces herself as his younger brother’s wife, is a mysterious woman called Kaede. It appears that Takuro’s brother has somehow disappeared. But where has he gone? And what is Kaede’s true nature?

Tsukasa Sakaki
Kobunsha

From the author of the quotidian mystery, Wagashi no an, comes the much-awaited sequel: another story set around An, who loves sweets, and a Japanese confectionary shop called ‘Mitsuya.’ Only this time, there are new characters and new employees working in the shop, making the book even more interesting.

Kanae Minato
Kobunsha

In Poison daughter. Holy Mother, where ‘toxic parents’ continues to be the theme... and in My Dearest, describing a feud between two sisters, Kanae Minato returns to her characteristic and original story-telling style. Poison Daughter, Holy Mother is a compilation that showcases six of her best stories

Hiroshi Ogiwara
SHUEISHA

“I dropped by the seaside barbershop and the talkative owner there began to tell me the story of his life...” This collection of six short-stories is filled with unexpectedly heart-warming narratives that bring to light the subtle feelings of distance that exist between two people, and their different realities. The winner of the 155th Naoki Prize.

Keiichiro Hirano
Mainichi Shimbun Publishing

Makino, a 38 year-old guitarist, and Yoko, a 40 year-old journalist, are instantly attracted to each other from the moment they meet. But their star-crossed love affair is fraught with misunderstandings, and finally, they are forced to go their separate ways. This is a novel about a love affair between two adults that makes us think about our pasts and the future.

Sako Aizawa
Kodansha

Kazuya, a high-school student, is an author whose books are not selling. At the suggestion of his editor, he collaborates with another author, Shina, who is of the same age and very popular, to write a novel. While they are writing their story, Kazuya discovers that Shina is hiding a secret. Will the two writers ever be able to complete their novel?

Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Sunmark Publishing

Funiculi-Funicular is a café, where it is rumored that you can go back in time. Amongst the people that visit this café are four women, who are waiting to go back to a past that they cannot forget. But when faced with their past, what do these women discover?

Mieko Kawakami
SHINCHOSHA

Mugihiko and Hegarty are primary school students. Told from both their perspectives, this story recounts the feelings of ‘attraction’ that they experience during their innocent, coming-of-age years. This is the author’s first new novel in 4 years.

Yukiko Motoya
Kodansha

“One day, my face became the same as my husband’s. Since then, there have been strange, spooky things happening...” This is a novel that fundamentally questions the way a couple ought to be. A compilation of 4 titles that won the 154th Akutagwa Prize.

Mitsuyoshi Uchimura
Chuokoron-Shinsha

Izumi was born in 1964, the year of the first Tokyo Olympics. Ever since he won first place in a race at his elementary school, he has always aimed to be number one. Despite failing repeatedly, he was a man who just did not give up.