Author guide

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa Books in Order

Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892–1927) was a major Japanese writer of the Taishō period and a central figure in the development of the modern Japanese short story. Drawing on Japanese and Chinese classics, Christian legends, contemporary life, and personal experience, he wrote fiction marked by stylistic precision, irony, psychological ambiguity, and intellectual skepticism. His later work became increasingly autobiographical and experimental. The Akutagawa Prize, Japan’s foremost award for emerging literary fiction, was named in his honor.

Catalog record updated August 25, 2026.