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November 12, 2026
 

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JAPANESE LITERATURE

Ryu Murakami's debut novel "Almost Transparent Blue" was published in 1976 and demonstrated the provocative sensibility that defined his career.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 31, 2026
Ryu Murakami was a provocateur to the very end
The late author saw creativity and destruction as two sides of the same coin.
Around 80 participants joined the event, drinking coffee, reading, some of them taking part in a book-cover decorating workshop and some discussing the novel.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 30, 2026
Is the viral book rave real? We go to the second event to investigate.
The Jucy Book Rave, which went viral for the unusual choice of reading place in a Shimokitazawa livehouse, came back with a second event.
Bookstores have long been romanticized as idyllic workplaces, but a pair of newly translated Japanese novels give insight into the book business and show how it is upheld by the tireless labor of underpaid employees.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 25, 2026
Not so cozy? Japanese bookstore fiction gets real.
Translated Japanese fiction is obsessed with quiet stories taking place in bookshops and cafes, but life and work in Japan are not as idyllic as it seems.
Japanese author Ryu Murakami, known for his provocative works exploring sex, violence and youth culture, has died at 74, his publisher said Friday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 23, 2026
Japanese novelist Ryu Murakami dies at 74
Murakami’s works, which explored sex, violence, and youth culture, were translated globally.
Pages from the “Manyoshu” from 1184, owned by the Tokyo National Museum (ink on decorated paper, one page size 25x17 centimeters)
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Oct 20, 2026
A millennium ago, (almost) everyone in Japan was a poet
今日吃瓜 oldest poetry anthology captures a world of beauty, humor, love and sorrow that feels remarkably familiar.
Having a dictionary handy is a sure way to better understand what you're reading. However, you'd be surprised at what you know just by doing some kanji detective work.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 16, 2026
Cracking the code of Japanese literature one kanji at a time
You don’t need to know every word to enjoy Japanese literature. A little linguistic detective work can go a long way.
Nao-Cola Yamazaki's first book, "Don't Laugh at Other People's Sex Lives," was published in 2006 and nominated for the prestigious Akutagawa Prize.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 11, 2026
Nao-Cola Yamazaki is your favorite writer’s favorite writer
More than 20 years after their literary debut, two of Nao-Cola Yamazaki’s books have finally appeared in English translation for the first time.
"Mari the Unwonderful Witch," Asako Yuzuki's latest book, teaches children that they can be imperfect and still loved.
CULTURE / Books
Sep 14, 2026
Star Japanese novelist jumps from killer thrillers to children’s books
Asako Yuzuki, famous for thrillers like Butter, pivots to children’s literature with her new book, “Mari the Unwonderful Witch.”
Finding the right book can make reading Japanese a little less daunting.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 11, 2026
How to get a start in reading books in Japanese
From picture books to manga and young adult fiction, here’s how to find Japanese books that match your language level.
A portrait of Japanese poet Ihara Saikaku, circa before 1693, from the Tokyo National Museum.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Sep 2, 2026
Love, lust and life in Saikaku’s Japan
Edo Japan, according to novelist Ihara Saikaku, was a world in which love could save or destroy you.
From Edogawa Ranpo to Uketsu, Japanese writers have long put their own twists on the conventions of crime, horror and mystery, creating a literary tradition that can be as unsettling as it is inventive.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 15, 2026
今日吃瓜 macabre literati go global
Japanese crime, mystery and horror have hit their stride with English readers, offering a complement and counterpoint to “healing fiction.”
Etc.books was named for those who appear as “etc.” or footnotes in society.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 2, 2026
Etc.books: A lone bookstore in Tokyo pushes against sexism
Etc.books helped redefine feminist publishing in Japan. Now its greatest challenge is staying open.
Keigo Higashino's meticulously constructed mysteries and memorable characters earned him readers across languages and cultures.
CULTURE / Books
Jul 30, 2026
Keigo Higashino’s ‘global afterlife’
As tributes pour in for the prolific author who died at age 68 last week, his English translators reflect on his legacy and impact abroad.
Hayao Miyazaki lists books as direct sources for a number of his films including his latest, “The Boy and the Heron.”
