10 must-read asia books like The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

Cover of The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

The Premonition

By: Banana Yoshimoto

3.43

Format: 133 pages, Hardcover

The internationally beloved author of Kitchen and Dead-End Memories returns with a beautiful and he…

"I'd never known a love before that could blot out the world around like this."

-Banana Yoshimoto, The Premonition

"Later, for the first time in a very long time, I heard my aunt play the piano. Its tone was soft, and just like I remembered it. At the kitchen window one overcast afternoon, I watched its beautiful music as it flowed from her room upstairs, threaded through the trees in the garden, and slipped away into the gray sky."

-Banana Yoshimoto, The Premonition

If you liked the asia plot in The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto , here is a list of 10 books like this:

Cover of Vladivostok Circus by Elisa Shua Dusapin

1. Vladivostok Circus

By: Elisa Shua Dusapin

3.49

Format: 176 pages, Paperback

A Vladivostok, dans l'enceinte désertée d'un cirque entre deux saisons, un trio s'entraîne à la bar… read more

Similar categories in Elisa Shua Dusapin's Vladivostok Circus book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • novella
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • adult
Cover of More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2) by Satoshi Yagisawa

2. More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2)

By: Satoshi Yagisawa

3.87

Format: 176 pages, Paperback

In this charming and emotionally resonant follow up to the internationally bestselling Days at the … read more

Similar categories in Satoshi Yagisawa's More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2) book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • asia
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • asian literature
  • contemporary
  • adult
  • japan
Cover of All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

3. All the Lovers in the Night

By: Mieko Kawakami

3.72

Format: 224 pages, Hardcover

Fuyuko Irie is a freelance copy editor in her mid-thirties. Working and living alone in a city wher… read more

Similar categories in Mieko Kawakami's All the Lovers in the Night book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • asia
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • asian literature
  • japanese literature
  • adult
  • japan
"It only took me a couple of hours to realise that she was a woman of talents beyond anything I could imagine - even though I was a stranger to such talents myself."

-Mieko Kawakami, All the Lovers in the Night

"The light at night is special because the overwhelming light of day has left us, and the remaining half draws on everything it has to keep the world around us bright."

-Mieko Kawakami, All the Lovers in the Night

"When I felt sleepy I slept, and when I opened my eyes I got up, letting hunger dictate when to head to the fridge or kitchen cabinet to eat some of the things that I'd stocked up on. When supplies ra…"

-Mieko Kawakami, All the Lovers in the Night

"When I felt sleepy I slept, and when I opened my eyes I got up, letting hunger dictate when to head to the fridge or kitchen cabinet to eat some of the things that I'd stocked up on. When supplies ra…"

-Mieko Kawakami, All the Lovers in the Night

Cover of The Rainbow by Yasunari Kawabata

4. The Rainbow

By: Yasunari Kawabata

3.50

Format: 224 pages, Paperback

Available in English for the very first time, a powerful, poignant novel about three half sisters i… read more

Similar categories in Yasunari Kawabata's The Rainbow book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • asia
  • fiction
  • japan
  • asian literature
  • japanese literature
"La profondità dell'essere umano è proporzionale alle esperienze vissute e alla lontananza del tempo in cui il suo animo si immerge."

-Yasunari Kawabata, The Rainbow

"Un ponte di pietra tra le anime? Meglio allora un arcobaleno." "Sì, è possible che il ponte che unisce due anime sia simile a un arcobaleno."

-Yasunari Kawabata, The Rainbow

"Fra le tante cose che suscitano nell'uomo una sensazione di impotenza, l'architettura è più di ogni altra arte soggetta a condizionamenti. Luogo, materiale, destinazione, grandezza, costi, le bizzarr…"

-Yasunari Kawabata, The Rainbow

Cover of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1) by Satoshi Yagisawa

5. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)

By: Satoshi Yagisawa

3.65

Format: 150 pages, Paperback

The moving international sensation about new beginnings, human connection, and the joy of reading. … read more

Similar categories in Satoshi Yagisawa's Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1) book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • asian literature
  • contemporary
  • japan
"It hurts to realize that it might be too late now for anything but regret."

-Satoshi Yagisawa, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)

"And here I am spending a sleepless night in a strange place. We might not be far from home, but I feel lonely."

-Satoshi Yagisawa, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)

"In my dream, I was an android maid living in a city in the not-so- distant future. In that neighbourhood, all the buildings were made of used books."

-Satoshi Yagisawa, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)

"No es cuestión de ser expertos o novatos. Si lo plantea así, ni siquiera yo lo soy tanto. Lo importante es sentir emociones al toparse con un libro."

-Satoshi Yagisawa, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #1)

Cover of This is Amiko, Do You Copy? by Natsuko Imamura

6. This is Amiko, Do You Copy?

By: Natsuko Imamura

3.63

Format: 122 pages, Paperback

Other people don’t seem to understand Amiko. Whether eating curry rice with her hands at school or … read more

Similar categories in Natsuko Imamura's This is Amiko, Do You Copy? book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • novella
  • asia
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • asian literature
  • japanese literature
  • japan
"Every time she cried, "I love you!" the words shattered her heart without mercy."

