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June 06, 2026
 

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LITERATURE

Tokyo native Noemi Minami founded Koen Book Club in 2021 with two friends. The club continues to meet monthly in public parks across Tokyo, weather permitting.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
May 18, 2026
Anglophone bookworms unite across Japan
Book clubs, book swaps and other reading events are providing a space for wholesome offline socializing in Tokyo and beyond.
Koji Suzuki
JAPAN
May 10, 2026
Koji Suzuki, author of horror novel ¡¯Ring,¡¯ dies at 68
"Ring," released in 1991, was adapted into movies in and outside Japan, becoming major hits.
A letter from Ryotaro Shiba sent to Takeshi Kaiko's wife, Yoko Maki
JAPAN
Apr 27, 2026
Letter by novelist Shiba praising fellow writer Kaiko found
Ryotaro Shiba sent the handwritten letter on two sheets of paper in December 1989, soon after Takeshi Kaiko's death, to the late writer's wife, poet Yoko Maki.
Haruki Murakami returns this summer with his new novel, "The Tale of Kaho," which is centered on a 26-year-old picture book author.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 24, 2026
Haruki Murakami to release first novel in three years with ¡®The Tale of Kaho¡¯
The beloved author's new work, set to be released July 3, marks his first female-led novel ¡ª and a return to the uncanny.
Jimbocho, Tokyo¡¯s book town, has gained popularity online and some travel companies are already selling book-centric tours for foreign visitors.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 20, 2026
Now on the multilingual margins, can Japanese bookstores be more than just a vibe?
While some travel companies are now offering book-centric tours around Jimbocho, foreign visitors are often leaving bookstores empty-handed, despite intentions to buy books.
A shift is occurring in the translation industry both in Japan and across the globe, where using artificial intelligence in place of humans is increasingly becoming standard practice.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 16, 2026
As AI advances, translators forced to adapt to industry changes
Translators are having to grapple with lower pay and higher expectations, all while the future of the industry itself is in doubt.
The new edition of "In Praise of Shadows" also includes 30 mood-enhancing photos of evocative corners and shadowy spaces such as tearooms and gardens.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 8, 2026
New Tanizaki collection illuminates ¡®In Praise of Shadows¡¯ origin
The new edition of "In Praise of Shadows" also includes 30 mood-enhancing photos of evocative corners and shadowy spaces such as tearooms and gardens.
Participants at the Kinrin Utakai discuss tanka at the group¡¯s gathering last month in Tokyo¡¯s Ogikubo neighborhood.
CULTURE / Books / Longform
Apr 6, 2026
Why tanka poetry is clicking with a new generation
A centuries-old poetic form is being reshaped through everyday experiences, online exchange and a new generation of writers.
Biwa Takaki won the 76th Mr. H Prize for poetry with her debut poetry collection ¡°A River of Hair.¡±
CULTURE / Books
Apr 5, 2026
Takaki Biwa on winning the 76th Mr. H. Poetry Prize
The Mr. H Prize is one of the biggest and oldest awards for contemporary Japanese poetry and often compared to the Akutagawa Prize for literary fiction.
Famed British author Len Deighton, who died last week at 97, revolutionized spy fiction with his unnamed, working-class anti-heroes whose cynical realism and bureaucratic worlds offered a sharp contrast to glamorous spies, leaving a lasting mark on the genre.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 24, 2026
Six decades ago, Len Deighton created a man for our times
Unlike Ian Fleming and John le Carre, creators of James Bond and George Smiley, respectively, Deighton never worked for the British intelligence service.
Asako Yuzuki¡¯s novel about female obsession offers timely and shrewd social critiques ¡ª but not catharsis.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 20, 2026
¡®Hooked¡¯ but not reeled in by Asako Yuzuki¡¯s new release
Asako Yuzuki's second novel to appear in English presents a claustrophobic dynamic between prospective gal pals but shies away from the catharsis that this type of story needs.
Literary translation is one of humanity¡¯s most crucial tasks ¡ª one that should never be left to the machines.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2026
Lost in AI translation: What¡¯s at stake? Our humanity.
Literary translation is one of humanity's most crucial tasks ¡ª one that should never be left to the machines.
In ¡°Sisters in Yellow,¡± Mieko Kawakami brings to life a group of exuberant young hustlers in the underbelly of 1990s Tokyo.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 17, 2026
¡®Sisters in Yellow¡¯ is a wild ride through Tokyo¡¯s underworld
Mieko Kawakami¡¯s noir-y novel follows a group of powerless young women working in Tokyo¡¯s 1990s nightlife.
