It's hard to make specific recommendations without knowing what kinds of books you typically enjoy. That is, if you want "more like Murakami," that's one thing, but if you want "Japanese authors who write about things I normally enjoy," that's another. If you could explain what you enjoy, that would help us recommend more. :)

As a general shotgun approach at "who's who" in Japanese literature:

Kobo Abe's Woman in the Dunes is a story that's a bit bizarre/unreal; many people I know who like Murakami also like this.

Speaking of "bizarre," Yukio Mishima was quite a character -- aside from that, he was also quite a writer. Patriotism is a great short story from him that's pretty thought-provoking in a lot of ways.

Mishima's Confessions of a Mask is also another book I'd immediately recommend to people looking at Japanese literature. The protagonist is homosexual and somewhat deviant in a number of ways; the book looks at what it means to be "abnormal" and still have to fit into Japanese society (IIRC this was set in pre-war Imperial Japan).

For more modern stuff, Taiyo Fujii's Gene Mapper was a great read and a look at a future where genetic engineering/manipulation is the norm, especially for foodstuffs.

It’s a good question “what do I like about him”. I like the magical realism and I like the bizarre and I like the Japanese themes. But I don’t necessarily need all three at once.

I really appreciate all the great suggestions in everyone’s responses. Many of the authors I’ve never heard of.

I'm a big fan of Kōbō Abe. The Woman In The Dunes is probably his most famous and easiest to read of the ones I've encountered. For a more dream-like, trippy experience, try The Box Man or The Ruined Map.

The movie for Woman in the Dunes is really great too!

Added to the list. Thanks!

砂の女 is a masterpiece of Japanese cinema as well

As others have noted, you'll likely find what you're looking for by finding other magical realism authors rather than other Japanese authors.

If looking for existentialist ennui authors, then Japan may offer other writers.

What about Murakami's works appeal to you in particular?

Yes, I like the magical realism of murakami. However I also enjoy the Japanese cultural references. Maybe it is the gaijin in me, but I feel that the mystery of Japanese culture (as seen from the eyes of a westerner) is a good match for magical realism.

I’ve often heard of murakami described as similar to Philip K Dick. Though I like Dick, I don’t really see the relation. (Though the second season of amazons Man in the Hogh Castle seems very Murakami-esque to me)

I’ve read a lot of French and German existential ennui authors and don’t get the same feelings (some I’ve read in both English translation and original text).

I do get some similar feelings from some Hemingway works, though clearly not magical realism.

Do you have any magical realism authors you can suggest?

I (along with some others here) highly recommend Yasunari Kawabata. In a way, he reminds me of Hemingway because he writes sparsely and with a deep sense of melancholy. He also was focused on preserving the "Japanese character" at a time when there was a lot of pressure to Westernize, so in a way he writing encapsulates a Japanese perspective of what makes Japan unique and interesting.

He is also just an amazing writer (he won the Nobel). Some interesting works by him: Master of Go, the novelization of a Go match between two masters (I barely understand how to play Go and still found it interesting) and Thousand Cranes, which centers around the tea ceremony. That story is interesting because a few old tea bowls are treated almost like characters that exert influence over some of the other characters whose lives are kind of intertwined almost like a Shakespearean drama. Anyway, a very interesting and unique author.

I also recommend Musashi from Eiji Yoshikawa. He writes big historical fiction novels that read like fantasy page-turners. Taiko is his lesser known novel in translation, but it is a really awesome overview of the Japanese feudal period and a fun read as well.

Will do! Thanks.

I agree with you that there's little resemblance between Murakami and PKD.

I think I know what you mean regarding Hemingway. I got that "feeling" as a reader reading For Whom The Bell Tolls.

I'd look at "the Surrendered" by Chang-rae Lee, a Korean American author and a Pulitzer finalist. I'm only halfway through the book but it's very much a Hemingway esque war book, and I think I get a similar feeling reading it. Maybe it has to do with being very deep inside the psyche of the existentially troubled, conflicted protagonist.

If you do read it and enjoy it, drop me a note at me email. Would love to hear what you think.

Funny, I’ve read all of Hemingway’s novels and the one I was explicitly thinking of was For Whom the Bell Tolls. Yes, that “feeling” was the one I was referring to.

I’ll try to check out that Korean American author too. I just finished “pachinko” by Min Jin Lee, another Korean American author. Definitely _not_ magical realism but a lot of enui.

