Factbook

A Dynamic Compendium of Interesting Japanese Literary and Publishing Facts

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The first bilingual English-Japanese dictionary was compiled in 1830 by someone who had never visited Japan[UPDATED: 2-23-2018]

The English missionary Walter H. Medhurst (1796-1857), who never actually visited Japan, compiled the first bilingual ‘dictionary’ An English and Japanese, and Japanese and English Vocabulary in 1830. The 334-page book was printed in Batavia (Jakarta) Indonesia, where Medhurst was based with his family. It contains Japanese printed… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Dictionary
- History
- translation
The first bilingual English-Japanese dictionary was compiled in 1830 by someone who had never visited Japan Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Most Japanese literary prizes are linked to publishers[UPDATED: 2-22-2018]

Many of Japan’s literary prizes were set up by publishers or have links to publishing companies. The two most prestigious prizes: the Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize were both set up by Kan Kikuchi the founder of Bungeishinju, one of Japan’s leading magazines. The Noma… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Mitsuyo Kakuta
- Industry
- Prizes
- Retail
Most Japanese literary prizes are linked to publishers Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Japan’s first monthly book series for Kindergartens, launched in 1907, is still being published 90 years later[UPDATED: 2-22-2018]

Kinderbook was launched in 1927 as the Observational Picture Books Kinder Book, by Froebel-Kan, a Tokyo based company named after the German educator Friedrich Wilhelm A. Froebel (1782-1852), who established the world’s first kindergarten, and coined the name for these learning centres. The decision to… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Book production
- Children's
- Culture
- History
- Magazines
Japan’s first monthly book series for Kindergartens, launched in 1907, is still being published 90 years later Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Japan’s first magazine, Seiyo-Zasshi, was launched in October 1867[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

Seiyo-Zasshi, Japan’s first magazine was launched by Shunzo Yanagawa in October 1867. The magazine’s name means Western Magazine. The 10-page magazine, which consisted of a collection of translations of western scholarly articles, was published in booklet format, printed on Japanese paper, using woodblocks, with a… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Industry
- Magazines
Japan’s first magazine, Seiyo-Zasshi, was launched in October 1867 Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Japan’s oldest continuously published magazines are Chuo-Koron and Toyo-Keizai launched in 1887 and 1895[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

Toyo-Keizai is technically the oldest continuously published magazine in Japan. It was launched in 1895 as Toyo-Keizai-Shimpo, Oriental Economic News, modeling itself on The Economist, which was launched more than 50 years earlier, in September 1843. Ironically, unlike Toyo-Keizai, The Economist positioned itself as… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Industry
- Magazines
Japan’s oldest continuously published magazines are Chuo-Koron and Toyo-Keizai launched in 1887 and 1895 Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
It took Japan 20 years to sign up to the world’s first international copyright convention[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

It took Japan 20 years, from its launch, to join the first multi-national agreement on copyright. Japanese officials attended the 1886 Berne Convention on Copyright in Switzerland, considered to be one of the most important milestone in intellectual property right protection, as an observer, as did… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Copyright
- Industry
- Rights
It took Japan 20 years to sign up to the world’s first international copyright convention Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Japan has a popular product category (hybrid books and magazines) called Mukku[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

The definition of a Mook is a: “publication, which is physically similar to a magazine, but is intended to remain on bookstore shelves for longer periods than traditional magazines” in a similar manner to a book. They are known as mukku in Japan. The word was… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Book production
- Magazines
- Retail
Japan has a popular product category (hybrid books and magazines) called Mukku Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan
Japan’s first western-style fashion magazine was launched in 1936 by a controversial female novelist[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

Chiyo Uno (1897-1996), a novelist whose breakthrough work was Iro-zange, Confessions of Love, launched Japan’s first western-style fashion magazine, Sutairu, Style, in 1936. Uno’s most highly regarded literary work is her novella Ohan (1957) published in English as Ohan in the collection of short-stories: The Old Woman, the Wife, and… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Magazines
- Women Writers
Japan’s first western-style fashion magazine was launched in 1936 by a controversial female novelist Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Richard Nathan

Factbook

The first bilingual English-Japanese dictionary was compiled in 1830 by someone who had never visited Japan[UPDATED: 2-23-2018]

Most Japanese literary prizes are linked to publishers[UPDATED: 2-22-2018]

Japan’s first monthly book series for Kindergartens, launched in 1907, is still being published 90 years later[UPDATED: 2-22-2018]

Japan’s first magazine, Seiyo-Zasshi, was launched in October 1867[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

Japan’s oldest continuously published magazines are Chuo-Koron and Toyo-Keizai launched in 1887 and 1895[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

It took Japan 20 years to sign up to the world’s first international copyright convention[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

Japan has a popular product category (hybrid books and magazines) called Mukku[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

Japan’s first western-style fashion magazine was launched in 1936 by a controversial female novelist[UPDATED: 2-21-2018]

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