A page from Kenzaburo Oe's unpublished novel ¡°Trip From a Dark Room¡±
JAPAN
Mar 3, 2026
Two unpublished works by Nobel laureate Kenzaburo Oe found
The two short stories will appear in the April issue of Kodansha's literary magazine Gunzo.
Tokyo¡¯s Jimbocho neighborhood has all kinds of bookshops and cafes, but it is mainly known for its abundance of stores selling secondhand books.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 2, 2026
Inside a Japanese bookshop: Words you need to browse in Jimbocho
Decode shelving systems, publisher groupings and reader slang before making the most of Tokyo¡¯s famed literary district.
Famed Meiji-era novelist Natsume Soseki¡¯s belief that true expression transcends literal wording supports the argument that AI handling translation frees people to create rather than convert language.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 25, 2026
Sorry Soseki, I wish we had AI translation aeons ago
It should come as little surprise then that one of the jobs at risk of complete replacement by AI is that of translators.
The Sakaiminato Ferry Terminal in Tottori Prefecture featuring works by the late manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. A traditional Japanese short poetry contest held in the city to commemorate Mizuki came to an end this year due to possible AI use by participants.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2026
Possible AI use leads to end of senryu competition after 20 years
The organizers decided to end the contest as it has become difficult for the works to be judged fairly given the emergence of artificial intelligence.
From left: Naoki Prize winner Teru Shimazu and Akutagawa Prize winners Ushio Hatakeyama and Makoto Toriyama pose for a photo at a press conference in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on Jan. 14.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 14, 2026
Time and history win big at most prestigious Japanese book awards
The Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize in January 2026 were awarded to Makoto Toriyama, Ushio Hatakeyama and Teru Shimazu.
¡°Jackson Alone¡± follows four mixed-race, queer young men as they navigate the fallout after a revenge porn video surfaces at the titular character¡¯s place of work.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 7, 2026
Part seedy, part satire, all bite: ¡®Jackson Alone¡¯ tackles issues others rarely touch
The dark satire novella ¡°Jackson Alone¡± is the first book by Akutagawa Prize-winning author Jose Ando to be translated into English.
Japanese literature in translation abroad has only grown in popularity with every year, resulting in a wide variety of titles available in English, from cozy fiction to crime and horror.
CULTURE / Books / 2025 IN REVIEW
Dec 14, 2025
In 2025, Japanese literature took a turn for the weird
As expected, women writers raked in successes and cozy cat fiction kept its popularity, with two big surprises from male authors ¡ª Uketsu and Osamu Dazai.
¡®AI simply can¡¯t replicate it¡¯: Japan embraces zine trend
A staff member taking a printed newspaper out of the machine at the Kyoto Shimbun factory in Kumiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
Kyoto police search for missing American tourist
James "Weston" Higginbotham was last seen in Kyoto on May 29.
Japan should prepare for an intense typhoon season this year, experts say
Elevated water levels are seen along the Tama River in Kawasaki's Tama Ward as Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Kanto region Wednesday.
Japan likely sold Treasurys to fund yen intervention
Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Atsushi Mimura speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 1 following reports of Japan's possible intervention in the currency market.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
¡®Fujiko¡¯ transforms a mother¡¯s resilience into festival gold
¡°Fujiko¡± stars Yuki Katayama (left) as a scrappy single mother who fights for her autonomy in 1970s and ¡¯80s Japan.
Japan should prepare for an intense typhoon season this year, experts say
Elevated water levels are seen along the Tama River in Kawasaki's Tama Ward as Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Kanto region Wednesday.
The LDP wants another coalition partner. Will it happen?
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP), delivers a question during a House of Representatives plenary session on May 25. Making the DPP a coalition member would make it easier for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (above left) to drive forward her legislative agenda.
Japan¡¯s Cannes moment signals a new global push
Tao Okamoto (left) and Virginie Efira (right) shared the Cannes Film Festival¡¯s best actress honor for their roles in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden,¡± a coproduction between Japan, France, Belgium and Germany.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Community programs and tracking systems are expanding across Japan as local governments search for ways to prevent dementia-related disappearances.
He told his wife he was ¡®coming home.¡¯ Then he disappeared.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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