I started writing in my introduction tread but figured I'd better move to the related topic since it was getting quite long .

I'm impressed how many Japanese writers you know!
As for me, oh boy, most of the books I've read since my kids were born are mainly parctical books such as " How to Stay Calm When Your Kids Are Disobedient" or "Tips on Low-Carb Diet "or something like that (these I just made up the titles), such a shame!

But then I guess there are books that any Japanese (even myself) would read in school.

Yasunari Kawabata- I have a feeling that you might have already tired his works, since he is a Nobel prize winner and is one of the most famous writers in Japan.
"The Izu Dancer", "The Snow Country" are famous. "The House of Sleeping Beauties" is good, there are movies based on this story and the latest one done in Hollywood I think was released a few monthes ago in Japan.
Short stories are also good, my favorite is "Palm of the Hand Stories (especally "Pomegranate", which is included in this collection is my absolte favorite)".

Soseki Natsume- You definitely find his works in any Japasese textbooks.
"Kokoro" is a must-read, if you haven't. "And Then" is also good.
Lighter theme would be "I Am a Cat", "Botchan", "Sanshiro".

Osamu Dazai- Well-known for his pesimistic point of view, people tend to say you either love or hate him. I kind of like him:)
Not highly recommended when you are depressed or disappointed with your life.
"No Longer Human", "The Setting Sun" are famous.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa- You also find his works in any Japanese textbooks. Written many short stories.
"Rashomon", "In the Woods" ( the Kurosawa movie "Rashomon" is based on these two stories combined), "The Hell Screen", "The Spider's Thread"

Jun'ichiou Tanizaki- "Naomi", "A Portrait of Shunkin", I think are easy to understand.
"The Makioka Sisters" is long and dull, no, I mean, challenging and subtle.

Now for the more recent writers......
Banana Yoshimoto- my literature professor in college used to make reference to her and Murakami often in her class, but actually I've never read her works, sorry.
"Kitchen" I think is the most famous.

Ryu Murakami, Eimi Yamada, Teru Miyamoto- simply fun to read, and good.

Even lighter novel writers there are a whole bunch of them, but I am not sure of their availability in English or in your native language, though.

Again sorry if you couldn't find some of the works I mentioned, or if you already knew about most of them(*_*;). If there are any specific writer or book you want to know about, feel free to ask me any time!

I should have put the title simply as "Book Recommendation" that way any others can add more to the thread, but oh well.

Now I have so much to catch up on the Berlinale. I didn't get to watch it live, it was the busiest time of the day :<

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I feel honoured that you are interested in the literature of my country even though I'm not the writer himself

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You said you are from Eastern Europe, do you mind me asking which country? I once lived in Hungary for a few years when I was a child

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Ohhh, you lived in Hungary!!!Well, I live in the neighbourhood,in Belgrade, Serbia.That`s ex Yugoslavia.If you want to come and visit Hungary someday again, you can slip a bit southern and meet me.It would be a great pleasure for me to guide you.

I agree with you,if anybody else want to leave their recommendations,that would be more than welcome.Maybe we should ask Ani to help us and change the title of the tread, if it`s possible.

I visited Hungary 8 years ago (wow I can't believe it's been that long already) but I don't mind visiting again one of these days:D

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You must have gone through a lot since we left Hungary. I have no idea what the impact of all the conflcts was in the place where you live.

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*sigh*Actually it was rough period,the living hell for all of us who lived in this area,we suffered a lot,but we got through.I`m sorry but I don`t think this is apropriate place to keep talking any further about this dull subject.Thank you for your interest though.

If you ever decide to visit Belgrade,we can meet and have a lunch or dinner.That would be great pleasure for me.

And hey, you should come to Japan, too:)

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Osamu Dazai- people tend to say you either love or hate him. I kind of like him:)

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As for your favorite Murakami I think I've read most(many?) of his earlier works in my 20's. I'm not sure if I really understand what they are trying to say but I do admit that there are something fascinating about them. But still to be honest, I don't quite understand why his works gain so much sympathy from the people all over the world...do you? Most of his works are enigmatic and hard to decipher, I think. It's easier for people to just say "it doesn't make sence, he's just pretentiding to be complex", no?

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I don't quite understand why his works gain so much sympathy from the people all over the world...do you? Most of his works are enigmatic and hard to decipher, I think. It's easier for people to just say "it doesn't make sence, he's just pretentiding to be complex", no?

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Pretty much like Dazai, people either think Murakami`s (almost) God or either stay quite detached and don`t understand why all the fuss about him.I can`t say why Murakami`s work got so much sympathy all over the world, but I`ll try to convey my own thoughts.
There are novels which are realistic or they have just a few elements of fantasy like:Norwegian Wood(definitely my favorite)/Sputnik Sweetheart/South of the Border,West of the Sun/ After the Dark…Those are quite straight,much easier to read and people usually like them more than others which are actually fables (my favorites are Kafka on the Shore,Wind-up Bird Chronicle and Dance,Dance,Dance) and that`s probably why people don`t understand them. I love Murakami`s writing style,I like his deep thoughts,I like the game he`s playing with the reader.Sometimes while reading, you`re not sure whether the described event really happened or it was just a dream. Murakami leaves you a choice, leaves you a decision and that`s how he envolves the reader.Very often I kept thinking of possible developments for many,many days after I finished reading the novel.Besides readers get emotionally envolved too, cause his characters are mostly very lonely,alienated,misunderstood so all that causes huge compassion and makes you to want to be there for them.Very often you recognize your own feelings.

Here`s the link where you can find a few Murakami`s quotes, if you read some of them, maybe you`ll understand better why millions of us worship his work.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3354.Haruki_Murakami

You`re probably right about his quotes and if we talk about the quotes I`d like to add one of my favorites.I`m not sure where it is from, but I think it`s from A Wild Sheep Chase.Here it is:
"Body cells replace themselves every month.Even at this very moment.Most everything you think you know about me is nothing more than memories."

That`s such a truth.People change and after a few years ,the person you might think you knew simply wasn`t the same person anymore.

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"Body cells replace themselves every month.Even at this very moment.Most everything you think you know about me is nothing more than memories."

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True, I would also like to remeber this whenever I'm having a hard time making a break-through; there is no reason for me to stick with the old self if I'm reborning every month, right

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Of course,that could be great self-help stuff...

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when he came back he said that he saw not much progress in the restoration,

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Recently I read an article which stated that aprox 100 000 people are still forced to live in evacuation shelters to this day .On the other side I read a story told by a woman who lived somewhere in affected area,nearby Fukushima Daichi.She said she had to travel far away from her home almost every day so she could get vegetables which she believed that wasn`t too much contaminated.She was extremely worried because she had no information how radiation will affect her little daughter,cause she heard children were especially sensitive.She said she`s going to advice her to not have her own children when the time comes.After reading this I `ve been overtaken with great wave of sadness,got literally on verge of tears wishing I could do sth for those poor people.

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She said she had to travel far away from her home almost every day so she could get vegetables which she believed that wasn`t too much contaminated.

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People die sooner or later. Maybe I'm thinking like this because I went to watch the movie Melancholia yesterday :/

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No. you`re just such a brave woman and I very much admire you for your attitude .Take care.