The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories

"Filling up with sugar - what a lovely way to die!"

This is a celebration of the Japanese short story from its modern origins in the nineteenth century to remarkable contemporary works. It includes the most well-known Japanese writers - Akutagawa, Murakami, Mishima, Kawabata - but also many surprising new pieces, from Yuko Tsushima's 'Flames' to Banana Yoshimoto's 'Bee Honey'. Ranging over myth, horror, love, nature, modern life, a diabolical painting, a cow with a human face and a woman who turns into sugar, The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories is filled with fear, charm, beauty and comedy.

Featuring stories about

• Japan and the West
• Loyal Warriors
• Men and Women
• Nature and Memory
• Modern Life and Other Nonsense
• Dread
• Disasters, Natural and Man-made

"A feast of literature, a smorgasbord of over 30 widely varied modern Japanese writers... Each lodges itself in memory... Penguins' new anthology is a literature lover's dream, page after page of memorable writing, stories that leave a lasting impression yet can be fully absorbed in one sitting" - Kris Kosaka, Japan Times