Who is the most influential author in japanese literature?

Question

I was thinking Ryunosuke Akutagawa or Natsume Soseki, but I don't know any others. Looking for something to read ^.^

Answer 1

"Probably the most influential author was Shiga Naoya. His characteristic literary form was the “I novel” (watakushi shosetsu), a work that treats autobiographical materials with stylistic beauty and great intelligence."

or

Oe Kenzaburo

Kenzaburo Oe
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Kenzaburo Oe

Ōe, in 2005
Born: January 31, 1935 (age 72)
Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, Japan
Occupation: Novelist, Short story writer, Essayist
Nationality: Japanese
Writing period: 1950-2005
Influences: Jean-Paul Sartre, Hikari Oe
Kenzaburo Ōe (大江 健三郎 Ōe Kenzaburō?, born January 31, 1935) is a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, engage with political, social and philosophical issues including nuclear weapons, social non-conformism and existentialism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994."

Answer 2

The only book I can remember reading recently that was by a Japanese author is "Black Rain" by Matsuji Ibuse. It's an amazing account of Japanese people's experiences in and around Hiroshima after we dropped the Bomb.

Answer 3

Haruki Murakami
"Kafka on the shore" : my choice.