30 Japanese Literature Quotes

Japanese literature is a treasure trove of profound insights, poetic beauty, and timeless wisdom. Spanning centuries, it captures the essence of Japan's rich cultural tapestry and offers universal themes that resonate with readers across the globe. From the elegant simplicity of haiku to the intricate narratives of modern novels, Japanese authors have a unique ability to distill complex emotions and profound truths into beautifully crafted words. In this exploration, we delve into a curated collection of the top 30 quotes from Japanese literature, each one offering a glimpse into the heart of this exquisite literary tradition. Whether you're a seasoned reader or new to this genre, these quotes will inspire, provoke thought, and perhaps even provide a new perspective on life.

1. “Young people get the foolish idea that what is new for them must be new for everybody else too. No matter how unconventional they get, they're just repeating what others before them have done.” - Yukio Mishima

2. “Insane" es un problema mental congénito, y se considera conveniente tratarlo con una terapia especializada. En cambio, "Lunatic" se refiere a una pérdida temporal del juivio debido al efecto de la luna.” - Haruki Murakami

3. “Just before I fell asleep, I had a moment of panic ...” - Ryu Murakami

4. “Call them robbers and cutthroats--were they not amiable enough when they had sufficient to fill their bellies? Something was out of joint in a world that drove these men to steal.” - Eiji Yoshikawa

5. “Is that so? He who lives in the mountains years for the city, and the city-dweller would rather live in the mountains," the Abbot chuckled, "and nothing is ever to one's liking...” - Eiji Yoshikawa

6. “Through his mad fancying he remembered Mokunosuke's words: "Whoever you are, you are a man after all. You are no cripple with those fine limbs." Whether he was the son of an emperor or the child of an intrigue, was he not a child of the heavens and the earth?” - Eiji Yoshikawa

7. “I can only bow to the will of the heaven, but not to the will of these men.” - Eiji Yoshikawa

8. “I seem to hear thousands of voices--the voices of the common folk in the marketplace--urging me to go forward and do what must be done. More is at stake now than my life. On me turns the future of the warriors. Let's not quibble longer, lest this rare opportunity slip through my fingers.” - Eiji Yoshikawa

9. “Should misfortune visit the Court, that can only be the result of its continued abuses. If the palace is attacked, that can only be the result of misgovernment. I can hardly be held responsible for the outcome.” - Eiji Yoshikawa

10. “Die? Then so be it.” - Eiji Yoshikawa

11. “Ah, you pitiful, pitiful creatures! Beautiful family! Nobler far than stupid men..." he cried softly to himself. What was he doing here with his arrow? Cornering these creatures? Armor--an armor to brag about! Save his dignity before that armor-maker because of a promise? Foolish...foolish! If the old man jeered at him, why should it matter anymore; a common suit of armor would do as well! Armor did not make a man, nor did it signify valor."Dumb creatures that you are, how magnificent! Sorrow, love--parental love incarnate! Were I that fox--what if Tokiko and Shigemori were trapped like this? Even the beast can rise above itself--could I as much?” - Eiji Yoshikawa

12. “Not only must a warrior be strong with his bow, but he must have a heart full of pity for all living creatures.” - Eiji Yoshikawa

13. “See, see how the sun has moved onward while we talked. Nothing can stop it in its course. Prayers cannot halt the revolving of nature. It is the same with human life. Victory and defeat are one in the vast stream of life. Victory is the beginning of defeat, and who can rest safely in victory? Impermanence is the nature of all things of this world. Even you will find your ill fortunes too will change. It is easy to understand the impatience of the old, whose days are numbered, but why should you young ones fret when the future is yours?” - Eiji Yoshikawa

14. “Unhappiness. There are all kinds of unhappy people in the world. I suppose it would be no exaggeration to say that the world is composed entirely of unhappy people. But those people can fight their unhappiness with society fairly and squarly, and society for its part easily understands and sympathizes with such struggles. My unhappiness stemmed entirely from my own vices, and I had no way of fighting anybody.” - Osamu Dazai

15. “I am a lonely man,' Sensei said. 'And so I am glad that you come to see me. But I am also a melancholy man, and so I asked you why you should wish to visit me so often.” - Natsume Soseki

16. “An obstacle which would frighten discreet men is nothing to determined women. They dare what men avoid, and sometimes they achieve an unusual success.” - Ōgai Mori

17. “He was said to have survived starvation by eating human flesh, after which he had the strength to tear out the antlers of a living stag with his bare hands.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

18. “Chained inside the carriage is a sinful woman. When we set the carriage afire, her flesh will be roasted, her bones will be charred: she will die an agonizing death. Never again will you have such a perfect model for the screen. Do not fail to watch as her snow-white flesh erupts in flames. See and remember her long black hair dancing in a whirl of sparks!” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

19. “The pale whiteness of her upturned face as she choked on the smoke; the tangled length of her hair as she tried to shake the flames from it; the beauty of her cherry-blossom robe as it burst into flame: it was all so cruel, so terrible!” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

20. “I could have sworn that the man's eyes were no longer watching his daughter dying in agony, that instead the gorgeous colors of flames and the sight of a woman suffering in them were giving him joy beyond measure.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

21. “Directly beneath the Lotus Pond of Paradise lay the lower depths of Hell, and as He peered through the crystalline waters, He could see the River of Three Crossings and the Mountain of Needles as clearly as if He were viewing pictures in a peep-box.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

22. “Great robber though he was, Kandata could only trash about like a dying frog as he choked on the blood of the pond.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

23. “As you can imagine, those who had fallen this far had been so worn down by their tortures in the seven other hells that they no longer had the strength to cry out.” - Ryunosuke Akutagawa

24. “As much as any contemporary writer, Murakami grasps the bewildering fluidity of commoditized life.” - The Japan Foundation

25. “He was beneath the waves, a creature crawling the ocean bottom.” - Doppo Kunikida

26. “He invited me to his apartment in the wee hours one morning and pulled out a set of children's building blocks. It seems he used to ride around and around on the Yamanote Line with them, building castles on the floor of the train.” - Ryu Murakami

27. “When you're in an extreme situation you tend to avoid facing it by getting caught up in little details. Like a guy who's decided to commit suicide and boards a train only to become obsessed with whether he remembered to lock the door when he left home.” - Ryu Murakami

28. “Lady #1, Maki, had never once given any thought to what was really right for her in her life, simply believing that if she surrounded herself with super-exclusive things, she'd become a super-exclusive person.” - Ryu Murakami

29. “When you're a kid, getting lost isn't just an event or a situation, it's like a career move. You get this thrill of anxiety and fear and a feeling that you've done something that can never be undone.” - Ryu Murakami

30. “They needed a reason why a little kid would commit murder, someone or something to point the finger at, and I think they were relieved when they hit upon horror movies as the culprit. But there's no reason a child commits murder, just as there's no reason a child gets lost. What would it be - because his parents weren't watching him? That's not a reason, it's just a step in the process.” - Ryu Murakami