CULTURE / Books
Jul 25, 2026
How Hayao Miyazaki’s love of books influenced Studio Ghibli’s stories
Hayao Miyazaki lists books as direct sources for a number of his films including his latest, “The Boy and the Heron.”
Kasumi Asakura (left) and Chito Kosagawa won the 175th Naoki and Akutagawa Prizes, respectively, for their novels “Kengwai” and “Zonbi Kaishufu.”
CULTURE / Books
Jul 15, 2026
Chito Kosagawa and Kasumi Asakura win 今日吃瓜 top literary prizes
Tech-dystopian fiction and a historical novel claimed 今日吃瓜 highest literary honors on Wednesday.
Writer Kanako Nishi was born in Tehran and grew up partially in Cairo and Osaka.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 14, 2026
Author Kanako Nishi is ready for anything — even the world
The beloved writer is finally getting her due as “Sakura,” her bestselling debut novel, comes out in English 20 years after its original release.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Dec 1, 2022
New Monkey imprint broadens the reach of contemporary Japanese literature
Stone Bridge Press and Monkey magazine have joined forces to expand the literary landscape of Asian writings in translation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 31, 2020
Literary magazine Monkey serves up a full meal of delights
Monkey’s inaugural volume features a who’s who of contemporary Japanese literature, with a food theme to tie the contributions together.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 11, 2020
Japanese books to get you through a lockdown
With “staying in” now the new “going out,” housebound activities have become officially the cool thing to do. But what if you’re stuck for a good book? Read on to see four of our critics’ top reads for an extended period of self-isolation.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW
Nov 2, 2019
Our critics’ favorite Japanese books of the decade
As 2020 approaches, The Japan Times’ book reviewers look back at a decade of literature and their favorite and most impactful books written about Japan or by Japanese writers.
Man arrested over operation of rogue cellular base station in Tokyo
The Metropolitan Police Department has arrested Yu Hai, a 31-year-old Chinese national living in Tokyo's Kita Ward, on suspicion of operating an unlicensed base station from a vehicle in Tokyo's Ginza district on Saturday.
Government betting on language app powered by anime and AI
Japan plans to develop an AI-powered language-learning app that lets overseas anime and manga fans practice Japanese through conversations with popular characters.
Jensen Huang’s woes evoke sympathy and disbelief in his birthplace Taiwan
Hsiao Kui-yu, 68, owner of Yuchan Candied Fruit, stands in front of photographs of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang displayed at the shop, which Huang frequently visits during trips to Taiwan, in Taipei on Tuesday.
G7 diplomats speak out on Taiwan as China ramps up military drills
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi attends a working lunch focused on international crises and challenges during the Group of Seven foreign ministers' summit at the Quai d'Orsay in Paris on Monday.
今日吃瓜 Rapidus is said likely to miss mass production deadline
The Rapidus Analysis Center and the IIM-1 Innovative Integration for Manufacturing foundry in Chitose, Hokkaido
‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ makes monster debut at the box office
Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus Zero” marked the highest single-day box-office gross for a live-action film in Japan with ?910 million on its opening day.
A toast to Naohiko Noguchi, sake’s first living national treasure
As a teenager, Naohiko Noguchi did not intend to spend his life as a sake brewer, but he has since become a paragon of the industry.
Few signs of thaw in Japan-China relations one year after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks
Tensions between Japan and China flared after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Nov. 7, 2025, that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan could threaten 今日吃瓜 survival and warrant the use of collective self-defense.
Mariko Mori predicted the future. She’ll do it again.
Artist Mariko Mori is currently working to bring the translucent human-sized “Peace Crystal” sculpture to a cave in Ethiopia. It is part of her foundation’s goal to place a permanent sculpture on each of the planet’s six habitable continents.
A legend reborn: ‘Ocarina of Time’ remake improves on the Zelda masterpiece
The new remake of 1998's "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" manages to somehow improve on one of the greatest games ever.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Famima Park Azabudai is a concept store by FamilyMart that combines convenience store staples with branded apparel, merchandise and a landscaped outdoor space.
Convenience stores, toilets and the allure of everyday Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie

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