Haruki Murakami made a rare, surprise appearance at a Fukushima literary event, where he compared the loneliness of writing with frying oysters.
About the Author
HMV Opens Dazzling New Flagship Bookstore in Tokyo
In Japan, the HMV and Tower Records brands live on, with HMV opening a new flagship bookstore in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood.
Claiming Mistreatment, Four Employees at Amazon Japan Unionize
Claiming they were being pushed to resign due to unfair personal evaluations, four employees at Amazon Japan have unionized.
Japan Brings Fearsome Females and Cutesy “Kawaii” to Frankfurt
At Frankfurt, look out for these hot titles from Japan, including Asia’s answer to Karl Ove Knausgaard, in the form of a lonely girl lost in the big city.
In Japan, a Gorgeous Library Leads to Garbage Books
When Tsutaya Bookstores partnered with the Takeo Library, the result was a stunning building that left only enough money to stock it with cast off books.
Japanese Comedian’s Novel Set to Sell More than 2 Million Copies
With more than two million copies in print, Japanese comedian Naoki Matayoshi’s novel Spark is on track to be the bestselling Akutagawa Prize-winner ever.
Cool Japan: Hot Authors and Trends Making Headlines
Kate Ohara offers an overview of hot titles, authors and literary trends in Japan aimed at overseas agents and scouts on the prowl for book rights.
To Defy Amazon, Kinokuniya Corners the Market on New Murakami
Kinokuniya, Japan’s largest bookstore chain, has purchased 90% of the print run of Haruki Murakami’s new book to encourage readers to go to physical store.