Red Circle | Our Magazine

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

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Factbook

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]

Red Circle Bookworm

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News & Views

Soseki’s Cat: A Quantum Leap for Japanese Literature

Literary Fallout: The legacies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Changing Nations: The Japanese Girl With a Book

Ultra-Influencers: The Two British Fictional Victorians that Changed Japan

Factbook

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]

Red Circle Bookworm