Most Famous Japanese Writers

50 Japanese Writers in view out of 168

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

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.