Japan’s macabre literati go global

From Edogawa Ranpo to Uketsu, Japanese writers have long put their own twists on the conventions of crime, horror and mystery, creating a literary tradition that can be as unsettling as it is inventive. | VICTORIA BENNET

Aug 15, 2026

For a while, Japanese cultural exports seemed to specialize in making people feel better. Marie Kondo taught us to “spark joy” in our housekeeping. “Terrace House” offered a softer, slower version of reality TV where drama often hinged on a glance across a kitchen. And Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons gave millions of gamers a quiet place to spend the pandemic.

Japanese popular literature was also, by and large, cozy and comforting. Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” series, about a cafe where customers can briefly revisit the past, became an international bestseller by offering readers a chance to sit with regret, grief and the possibility of acceptance.

But lately, another side of Japanese culture has been attracting attention: stories designed to unsettle. While J-horror cinema and morbid manga have long had their adherents, this darker turn is now particularly prominent in the publishing industry. 

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