IN-PERSON EVENT - The Japan Society Book Club: The Essential Akutagawa

Date
Monday 9 February 2026
Time
7.00pm

Booking Details
The Japan Society
13 / 14 Cornwall Terrace (Outer Circle)
London NW1 4QP

Free for members of The Japan Society

Book available from Bookshop.org, Waterstones, and Amazon (translated by Richard Medhurst)
Japanese version available here and here

Please help us to keep this event free and open to all! The Japan Society is a charity and its activities are made possible thanks to the support of its members. If you are planning to attend this event and are not a member (as an individual or through your employer), please consider becoming a member or making a donation if you can - the recommended donation is £5. Thank you!

Japan's master storyteller Ryunosuke Akutagawa wrote more than 150 short stories. Widely regarded as "the Father of the Japanese short story," he blended modern sensibilities with timeless themes to profound effect. This new anthology offers the most comprehensive collection of Akutagawa's work ever published in English. It features fresh translations of his most celebrated stories alongside many lesser-known and never-before-translated pieces.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) is one of the biggest names in Japanese literature, recognized for his mastery of the short story form. He was a contemporary of Osamu Dazai, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki and Soseki Natsume. In the West, he is best known for his short story In a Grove, adapted by Akira Kurosawa in his award-winning movie Rashomon. Many of his stories highlight a fascination with supernatural and transformational phenomena while others have vivid historical backdrops and display influences from classic Japanese and Western fiction. In 1927, at the age of 35, he killed himself.

If you have any questions, please call The Japan Society office on 020 3075 1996 or email events@japansociety.org.uk.

Booking Info

• You should receive an automated email from The Japan Society to let you know that your booking is confirmed.
  
  
• If you don't receive any confirmation emails or links, please check your spam folder or email events@japansociety.org.uk.
  
  
• If you are not a member of The Japan Society (as an individual or through your employer), please consider becoming a member or making a donation if you can - the recommended donation is £5.