-Natsuko Imamura, This is Amiko, Do You Copy?

Cover of Dragon Palace by Hiromi Kawakami

7. Dragon Palace

By: Hiromi Kawakami

3.31

Format: 160 pages, Paperback

Included in The New Yorker's Best Books of 2023 From the bestselling author of Strange Weather i… read more

Similar categories in Hiromi Kawakami's Dragon Palace book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • short stories
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • asian literature
  • adult
  • japan
Cover of Weasels in the Attic by Hiroko Oyamada

8. Weasels in the Attic

By: Hiroko Oyamada

3.43

Format: 96 pages, Paperback

From the acclaimed author of The Hole and The Factory, a thrilling and mysterious work that explore… read more

Similar categories in Hiroko Oyamada's Weasels in the Attic book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • novella
  • asia
  • short stories
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • asian literature
  • japanese literature
  • japan
"We meet at school, or work, or maybe a store. Wherever it is, there's just a random group of individuals, right? Within that group, you find your mate. If you were in a different group, you' d end up…"

-Hiroko Oyamada, Weasels in the Attic

Cover of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

9. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

By: Hwang Bo-Reum

4.02

Format: 307 pages, Hardcover

Yeongju is burned out. With her high-­flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, sh… read more

Similar categories in Hwang Bo-Reum's Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • asian literature
  • adult
"Why? Because we only get one shot in life, and we're living it now."

-Hwang Bo-Reum, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

"A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day."

-Hwang Bo-Reum, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

"A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day'."

-Hwang Bo-Reum, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

"A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be a success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day."

-Hwang Bo-Reum, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

Cover of The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1) by Hisashi Kashiwai

10. The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

By: Hisashi Kashiwai

3.70

Format: 201 pages, Hardcover

The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series f… read more

Similar categories in Hisashi Kashiwai's The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1) book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • asian literature
  • contemporary
  • adult
  • japan
"Ah, Setchubai. "Plum Blossoms in the Snow." Perfect, and not just because of the name. It's a little sweet, but it'll go very well with the hotpot."

-Hisashi Kashiwai, The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

"We get used to things too easily. You think something's tasty the first time you eat it, but then you start taking it for granted. Never forget your first impressions."

-Hisashi Kashiwai, The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

"It's Swatow lace, I believe-- beautiful, isn't it? The design is titled "The Disc of the Moon"-- apparently it was inspired by the poem "Midnight Song" by the Tang-era poet Li Bai. I looked it up, an…"

-Hisashi Kashiwai, The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

"Miyajima oysters, simmered Kurama-style, miso-glazed baked butterburs with millet cake, bracken and bamboo shoot stew, chargrilled moroko, breast of Kyoto-reared chicken with a wasabi dressing, and v…"

-Hisashi Kashiwai, The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

Cover of Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

11. Diary of a Void

By: Emi Yagi

3.51

Format: 213 pages, Hardcover

A prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel about a woman in Japan who avoids harassment at … read more

Similar categories in Emi Yagi's Diary of a Void book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • asia
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • asian literature
  • japanese literature
  • japan
"Having a baby isn't easy. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. It's been two thousand years, and it's the same old story, right?"

-Emi Yagi, Diary of a Void

"I'm always so alone. I guess I should be used to it by now. That's the way it is from the moment we come into this world, but I'm still not used to it - how alone we all are."

-Emi Yagi, Diary of a Void

"Maybe that's making a family is all about: creating an environment in which people make space for one another - maybe without even trying, just naturally, to make sure that nobody's forgotten."

-Emi Yagi, Diary of a Void

"Until they arrived, while everyone else was transitioning to winter, putting on coats and sweaters, I was going to stick with my summer dress and my usual work blazer. Dressed in the dazzling flowers…"

-Emi Yagi, Diary of a Void

Cover of Butter by Asako Yuzuki

12. Butter

By: Asako Yuzuki

3.60

Format: 464 pages, Hardcover

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist inten… read more

Similar categories in Asako Yuzuki's Butter book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • japan
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"Dessert was home-made candied chestnuts, chiffon cake baked with amazake and rice flour, and cups of gingery chai. Biting into the cake, Rika discovered that it was perfectly fluffy, with a pleasing …"

-Asako Yuzuki, Butter

"Soon after, Rika heard the sizzle of butter melting in a hot frying pan. It smelt to her like life itself. Maybe because it was animal fat, there was rough, raw depth and fragrance to its smell, whic…"

-Asako Yuzuki, Butter

"Milk was originally blood. In that case, was the butter in the Babaji story actually a metaphor for all the carnage that took place under the cover of the jungle? What seemed pure, white and creamy h…"

-Asako Yuzuki, Butter

"The whipped butter had already started melting across the waffles' latticed brown surface, creating a golden trickling waterfall that pooled in their hollows. Rika bit into the dough, savoring how ju…"

-Asako Yuzuki, Butter

Cover of The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

13. The Premonition

By: Banana Yoshimoto

3.43

Format: 133 pages, Hardcover

The internationally beloved author of Kitchen and Dead-End Memories returns with a beautiful and he… read more

Similar categories in Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • novella
  • asia
  • short stories
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • asian literature
  • japanese literature
  • adult
  • japan
"I'd never known a love before that could blot out the world around like this."

