Reading List for A Japan Trip

I’m hopefully finally going to make it to Japan soon. It’s been on my travel wishlist for so long at this point; I've wanted to go ever since I moved to Hawaii, fifteen years ago. For some reason, it’s just never worked out so far. Here's what I’ve got on my to-read shelf, to get ready in case this is finally the year:

Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide, Eric Selland (Translator)

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, Ginny Tapley Takemori (Translator)

Folktales from the Japanese Countryside by Hiroko Fujita (Editor)

Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Goto-Jones

36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan by Cathy N. Davidson

Rice, Noodle, Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture by Matt Goulding

A Year in Japan by Kate T. Williamson

Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods by Florent Chavouet

Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 1 by Natsuki Takaya

Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages by Gaston Dorren

Bonus (article): Japan’s Rent-a-Family Industry by Elif Batuman