Factbook

A Dynamic Compendium of Interesting Japanese Literary and Publishing Facts

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Yukio Mishima chose his pen name when he was just 16[UPDATED: 11-17-2022]

Yukio Mishima (1925-1970), one of Japan’s most famous writers, chose his pen name when he was just 16. The discovery of a draft of his book Hana Zakari no Mori, The forest in full bloom, has his name, Kimitake Hiraoka, crossed out and the name… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Nobel
- pen names
- Prizes
Yukio Mishima chose his pen name when he was just 16 Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
In 1968 the Japanese edition of ‘Playboy’ serialised a Yukio Mishima novel[UPDATED: 11-7-2022]

Yukio Mishima (1925-1970) is known for many things including killing himself and being nominated multiple times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and never winning. In his short writing life (around 21 years), Mishima was highly prolific publishing 40 novels, translations including a translation of… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- creative writing
- History
- Magazines
In 1968 the Japanese edition of ‘Playboy’ serialised a Yukio Mishima novel Posted November 7th, 2022 by Richard Nathan
Japan experienced a ‘Bushido’ publishing boom in the early 1900s[UPDATED: 10-13-2022]

Bushido: the Soul of Japan, which US President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), bought copies of for his friends, is still probably the most famous book about samurai ethics and the so-called way of the Japanese warrior gentleman. It was published initially in English in 1900, and… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Samurai
Japan experienced a ‘Bushido’ publishing boom in the early 1900s Posted October 13th, 2022 by Richard Nathan
In 1935 Tatsuzo Ishikawa won the inaugural Akutagawa Literary Prize[UPDATED: 9-13-2022]

Tatsuzo Ishikawa (1905-1985) won the inaugural Akutagawa Prize, one of Japan’s most prestigious literary awards, in 1935 for his novel Sobo (蒼氓), a story about a group of Japanese farmers who plan to emigrate to Brazil and their experience at an immigration office in the… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Kazufumi Shiraishi
- Mitsuyo Kakuta
- Prizes
- Waseda
In 1935 Tatsuzo Ishikawa won the inaugural Akutagawa Literary Prize Posted September 13th, 2022 by Richard Nathan
Japanese Yellow Books, Kibyoshi, are considered the world’s first adult comic books[UPDATED: 8-4-2022]

Some historians believe that Kibyoshi, Yellow Books, which peaked, as a publishing genre between 1775 and 1806 in Japan, during the nation’s Edo period (1603-1868), were Japan’s and perhaps also the world’s first major comic book genre targeting adult readers. Often written by authors and woodblock… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Graphic novels
- manga
Japanese Yellow Books, Kibyoshi, are considered the world’s first adult comic books Posted August 4th, 2022 by Richard Nathan
Writing arrived in Japan in the 5th century AD from China[UPDATED: 7-8-2022]

Japan and the Japanese did not develop their own fully-fledged writing system, but imported one from China during the early 5th century or perhaps even slightly earlier.Use of this writing subsequently expanded as Buddhism arrived in Japan alongside Chinese Buddhist monks, eventually helping elevate calligraphy… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
Writing arrived in Japan in the 5th century AD from China Posted January 13th, 2022 by Richard Nathan
Essays in Idleness, written in the 14th century is considered one of the definitive books on Japanese aesthetics[UPDATED: 6-7-2022]

Essays in Idleness, written in 1330, by the Buddhist monk Kenko Yoshida (1283-1352) is a collection of 243 short essays or notes written in a style which almost takes the form of a stream of consciousness. Some of these essays and notes are a few pages… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Essays
- History
- miscellany
- Poetry
Essays in Idleness, written in the 14th century is considered one of the definitive books on Japanese aesthetics Posted February 15th, 2022 by Richard Nathan
Long before the Internet magnified content about suicide, Japanese publishers and authors, including some of the nation’s most renowned, wrote about suicide helping the narrative of death proliferate[UPDATED: 5-4-2022]

Japan is often associated with suicide partly due to its Kamikaze pilots in World War II and stories about famous and loyal Samurai warriors and their legacy-making honorable deaths. The Complete Manual of Suicide, Kanzen Jisatsu Manyuaru, by Wataru Tsurumi published in 1993 is, however,… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Industry
Long before the Internet magnified content about suicide, Japanese publishers and authors, including some of the nation’s most renowned, wrote about suicide helping the narrative of death proliferate Posted May 4th, 2022 by Richard Nathan

Factbook

Yukio Mishima chose his pen name when he was just 16[UPDATED: 11-17-2022]

In 1968 the Japanese edition of ‘Playboy’ serialised a Yukio Mishima novel[UPDATED: 11-7-2022]

Japan experienced a ‘Bushido’ publishing boom in the early 1900s[UPDATED: 10-13-2022]

In 1935 Tatsuzo Ishikawa won the inaugural Akutagawa Literary Prize[UPDATED: 9-13-2022]

Japanese Yellow Books, Kibyoshi, are considered the world’s first adult comic books[UPDATED: 8-4-2022]

Writing arrived in Japan in the 5th century AD from China[UPDATED: 7-8-2022]

Essays in Idleness, written in the 14th century is considered one of the definitive books on Japanese aesthetics[UPDATED: 6-7-2022]

Long before the Internet magnified content about suicide, Japanese publishers and authors, including some of the nation’s most renowned, wrote about suicide helping the narrative of death proliferate[UPDATED: 5-4-2022]

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