For more magical realism, definitely give Gabriel Garcia Marquez a try. It doesn't feel quite as foreign as Japanese culture, but it definitely captures the same kind of mystery.

One Hundred Years of Solitude is generally regarded as a good place to start. It's one of my favorite books and has so much character and imagery that sticks in your head.

Not completely magical realism, but I would suggest Vonnegut. Murakami slightly reminds me of a younger version.

Interesting. I hadn’t made that connection before. I’ve ready 3-4 Vonnegut books but admittedly not since I was a kid. Maybe I was too young to understand. Or maybe I hadn’t yet identified the right feelings yet. I’ll give him another try.

Check out For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. It has magical realism elements, and half of it takes place in Japan. It definitely reminded me of Murakami.

I agree here: liking Murakami is no guarantee of liking other contemporary Japanese authors (as you can gather from the article in question).

Side question: re your username, are you a big haruki murakami fan or just a coincidence?

Those are my initials and my last name, which coincidentally resembles the author's name. My first name is the name of one of his protagonists, which adds to the mystery ;)

My college classmates would often ask if I was related, especially since he was a visiting lecturer back in the day.

Ha!

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata might be up your alley. It's a (little) bit Murakami-esque, and I hear that her upcoming translations are even weirder, which I'm looking forward to.

Thanks! I’ll check it out ASAP.

All authors in the Penguin collection. Oe, Mishima, Akutagawa, Natsume, Shiga, Kawabata. Were deeply influenced by Japan's ancient folktales ;)

https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/japantales.html

Cool! Obviously the short stories in the collection are a place for me to start!

I enjoyed "Out" by Natsuo Kirino.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_(novel)

If you get into classic Japanese literature then have some fun and start at the beginning with Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji written about a thousand years ago. From around 1905 after the Russo-Japanese war when Japan was starting to feel good about itself you have Natsume Sōseki's I am a Cat. As Yet I have No Name but it all depends on what genre you like.

I love Souseki. For me he's the Japanese Dickens. I highly recommend Botchan (spelling from google -- no idea what this book is called in English).

Right. Botchan (1906) (坊っちゃん 明治 三十九年) That was and probably still is a popular book, moreso at the time of its release when virtually all behavior was rigid and prescribed and you were expected to keep your thoughts to yourself and never volunteer them. There's even an .epub of Botchan on Project Gutenberg and aozora. As a Japanese friend who grew up in Japan observed, Botchan was like an alter ego. You know exactly what he is thinking, he had a short fuse, and talked with his fists with little regard as to how his actions were construed. Things at times which you would want to do yourself but wouldn't or couldn't. But like an Aesop's fable, ethics and morality win in the end.

- and the above is Kanji if you don't have the script ;-)

Akutagawa and Kawabata. But I don't believe Murakami is considered representative of Japanese literature, so you might just not like them.

Banana Yoshimoto (most known for the novel Kitchen [1]) is certainly very Murakamiesque when it comes to documenting the banalities of everyday life. Not magical realist, though.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Banana-Yoshimoto/dp/057117104...

As others have said Kawabata is great. Banana Yoshimoto too. Personally I really enjoyed Fuminori Nakamura, especially The Thief.

Thanks for the suggestion

Two Japanese novels that I thoroughly enjoyed are Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi and Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human.

Thanks! I’ll check them out.

Kenzaburo Oe, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I've heard of him but have never read any of his books personally.

My coworker who likes Murakami recommended Kawabata and Ishiguro, but I haven't had a chance to read either yet.

All You Need Is Kill is a great read. The movie, Edge Of Tomorrow, was based on this book.

Not a Japanese author but you might like Jonathan Carroll.

I’m not tied to only Japanese authors. Thanks!

Can you tell me about why you suggest him?

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino.

I really recommend Keigo. Malice is probably my favourite so far but only because I loved the TV series Shinzanmono.

I really enjoyed Norwegian Wood.

Would you recommend any particular order when approaching his other books?

I would recommend Kafka on the Shore if you liked Norwegian Wood. Both are less “bizarre”. On the more bizarre end of the spectrum I would say 1Q84 or Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

Kazuo Ishiguro - The Buried Giant

Yamada Taichi

If you like Murakami, you might also enjoy Ruth Ozeki, who is influenced by Murakami and also writes magical realism novels.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15811545-a-tale-for-the-...

That sounds interesting. Thanks!