Factbook

A Dynamic Compendium of Interesting Japanese Literary and Publishing Facts

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In 1905 a Japanese aristocrat felt compelled to write a book in English explaining Japan to Westerners titled: ‘Fantasy of Far Japan’[UPDATED: 10-15-2024]

In 1905, a Japanese aristocrat, Baron Suyematsu (1855-1920), who was educated at Cambridge University, felt compelled to write two books in English in an early form of ‘myth-busting’ and ‘fake news’ management.It was a time where books were being written about Japan by Western writers… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- On Japan
In 1905 a Japanese aristocrat felt compelled to write a book in English explaining Japan to Westerners titled: ‘Fantasy of Far Japan’ Posted October 15th, 2024 by Richard Nathan
A novel about Judo written by a prize winning Japanese author and judo master helped launch Akira Kurosawa’s career as a film director[UPDATED: 8-6-2024]

The first film directed by Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), Japan’s most famous film director, was Sanshiro Sugata (Judo Saga), an adaptation of a newly published novel by the judo master and Naoki Prize-winning author Tsuneo Tomita (1904-1967). The action film was set in the 1880s when… Read more »
- TOPICS:
A novel about Judo written by a prize winning Japanese author and judo master helped launch Akira Kurosawa’s career as a film director Posted August 6th, 2024 by Richard Nathan
In 1870s Japan there was huge demand for ‘corrupting’ crime fiction[UPDATED: 8-6-2024]

“The books for which there is the greatest amount of demand are those that pack the greatest amount of crime into the smallest space, and corrupt the morals of all classes”, writes Isabella L. Bird (1831-1904) in Unbeaten Tracks in Japan: An account of Travels… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- Crime Fiction
- History
- On Japan
In 1870s Japan there was huge demand for ‘corrupting’ crime fiction Posted August 6th, 2024 by Richard Nathan
The first English language edition of Kobo Abe’s ‘The Woman in the Dunes’ was illustrated by his wife Machi[UPDATED: 6-17-2024]

In 1964, the year of the first Tokyo Olympics, Alfred A. Knoff published the first American Edition of Kobo Abe’s (1924-1993) The Women in the Dunes in English, translated by E. Dale Saunders (1919-1995).This first edition is beautifully illustrated with multiple drawings, rendered in pen… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- 1964
- Book production
- History
- Olympics
- translation
The first English language edition of Kobo Abe’s ‘The Woman in the Dunes’ was illustrated by his wife Machi Posted June 17th, 2024 by Richard Nathan
Writing about ‘The Lost’ or ‘Old and New’ or Japan ‘Off-The-Beaten-Track’ in English is an enduring publishing trend that goes back to at least 1878[UPDATED: 6-17-2024]

Writing and publishing books about Japan is not a new phenomenon and some of the themes, such as the alleged paradox of and contradictions within Japanese society are not new either.Many such themes have endured for over one hundred years, or more. Authors have continued… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- On Japan
Writing about ‘The Lost’ or ‘Old and New’ or Japan ‘Off-The-Beaten-Track’ in English is an enduring publishing trend that goes back to at least 1878 Posted May 10th, 2024 by Richard Nathan
‘The Life of an Amorous Man’ written by a 17th-century Japanese poet spawned the genre now known as ‘Floating World’ publishing[UPDATED: 1-16-2024]

Even though the term is thought to have been used for the first time after his death in 1710, the Japanese poet Ihawa Saikaku (1642-1693) and his work written in 1682, The Life of an Amorous Man, Koshoku ichidai otoko, are said to have spawned… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Poetry
‘The Life of an Amorous Man’ written by a 17th-century Japanese poet spawned the genre now known as ‘Floating World’ publishing Posted January 16th, 2024 by Richard Nathan
A poem about a frog written in 1686 by Japan’s most famous poet is Japan’s best known poem[UPDATED: 10-2-2023]

Matsuo Basho, the 17th-century Japanese haiku master said to be Japan’s most famous poet as well as one of the world’s most influential, wrote the most famous Japanese poem and the most famous haiku ever penned.The poem, which he wrote at the age of 44… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- haiku
- Poetry
- translation
A poem about a frog written in 1686 by Japan’s most famous poet is Japan’s best known poem Posted October 2nd, 2023 by Richard Nathan
In the 1960s a member of the Japanese Imperial Family started moonlighting as a science fiction author[UPDATED: 8-22-2023]

Princess Fukuko Asaka (1941-2009) started publishing science fiction and fantasy stories in Japanese magazines in the late 1950s under the pen name Bien Fu, and had stories regularly published throughout the 1960s. One of the Princess’s stories was published in the first issue of Uchujin (1957-2009),… Read more »
- TOPICS:
- History
- Science Fiction
- Women Writers
In the 1960s a member of the Japanese Imperial Family started moonlighting as a science fiction author Posted February 13th, 2019 by Richard Nathan

Factbook

In 1905 a Japanese aristocrat felt compelled to write a book in English explaining Japan to Westerners titled: ‘Fantasy of Far Japan’[UPDATED: 10-15-2024]

A novel about Judo written by a prize winning Japanese author and judo master helped launch Akira Kurosawa’s career as a film director[UPDATED: 8-6-2024]

In 1870s Japan there was huge demand for ‘corrupting’ crime fiction[UPDATED: 8-6-2024]

The first English language edition of Kobo Abe’s ‘The Woman in the Dunes’ was illustrated by his wife Machi[UPDATED: 6-17-2024]

Writing about ‘The Lost’ or ‘Old and New’ or Japan ‘Off-The-Beaten-Track’ in English is an enduring publishing trend that goes back to at least 1878[UPDATED: 6-17-2024]

‘The Life of an Amorous Man’ written by a 17th-century Japanese poet spawned the genre now known as ‘Floating World’ publishing[UPDATED: 1-16-2024]

A poem about a frog written in 1686 by Japan’s most famous poet is Japan’s best known poem[UPDATED: 10-2-2023]

In the 1960s a member of the Japanese Imperial Family started moonlighting as a science fiction author[UPDATED: 8-22-2023]

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