Factbook

A Dynamic Compendium of Interesting Japanese Literary and Publishing Facts

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Japan’s only convicted cannibal, who lives at large and now describes himself as a food critic, has written more than 20 books[UPDATED: 6-7-2019]

Issei Sagawa killed and cannibalised a Dutch woman when he was living, and studying for a PhD in French literature, in Paris in 1981. The 25 year-old Dutch woman he murdered was his classmate at the Sorbonne. Sagawa was found legally insane and unfit to stand… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Horror
- Industry
- Magazines
Japan’s only convicted cannibal, who lives at large and now describes himself as a food critic, has written more than 20 books Posted June 7th, 2019 by Richard Nathan
For over a thousand years many of Japan’s emperors have played an active role in publishing: writing poems, books and even scientific papers[UPDATED: 5-2-2019]

Since Japan’s first book on the nation’s history was commissioned by Emperor Temmu, Japan’s 40th emperor, and published in 712 after his death, Japanese emperors have been intimately involved in many important publishing milestones in Japan. The nation’s first book to be produced using moveable type… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Culture
- History
- Poetry
For over a thousand years many of Japan’s emperors have played an active role in publishing: writing poems, books and even scientific papers Posted May 2nd, 2019 by Richard Nathan
Only one author, Yoriko Shono, has won Japan’s Triple Crown of literary prizes to date[UPDATED: 4-17-2019]

The so-called Triple Crown of Japanese literary prizes for new authors consists of the Akutagawa Prize, the Yukio Mishima Prize and the Noma Prize. Yoriko Shono, author of Time Slip Kombinat, who describes her style of writing as ‘avant-pop’, is the only author to-date to… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Industry
- Prizes
- Women Writers
Only one author, Yoriko Shono, has won Japan’s Triple Crown of literary prizes to date Posted March 23rd, 2017 by Richard Nathan
50 years before the first Michelin Guide, Tokyo already had a popular guidebook for its foodies[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

It has been widely reported that for more than a decade Tokyo has had more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world. But what isn’t generally known is that Tokyo, or Edo as it was previously called, had its own guidebooks for Japanese… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Food
- Guidebooks
- Tourism
- Travel
- UNESCO
50 years before the first Michelin Guide, Tokyo already had a popular guidebook for its foodies Posted April 11th, 2019 by Richard Nathan
The Japanese word for novel entered the Japanese language in 1754 via China[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

The Japanese word shosetsu written using two letters or characters meaning ‘small’ and ‘talk ’ first came into use as a Japanese term for fiction in 1754; following the successful translation and adaptation of Chinese books such as Sui-Hu Chuan (The Water Margin), pronounced Suikoden… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Book production
- China
- Culture
- History
The Japanese word for novel entered the Japanese language in 1754 via China Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Japan’s oldest poetry anthology is over a thousand years old[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

The Manyoshu, Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves is Japan’s oldest surviving book of poetry. It was compiled during Japan’s Nara Period (710-794) when Japan’s capital was located in Nara. The Japanese capital subsequently shifted to Kyoto at the start of the Heian Period (794-1185), a… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Culture
- History
- Poetry
Japan’s oldest poetry anthology is over a thousand years old Posted January 1st, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Japan’s first commercial publishing emerged in Kyoto in the early 17th century[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

Following the arrival from Korea of movable type technology and the printing of the first book using the technology in 1593, after Japan’s invasion of Korea, a new industry emerged in Japan – commercial publishing. According to academics, such as Donald Keene, professor of Japanese at… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Book production
- Industry
Japan’s first commercial publishing emerged in Kyoto in the early 17th century Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
In the 1960s a member of the Japanese Imperial Family started moonlighting as a science fiction author[UPDATED: 3-4-2019]

Princess Fukuko Asaka (1941-2009) started publishing science fiction and fantasy stories in Japanese magazines in the late 1950s under the pen name Bien Fu, and had stories regularly published throughout the 1960s. One of the Princess’s stories was published in the first issue of Uchujin (1957-2009),… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Science Fiction
- Women Writers
In the 1960s a member of the Japanese Imperial Family started moonlighting as a science fiction author Posted February 13th, 2019 by Richard Nathan

Factbook

Japan’s only convicted cannibal, who lives at large and now describes himself as a food critic, has written more than 20 books[UPDATED: 6-7-2019]

For over a thousand years many of Japan’s emperors have played an active role in publishing: writing poems, books and even scientific papers[UPDATED: 5-2-2019]

Only one author, Yoriko Shono, has won Japan’s Triple Crown of literary prizes to date[UPDATED: 4-17-2019]

50 years before the first Michelin Guide, Tokyo already had a popular guidebook for its foodies[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

The Japanese word for novel entered the Japanese language in 1754 via China[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

Japan’s oldest poetry anthology is over a thousand years old[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

Japan’s first commercial publishing emerged in Kyoto in the early 17th century[UPDATED: 4-14-2019]

In the 1960s a member of the Japanese Imperial Family started moonlighting as a science fiction author[UPDATED: 3-4-2019]

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