Food Is Everywhere in Japanese Literature

Literature, like food, is, in Terry Eagleton’s words, “endlessly interpretable,” and food, like literature, “looks like an object but is actually a relationship.” So how much do we, and should we, read into the way food is represented in literature—especially in Japanese lit?

At Found in Translation, September is all about food. Not just eating, but the way meals carry memory, healing, and sometimes even danger. In Japanese literature especially, food often takes center stage—not as background detail, but as the heart of the story. This month we are sharing three novels that show just how powerful a single dish can be.

Butter by Asako Yuzuki (tr. Polly Barton)

This book caused a sensation in Japan and now around the world. On the surface, it’s the story of a journalist investigating a woman accused of luring and killing men with her cooking. But Butter is really about so much more: how society judges women’s bodies, appetites, and choices. It’s sharp, unsettling, and unforgettable—like sitting down to a meal that tastes both comforting and dangerous.

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi (tr. Cat Anderson)

If Butter feels rich and heavy, Chibineko Kitchen is a bowl of soup on a rainy night. In a small seaside town, a mysterious restaurant serves meals that allow people to meet loved ones they’ve lost. A kitten named Chibi keeps watch, while the dishes bring back not just flavors, but memories. This is a story about grief, love, and the comfort of food when words aren’t enough—a cozy, magical hug of a novel.

Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada (tr. Philip Gabriel)

Imagine a library that only opens after dark, filled with books by authors who have already passed away. Among the shelves, there’s a chef cooking meals inspired by the stories themselves. Here, food and books come together to nourish both body and soul. It’s a gentle, whimsical novel about burnout, belonging, and the communities we build when we share stories and meals.

Why These Stories Matter

All three books remind us that food is never just food. A stew, a kitchen, a late-night meal in a library—they carry memory, identity, even resistance. They show us how we hunger not just for flavor, but for connection and meaning.

So, as the nights start to cool, we invite you to pick up one (or all three!) of these novels. Curl up with a warm drink, let the scent of dinner linger in your kitchen, and step into stories where food becomes the doorway to healing, remembering, and reimagining our lives.