Book Series Guide

Yukio Mishima

Author guide

Yukio Mishima Books in Order

Yukio Mishima (1925–1970), born Kimitake Hiraoka, was one of Japan's major twentieth-century writers. He produced novels, short-story collections, plays, modern Noh dramas, essays, criticism, memoirs, travel writing, poetry, a libretto, and the film Patriotism. His work combines psychological intensity and formal elegance with recurring concerns about eroticism, artistic creation, the body, tradition, modernity, political identity, and death.

literary fictionnovelnovellashort storiesessaysmemoirplaysmodern nohpoetryliterary criticismtravel writing

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Start with one of these

Cover of Confessions of a Mask

Confessions of a Mask

A concise, psychologically direct introduction to Mishima's autobiographical fiction and themes of identity and desire.

Cover of The Sound of Waves

The Sound of Waves

An accessible, lyrical novel that presents Mishima's romantic and classical mode.

Cover of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

A central mature novel dramatizing beauty, obsession, artistic creation, and destruction.

Read in order

Books by series

novel-series · complete

The Sea of Fertility

A tetralogy tracing reincarnation and the transformation of Japanese society from the early twentieth century through the postwar era.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of Spring Snow
    Spring Snow

    Book 1 · novel · 1969

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of Runaway Horses
    Runaway Horses

    Book 2 · novel · 1969

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  3. 3 Cover of The Temple of Dawn
    The Temple of Dawn

    Book 3 · novel · 1970

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  4. 4 Cover of The Decay of the Angel
    The Decay of the Angel

    Book 4 · novel · 1971

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Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (35)
  1. Thieves

    novel · 1948

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  2. Cover of Confessions of a Mask
    Confessions of a Mask

    novel · 1949

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  3. Cover of Thirst for Love
    Thirst for Love

    novel · 1950

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  4. Pure White Nights

    novel · 1950

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  5. The Age of Blue

    novel · 1950

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  6. Cover of Forbidden Colors
    Forbidden Colors

    novel · 1951

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  7. Natsuko's Adventure

    novel · 1951

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  8. Made in Japan

    novel · 1952

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  9. The Capital of Love

    novel · 1954

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  10. Cover of The Sound of Waves
    The Sound of Waves

    novel · 1954

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  11. Goddess

    novel · 1954

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  12. The Sunken Waterfall

    novel · 1955

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  13. The S.S. Happiness Sets Sail

    novel · 1955

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  14. Cover of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
    The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

    novel · 1956

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  15. Too Much of Spring

    novel · 1956

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  16. The Misstepping of Virtue

    novel · 1957

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  17. Kyoko's House

    novel · 1959

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  18. Lectures on Immoral Education

    nonfiction · 1959

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  19. Writing Manual

    nonfiction · 1959

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  20. Cover of After the Banquet
    After the Banquet

    novel · 1960

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  21. The Mademoiselle

    novel · 1960

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  22. Cover of The Frolic of the Beasts
    The Frolic of the Beasts

    novel · 1961

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  23. Cover of Beautiful Star
    Beautiful Star

    novel · 1962

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  24. Dash of Love

    novel · 1963

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  25. Cover of The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
    The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

    novel · 1963

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  26. The School of Flesh

    novel · 1963

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  27. Cover of Silk and Insight
    Silk and Insight

    novel · 1964

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  28. The Music

    novel · 1964

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  29. That Complicated Guy

    novel · 1966

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  30. Evening Dress

    novel · 1967

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  31. Letters—Yukio Mishima's Letter Lessons

    novel · 1967

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  32. The First Sex

    nonfiction · 1962

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  33. On Hagakure: The Samurai Ethic and Modern Japan

    nonfiction · 1967

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  34. Cover of Life for Sale
    Life for Sale

    novel · 1968

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  35. Introduction to the Philosophy of Action

    nonfiction · 1970

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Nonfiction (7)
  1. A Picture Book of a Journey

    travelogue · 1958

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  2. Foreign Travelogue

    travelogue · 1958

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  3. Naked Body and Apparel

    diary · 1959

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  4. Communications from London

