Factbook

A Dynamic Compendium of Interesting Japanese Literary and Publishing Facts

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Japanese authors in the 1800s turned tuberculosis into a romantic condition[UPDATED: 9-18-2020]

In Japan’s Meiji era (1868-1912) when the nation was rapidly modernising after more than 250 years of isolation, Western influences were extremely strong. These spanned almost everything – even literary perceptions of tuberculosis, which was originally stigmatised in Japan. The disease became a romantic condition… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Medicine
Japanese authors in the 1800s turned tuberculosis into a romantic condition Posted March 16th, 2020 by Richard Nathan
More than 50 Japanese authors have killed themselves since 1900[UPDATED: 9-11-2020]

Research shows that at least 54 Japanese authors have committed suicide since 1900. This includes some of Japan’s most famous and highly regarded authors and one of its two Nobel prize winners, Yasunari Kawabata (1899-1972), as well as Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) after whom one of… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Culture
- History
- Industry
- OECD
More than 50 Japanese authors have killed themselves since 1900 Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Two influential books from the 1700s helped shape Japan as a Robot Nation[UPDATED: 8-21-2020]

Japan is sometimes referred to as the Robot Kingdom due to its large number of robots and its openness to new technologies including robotics. Japan has more industrial robots than most countries; and more Artificial Intelligence (AI) patents than any other, according to some OECD measures…. Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Kazufumi Shiraishi
- Soji Shimada
- History
- Robots
- Textbooks
Two influential books from the 1700s helped shape Japan as a Robot Nation Posted August 21st, 2020 by Richard Nathan
Newspaper novels, Shimbun Shosetsu, still popular today, were launched in Japan in 1886 by the Yomiuri newspaper[UPDATED: 7-20-2020]

There is some debate amongst academics about which work was the very first published newspaper novel, Shimbun Shosetsu, in Japan. Several are often mentioned, but some consider Torioi Omatsu Kaijo Shinwa, The New Martine Tales of Bird-Chasing Omatsu, by Hikosaku Kubota (1846-1898), published between 1877, and… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Fuminori Nakamura
- Kazufumi Shiraishi
- Mitsuyo Kakuta
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Serialised fiction
Newspaper novels, Shimbun Shosetsu, still popular today, were launched in Japan in 1886 by the Yomiuri newspaper Posted July 15th, 2020 by Richard Nathan
The Japanese word for novel entered the Japanese language in 1754 via China[UPDATED: 7-13-2020]

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
- novel
The Japanese word for novel entered the Japanese language in 1754 via China Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
The Shogun’s respect for publishing was a key factor that led to the Tokugawa-state lasting 265 years[UPDATED: 6-24-2020]

Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616) who founded a military state and a dynasty of shoguns that ruled for 265 years during what is known as Japan’s Tokugawa or Edo period (1603-1868), placed significant importance on literature, reading, books and publishing. Tokugawa sponsored the publication of books including… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Industry
- Samurai
The Shogun’s respect for publishing was a key factor that led to the Tokugawa-state lasting 265 years Posted June 24th, 2020 by Richard Nathan
A series of publications in 1912 introduced psychoanalysis to Japan[UPDATED: 5-29-2020]

Seventeen years after Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) first used the term psychoanalysis to describe his new method, the concept was introduced to Japan in 1912, according to Perversion and Modern Japan: Psychoanalysis, Literature and Culture, in a series of articles. Nonetheless, the actual first official use of… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Kanji Hanawa
- Folk Tales
- Psychoanalysis
A series of publications in 1912 introduced psychoanalysis to Japan Posted April 28th, 2020 by Richard Nathan
Many of Japan’s most interesting creative writers cite ‘No Longer Human’ by Osamu Dazai as their favourite book or one that had a huge influence on them[UPDATED: 5-29-2020]

According to Fuminori Nakamura, one of the most exciting new generation of Japanese authors, his only escape when he was young was reading, and the one book that really resonated for him, was No Longer Human (Ningen shikkaku), by Osamu Dazai (1909-1948). Many other leading Japanese authors say… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Fuminori Nakamura
- Culture
- History
Many of Japan’s most interesting creative writers cite ‘No Longer Human’ by Osamu Dazai as their favourite book or one that had a huge influence on them Posted January 4th, 2018 by Richard Nathan

Factbook

Japanese authors in the 1800s turned tuberculosis into a romantic condition[UPDATED: 9-18-2020]

More than 50 Japanese authors have killed themselves since 1900[UPDATED: 9-11-2020]

Two influential books from the 1700s helped shape Japan as a Robot Nation[UPDATED: 8-21-2020]

Newspaper novels, Shimbun Shosetsu, still popular today, were launched in Japan in 1886 by the Yomiuri newspaper[UPDATED: 7-20-2020]

The Japanese word for novel entered the Japanese language in 1754 via China[UPDATED: 7-13-2020]

The Shogun’s respect for publishing was a key factor that led to the Tokugawa-state lasting 265 years[UPDATED: 6-24-2020]

A series of publications in 1912 introduced psychoanalysis to Japan[UPDATED: 5-29-2020]

Many of Japan’s most interesting creative writers cite ‘No Longer Human’ by Osamu Dazai as their favourite book or one that had a huge influence on them[UPDATED: 5-29-2020]

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