-Banana Yoshimoto, The Premonition

"Later, for the first time in a very long time, I heard my aunt play the piano. Its tone was soft, and just like I remembered it. At the kitchen window one overcast afternoon, I watched its beautiful …"

-Banana Yoshimoto, The Premonition

Cover of What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

14. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

By: Michiko Aoyama

4.09

Format: 304 pages, Hardcover

For fans of The Midnight Library and Before the Coffee Gets Cold, this charming Japanese novel show… read more

Similar categories in Michiko Aoyama's What You Are Looking For Is in the Library book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • short stories
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • contemporary
  • adult
  • japan
Cover of Your Utopia by Bora Chung

15. Your Utopia

By: Bora Chung

3.65

Format: 256 pages, Paperback

By the internationally acclaimed author of Cursed Bunny, in another thrilling translation from the … read more

Similar categories in Bora Chung's Your Utopia book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • asia
  • short stories
  • adult
  • fiction
Cover of A Woman of Pleasure by Kiyoko Murata

16. A Woman of Pleasure

By: Kiyoko Murata

3.86

Format: 320 pages, Paperback

“Even though A Woman of Pleasure exposes the brutal life of sex workers, a dynamic optimism runs th… read more

Similar categories in Kiyoko Murata's A Woman of Pleasure book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • asia
  • fiction
  • japanese literature
  • asian literature
  • adult
  • japan
Cover of Asa: The Girl Who Turned into a Pair of Chopsticks by Natsuko Imamura

17. Asa: The Girl Who Turned into a Pair of Chopsticks

By: Natsuko Imamura

3.47

Format: 208 pages, Paperback

The startling first collection of dark, surreal, and unsettling stories from the international priz… read more

Similar categories in Natsuko Imamura's Asa: The Girl Who Turned into a Pair of Chopsticks book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • short stories
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • asian literature
  • contemporary
  • adult
  • japan
Cover of People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice: Stories by Ao Omae

18. People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice: Stories

By: Ao Omae

3.22

Format: 176 pages, Hardcover

A fresh, thoughtful, and always surprising short story collection from a rising young star in the w… read more

Similar categories in Ao Omae's People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice: Stories book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • short stories
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • asian literature
  • contemporary
  • adult
  • japan
Cover of The Third Love by Hiromi Kawakami

19. The Third Love

By: Hiromi Kawakami

3.36

Format: 288 pages, Hardcover

Having married her childhood sweetheart, Riko now finds herself trapped in a relationship that has … read more

Similar categories in Hiromi Kawakami's The Third Love book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • japanese literature
  • fiction
  • asian literature
  • contemporary
  • japan
Cover of The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre by Cho yeeun

20. The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre

By: Cho yeeun

3.51

Format: 208 pages, Paperback

At New Seoul Park, Korea’s greatest theme park, an enigmatic man tempts visitors with a mysterious … read more

Similar categories in Cho yeeun's The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • asia
  • short stories
  • fiction
  • asian literature
"I couldn't help but feel empty inside as I thought about all the moments of my life fading away like that. What was I, after all, if all the memories that made me up were gone?"

-Cho yeeun, The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre

Cover of Private Rites by Julia Armfield

21. Private Rites

By: Julia Armfield

3.92

Format: 304 pages, Hardcover

From the award-winning author of Our Wives Under the Sea, a speculative reimagining of King Lear, c… read more

Similar categories in Julia Armfield's Private Rites book and Banana Yoshimoto's The Premonition

  • literary fiction
  • adult
  • fiction
  • contemporary
"To be misunderstood is one thing, but the curious hostility of a sibling's approach lies less in what they miss than in the strange backdated nature of the things they choose to know. A person can be…"

-Julia Armfield, Private Rites

21 Best fiction books like The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

Transform Your Habits

Vladivostok Circus

Elisa Shua Dusapin

3.49

Transform Your Habits

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2)

Satoshi Yagisawa

3.87

Transform Your Habits

All the Lovers in the Night

Mieko Kawakami

3.72

Transform Your Habits

The Rainbow

Yasunari Kawabata

3.50

View all the books

5 best-selling japan books like Butter by Asako Yuzuki

Transform Your Habits

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2)

Satoshi Yagisawa

3.87

Transform Your Habits

The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)

Hisashi Kashiwai

3.70

Transform Your Habits

Butter

Asako Yuzuki

3.60

Transform Your Habits

Mongrel

Hanako Footman

4.38

View all the books

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