    travelogue · 1965

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  5. My Wandering Years

    memoir · 1964

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  6. Kumano Road: Guide to a New Japanese Sight

    travelogue · 1964

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  7. Cover of Sun and Steel
    Sun and Steel

    memoir · 1968

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Short fiction (9)
  1. The Forest in Full Bloom

    short-story-collection · 1944

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  2. A Story at the Cape

    short-story-collection · 1947

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  3. Preparations for the Evening

    short-story-collection · 1948

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  4. Passing of a Host of Devils

    short-story-collection · 1949

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  5. The Monster

    short-story-collection · 1950

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  6. The Seven Bridges

    short-story-collection · 1958

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  7. Cover of Acts of Worship
    Acts of Worship

    short-story-collection · 1965

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Essays and speeches (13)
  1. The Holiday of a Novelist

    essay-collection · 1955

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  2. New Lectures About Love

    essay-collection · 1956

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  3. Backstage Essays

    essay-collection · 1957

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  4. College of Unchasteness

    essay-collection · 1965

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  5. My Way of Novel-Writing

    essay-collection · 1964

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  6. Dream and Life

    essay-collection · 1964

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  7. Autumn and Winter Writings

    essay-collection · 1964

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  8. A Theory of Sports Grounded in Reality

    essay-collection · 1964

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  9. Aesthetics of Ending

    essay-collection · 1966

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  10. Aesthetics of Men

    essay-collection · 1967

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  11. Portrait of Youth

    essay-collection · 1967

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  12. Spiritual Lectures for the Young Samurai

    essay-collection · 1968

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  13. On the Defense of Culture

    essay-collection · 1969

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Poetry (6)
  1. Golden Bell

    poetry-collection · 1938

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  2. Hill Myna

    poetry-collection · 1939

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  3. Short Pieces

    poetry-collection · 1940

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  4. Seijo Poetry Anthology

    poetry-collection · 1940

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  5. Lyric Poetry Anthology

    poetry-collection · 1941

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  6. Fifteen-Year-Old Poetry Collection

    poetry-collection · 1957

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Plays (33)
  1. Iris

    play · 1948

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  2. Burning House

    play · 1948

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  3. The Anxiety of Love

    play · 1949

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  4. The Lighthouse

    play · 1949

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  5. Niobe

    play · 1949

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  6. The Holy Woman

    play · 1949

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  7. Adoration of the Devil

    play · 1950

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  8. Modern Noh Plays

    play-collection · 1950

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  9. The Monk Who Became a Koi

    play · 1951

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  10. The Gentleman

    play · 1952

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  11. Nothing Is as Expensive as Gratis

    play · 1952

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  12. Twilight Sunflower

    play · 1953

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  13. Arise, Youth!

    play · 1954

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  14. Boxing

    play · 1954

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  15. There Are Seven Keys to Love

    play · 1955

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  16. Primary Colors

    play · 1955

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  17. Greetings at the Boat

    play · 1955

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  18. Termites' Nest

    play · 1955

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  19. Steeplechase

    play · 1956

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  20. Rokumeikan

    play · 1956

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  21. Morning Azalea

    play · 1957

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  22. Roses and Pirates

    play · 1958

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  23. Women Never Be Captured

    play · 1959

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  24. Tropical Tree

    play · 1960

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  25. The Black Lizard

    play · 1961

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  26. The Tenth-Day Chrysanthemum

    play · 1961

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  27. Minoko

    libretto · 1964

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  28. The Sails of Love

    play · 1964

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  29. Cover of Madame de Sade
    Madame de Sade

    play · 1965

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  30. Tongue-Cut Sparrow

    play · 1965

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  31. The Decline and Fall of the Suzaku

    play · 1967

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  32. My Friend Hitler

    play · 1968

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  33. The Terrace of the Leper King

    play · 1969

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Other (2)
  1. Cover of Patriotism
    Patriotism

    film · 1966

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  2. Miranda

    ballet · 1968

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