Global Leaderboard 50 in view

Most Famous Japanese Writers

Writing 168
Japan 2,162
569 HM Haruki Murakami Haruki Murakami Japanese Writer b. 1949
1,569 YK Yasunari Kawabata Yasunari Kawabata Japanese Writer 1899–1972
1,920 MB Matsuo Bashō Matsuo Bashō Japanese Poet 1644–1694
2,303 KŌ Kenzaburō Ōe Kenzaburō Ōe Japanese Writer b. 1935
3,092 MM Miyamoto Musashi Miyamoto Musashi Japanese Writer 1584–1645
3,332 NS Natsume Sōseki Natsume Sōseki Japanese Writer 1867–1916
3,617 OD Osamu Dazai Osamu Dazai Japanese Writer 1909–1948
4,525 SI Shintaro Ishihara Shintaro Ishihara Japanese Author b. 1932
6,315 ER Edogawa Ranpo Edogawa Ranpo Japanese Writer 1894–1965
6,415 KM Kenji Miyazawa Kenji Miyazawa Japanese Poet 1896–1933
6,634 MŌ Mori Ōgai Mori Ōgai Japanese Poet 1862–1922
7,527 DT D. T. Suzuki D. T. Suzuki Japanese Philosopher 1870–1966
9,690 RM Ryū Murakami Ryū Murakami Japanese Writer b. 1952
10,187 MS Masaoka Shiki Masaoka Shiki Japanese Poet 1867–1902
10,230 BY Banana Yoshimoto Japanese Writer b. 1964
12,114 FN Fujiwara no Teika Fujiwara no Teika Japanese Poet 1162–1241
12,557 IS Ihara Saikaku Ihara Saikaku Japanese Poet 1642–1693
12,921 KI Kobayashi Issa Kobayashi Issa Japanese Poet 1763–1828
16,158 KN Kitaro Nishida Kitaro Nishida Japanese Philosopher 1870–1945
16,238 ST Shūji Terayama Shūji Terayama Japanese Poet 1935–1983
16,356 CM Chikamatsu Monzaemon Chikamatsu Monzaemon Japanese Writer 1653–1725
18,811 NS Naoya Shiga Naoya Shiga Japanese Writer 1883–1971
20,632 NK Natsuo Kirino Japanese Novelist b. 1951
20,845 HE Hakuin Ekaku Hakuin Ekaku Japanese Philosopher 1686–1769
21,328 TS Tōson Shimazaki Tōson Shimazaki Japanese Poet 1872–1943
21,767 JI Junji Ito Junji Ito Japanese Writer b. 1963
22,121 FS Futabatei Shimei Futabatei Shimei Japanese Writer 1864–1909
22,124 AN Akiyuki Nosaka Japanese Novelist 1930–2015
24,323 TK Takiji Kobayashi Takiji Kobayashi Japanese Writer 1903–1933
26,109 KN Ki no Tsurayuki Japanese Poet 866–945
26,136 TA Takeo Arishima Takeo Arishima Japanese Writer 1878–1923
26,667 KK Kan Kikuchi Kan Kikuchi Japanese Writer 1888–1948
26,698 MN Motoori Norinaga Japanese Linguist 1730–1801
27,218 KH Keigo Higashino Japanese Novelist b. 1958
29,066 NI Nisio Isin Japanese Novelist b. 1981
29,811 SH Sakutarō Hagiwara Japanese Poet 1886–1942
30,987 DK Doppo Kunikida Doppo Kunikida Japanese Poet 1871–1908
31,881 TB Takizawa Bakin Takizawa Bakin Japanese Novelist 1767–1848
36,199 YT Yoshiki Tanaka Japanese Novelist b. 1952
36,219 IK Ikki Kita Japanese Philosopher 1883–1937
37,867 MK Misuzu Kaneko Misuzu Kaneko Japanese Poet 1903–1930
39,090 KE Kaibara Ekken Kaibara Ekken Japanese Philosopher 1630–1714
39,320 KT Kenjirō Tokutomi Kenjirō Tokutomi Japanese Novelist 1868–1927
40,576 FE Fumiko Enchi Japanese Writer 1905–1986
40,652 HT Hitonari Tsuji Japanese Poet b. 1959
40,694 TS Tsubouchi Shōyō Tsubouchi Shōyō Japanese Writer 1859–1935
41,192 RY Riichi Yokomitsu Japanese Novelist 1898–1947
42,935 YT Yumeji Takehisa Yumeji Takehisa Japanese Poet 1884–1934
43,113 TM Tsunesaburō Makiguchi Japanese Philosopher 1871–1944
43,622 HI Hisashi Inoue Japanese Novelist 1934–2010
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Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Japan Writers

168 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous japan writers born in each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births among Japan Writers peaked in the 1900s with 21 people.

What Japan Writers Are Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Novelist are Japan Writers's biggest group — 34% of all notables (57).

Japan Writers over-index on novelist — 92.2× the global rate.

  1. Novelist57
  2. Writer38
  3. Poet36
  4. Philosopher14
  5. Linguist6
  6. Journalist5
  7. Author4
  8. Historian3
  1. Novelist5792.2×
  2. Philosopher1413.7×
  3. Poet3611.0×
  4. Linguist69.6×
  5. Writer385.5×
  6. Journalist53.1×

City Hot Spots

Cities that over-produce Japan Writers compared to the world average — multiplier shows how much more.