Japanese Literature, Meiji to Heisei: A Brief Research Guide: Heisei (1989-2019)

Kawakami Hiromi is a writer, best known for her off-beat fiction, poetry, and literary criticism. Critics have drawn comparisons between her works with fantasy and magical realism. Her works have received various awards, including the 1996 Akutagawa Prize, the 1999 Murasaki Shikibu Prize, the 2001 Tanizaki Prize, and the 2016 Izumi Kyōka Prize.

Kawakami Mieko is a writer and poet, recognized globally for writings that touch upon topics such as the female body and modern society. Her works have received various prestigious awards, including the 2010 Akutagawa Prize, the 2013 Tanizaki Prize, the 2008 Nakahara Chūya Prize, the 2010 Murasaki Shikibu Prize, and a shortlist for the 2022 International Booker Prize.

Mariko Hashioka, known by the pen name Kirino Natsuo, is considered a leading figure in the recent growth of female writers in Japanese detective fiction. Her works have also been compared with horror fiction. In 1997, her novel Out received the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, and its English translation was a finalist at the 2004 Edgar Award.

Murakami Haruki is a writer of multiple best-sellers in Japan and internationally, and has been awarded with various awards in both the Japanese and international scene of literature. His works span across multiple genres, including fantasy, science fiction, crime fiction, and incorporation of the elements of magical realism.

Murata Sayaka is a writer known for her exploration of the consequences of nonconformity in society, such as gender roles, with many of her themes originating from her experience and daily observation as a part-time convenience store worker. She also explores ideas of asexuality and celibacy, as well as climate change.

Ogawa Yōko is a writer, acknowledged for her workings on human psychology in prose, and especially on the exploration of memory. Her works have won every major Japanese literary award, and she has also been the recipient of the 2006 Shirley Jackson Award and the 2020 American Book Award.

Tawada Yoko is a writer, currently living in Germany, best known for writing in multiple languages, and exploring the themes of empathy and experiences of outsiders. She has won numerous literary awards both in Japan and abroad, including the Akutagawa Prize in 1992, the Goethe Medal in 2005, and the National Book Awards in 2018 for The Emissary.

Yoshimoto Mahoko (吉本 真秀子), known by the pen name Yoshimoto Banana, is a writer known for her blend of popular culture, minimalism, and magical realism, with an exploration of urban existentialism. She adopted the pseudonym "Banana" for its androgyny, and her love of banana flowers. Her "manga-esque" style of writing sparked controversy during her debut.