Factbook

A Dynamic Compendium of Interesting Japanese Literary and Publishing Facts

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The two best-known living Japanese authors[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

Outside Japan, in most of the world, the two best-known living Japanese authors are probably currently Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto.Haruki Murakami published his first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, in 1979, in the June issue of Gunzo, a Japanese literary magazine. Banana Yoshimoto’s first… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Exports
- Industry
The two best-known living Japanese authors Posted March 22nd, 2017 by Richard Nathan
Japanese libraries still major book buyers[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

Despite falling budgets as in most countries, Japanese libraries are still major book buyers, but their purchasing now represents less than 2% of publisher sales. Nevertheless, libraries have been cleverly expanding their lending schemes using the Internet to highlight book availability and increase book borrowing… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Industry
- Libraries
Japanese libraries still major book buyers Posted March 22nd, 2017 by Koji Chikatani
Japan has 14,000 bookshops, and more bookshops per capita than the United States[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

At pixel time Japan had 14,000 bookshops, according to the Japan Book Publishers Association (JPA), of which 4,000 belong to the Japan Booksellers Federation. However, in the 1990s there were more than 20,000 bookstores in Japan. The number of bookstores – especially independent stores –… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Industry
- JPA
- Retail
Japan has 14,000 bookshops, and more bookshops per capita than the United States Posted March 22nd, 2017 by Koji Chikatani
76,000 new books published in Japan every year[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

Around 76,000 new books are published in Japan every year. This compares to 470,000 in China, 340,000 in the United States and 170,000 in the United Kingdom, the top three nations, according to the International Publishers Association (IPA). Japan is ranked 8th behind Russia, France,… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Industry
76,000 new books published in Japan every year Posted March 22nd, 2017 by Richard Nathan
The two most prestigious Japanese literary prizes are the Akutagawa and the Naoki prizes[UPDATED: 2-11-2018]

Japan’s two most prestigious literary prizes amongst the more than 500 prizes that are awarded each year in Japan for literature are probably the Akutagawa and the Naoki prizes. Both were set up in 1935, by Kan Kikuchi (1888-1948), when he was editor of Bungeishinju,… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Fuminori Nakamura
- Kazufumi Shiraishi
- Mitsuyo Kakuta
- Industry
- Prizes
- Retail
The two most prestigious Japanese literary prizes are the Akutagawa and the Naoki prizes Posted January 1st, 2018 by Richard Nathan
In the 17th century Japan experienced the world’s first camellia publishing boom[UPDATED: 2-9-2018]

A confluence of events created Japan’s, and probably the world’s first, camellia publishing boom in the second quarter of the 17th century. The arrival from Korea of movable type technology and the printing of the first Japanese book using the technology in 1593 was the catalyst… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Book production
- Culture
- History
- Industry
- Poetry
In the 17th century Japan experienced the world’s first camellia publishing boom Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
David Bowie was a Yukio Mishima fan, and painted his portrait in 1970[UPDATED: 2-8-2018]

David Bowie (1947-2016), the British singer songwriter and actor, was a fan of the Japanese author Yukio Mishima (1925-1970), especially his novel The Sailor Who Fell from Grace from the Sea, published in 1963. The novel was made into a film, directed by Lewis… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Culture
David Bowie was a Yukio Mishima fan, and painted his portrait in 1970 Posted January 1st, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Keigo Higashino is the most popular contemporary Japanese author in China[UPDATED: 2-7-2018]

The award-winning Japanese mystery writer Keigo Higashino is the most popular living Japanese author in China. His books regularly top the bestsellers lists in China. The Chinese translation of Higashino’s Miracles of the Namiya General Store was Amazon’s bestselling paperback in China in 2017 and its… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- China
- Crime
- Exports
- IPA
- Mystery
- Rights
Keigo Higashino is the most popular contemporary Japanese author in China Posted January 4th, 2018 by Richard Nathan

Factbook

The two best-known living Japanese authors[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

Japanese libraries still major book buyers[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

Japan has 14,000 bookshops, and more bookshops per capita than the United States[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

76,000 new books published in Japan every year[UPDATED: 2-12-2018]

The two most prestigious Japanese literary prizes are the Akutagawa and the Naoki prizes[UPDATED: 2-11-2018]

In the 17th century Japan experienced the world’s first camellia publishing boom[UPDATED: 2-9-2018]

David Bowie was a Yukio Mishima fan, and painted his portrait in 1970[UPDATED: 2-8-2018]

Keigo Higashino is the most popular contemporary Japanese author in China[UPDATED: 2-7-2018]

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