“The List” is an index of all pieces of Japanese literature coming out in English for the year 2011.

This list is highly indebted to the work of Chad Post and Open Letter Books, who compiled the Translation Database for 2011, off of which this list is based.

This list differs in that I am including re-translations (but not re-issues) and some works that are published in English but not in the United States. I have also included some genre work that may have been overlooked. However, light novels are still NOT included in this list.

Publishers and/or dedicated fans: If something is missing, please email me at wednesdayafternoonpicnic (at) gmail (dot) com so I can fix it. You can also let me know of upcoming releases for 2012. Help me get your work out there!

Most links go to Amazon, but I implore you to support your local independent bookstores when possible!

2011

Akira Arai, A Caring Man
Nakajima Atsushi, The Moon Over the Mountain: Stories
Osamu Dazai,Otogizoshi: The Fairy Tale Book of Dazai Osamu
Osamu Dazai, Schoolgirl
Shiro Hamao, The Devil’s Disciple
Levy Hideo, A Room Where The Star-Spangled Banner Cannot Be Heard
Keigo Higashino, The Devotion of Suspect X
Kazushi Hosaka, Plainsong
Naoyuki Ii, The Shadow of a Blue Cat
Kotaro Isaka, Remote Control
Chohei Kambayashi, Good Luck, Yukikaze
Mieko Kanai, Indian Summer
Takeshi Kawamura, Nippon Wars and Other Plays
Choukitsu Kurumatani, The Paradise Bird Tattoo (or, Attempted Double-Suicide)
Ryu Mitsuse, Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights
Teru Miyamoto, Phantom Lights and Other Stories
Haruki Murakami, 1Q84
Ryu Murakami, Popular Hits of the Showa Era
Sawako Nakayasu with Chika Sagawa, Mouth: Eats Color — Sagawa Chika Translations, Anti-Translations, & Originals
Housuke Nojiri, Rocket Girls: The Last Planet
Kiwao Nomura, Spectacle & Pigsty
Ito Ogawa, Restaurant of Love Regained
Noriko Ogiwara, Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince
Shogo Oketani, J-Boys
Natsume Soseki , And Then
Natsume Soseki , Nowaki
Junichiro Tanizaki, Memoir of Forgetting the Capital
Yuko Tsushima, Laughing Wolf
Yasutaka Tsutsui, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Tow Ubukata, Mardock Scramble
Sayuri Ueda, The Cage of Zeus
Banana Yoshimoto, The Lake
Shimizu Yoshinori, Sushi to Ninja
Junnosuke Yoshiyuki, Fair Dalliance: Fifteen Stories
David Zopetti, Ichigensan – The Newcomer*
Various, Digital Geishas and Talking Frogs: The Best 21st Century Short Stories from Japan
Various, Short Stories in Japanese: New Penguin Parallel Text**
Various, Speculative Japan 2: The Man Who Watched the Sea and Other Tales of Japanese Science Fiction and Fantasy

*Although the author is Swiss, the book itself was written in Japanese, published in Japan, and even nominated for the Akutagawa, so I’m including it on the list.
**Contains previously untranslated material

Last updated: November 9, 2011.