Read Japanese Literature
- Episódios
- 52
- Publicação
- irregular
- Último episódio
- 12 out 2026
Sobre o podcast
A podcast about Japanese literature and some of its best works
New episodes more-or-less monthly
Episódios 52
Japanese Horror Stories
This episode is rated mature.Horror and uncanny stories are fundamental elements of Japanese storytelling.We’ll start with a note about genre in general and “horror” in particular.We’ll continue with a …
Notas do episódio
This episode is rated mature.
Horror and uncanny stories are fundamental elements of Japanese storytelling.
We’ll start with a note about genre in general and “horror” in particular.
We’ll continue with a discussion of horror in traditional Japanese storytelling, especially the kaidan popular in Edo Japan.
We’ll move on to the decline and rebirth of kaidan and uncanny fiction between the Meiji Restoration and the Pacific War before we discuss Japanese horror fiction of the last 70 years.
Then we’ll wrap up our conversation today with Ryu Murakami, especially his novel In the Miso Soup.
cw: fictional violence, fictional sexual assault
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.
Buy your copy of In the Miso Soup on Bookshop to support the podcast.
Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Japanese Women Writers
This episode is rated mature.For decades, writing by women was treated as its own separate genre in Japan, joryu bungaku. In today's episode, we’ll start with an explanation of why joryu bungaku became its …
Notas do episódio
This episode is rated mature.
For decades, writing by women was treated as its own separate genre in Japan, joryu bungaku. In today's episode, we’ll start with an explanation of why joryu bungaku became its own separate genre.
We’ll move on to the story of women’s writing between the Meiji Era and the Pacific War and then immediately after the Pacific War.
We’ll zoom in on three writers who really changed the narrative for women’s writing in Japan—Taeko Kono, Takako Takahashi, and Yumiko Kurahashi—and then talk very briefly about how women’s writing has changed since these women debuted in the 1960s.
And we’ll wrap up with a discussion of Taeko Kono’s story “Toddler Hunting”, translated by Lucy North.
cw: sadism/masochism, violence against women and children, rape as motifs and in fiction
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.
Buy your copy of Toddler-Hunting and Other Stories on Bookshop to support the podcast.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Aum Anxiety in Japanese Fiction
In this episode, we examine the history of the Aum Affair and its lasting impact on Japanese fiction.We'll start out with the history of new religions in Japan, including Aum Shinrikyo. We'll take a …
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In this episode, we examine the history of the Aum Affair and its lasting impact on Japanese fiction.
We'll start out with the history of new religions in Japan, including Aum Shinrikyo. We'll take a look at Haruki Murakami's non-fiction book, Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche.
We'll move on to an examination of four novels that respond directly to Aum or the Aum attacks—Keiichiro Hirano's Eclipse, Kenzaburo Oe's Somersault, Banana Yoshimoto's The Lake, and Haruki Murakami's 1Q84.
And we'll end with a discussion of three novels that I'll argue show the new religion's continuing influence—Kikuo Tsumura's There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job, Sayaka Murata's Earthlings, and Erika Kobayashi's Trinity, Trinity, Trinity.
cw: terrorist attack resulting in injury and death, religions some people think of as cults, fictional cannibalism
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Yasunari Kawabata
In this episode, we're taking a look at Yasunari Kawabata's life and work.As we tell his story, we'll ask ourselves two big questions. Is Kawabata really a traditionalist? And what is up with the …
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In this episode, we're taking a look at Yasunari Kawabata's life and work.
As we tell his story, we'll ask ourselves two big questions.
- Is Kawabata really a traditionalist?
- And what is up with the way he writes about adolescent girls?
cw: author suicide, problematic imagery about adolescent girls
Buy The Dancing Girl of Izu and Other Stories (translated by J. Martin Holman) on Bookshop to support RJL.
Join the RJL Patreon to support RJL and for nine minutes of bonus content— including comparisons between Noh plays and Kawabata's writing, thoughts about queer readings of two Kawabata stories, and skepticism about Donald Keene's description of Keene as "a master of feminine psychology".
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Japanese Monster Stories on the Big Screen: Godzilla and Mothra
In this episode, we look at the writers behind two of Japan's greatest movie monsters—Godzilla and Mothra.We'll start out by looking at Godzilla—its context, author, and story—before we turn to …
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In this episode, we look at the writers behind two of Japan's greatest movie monsters—Godzilla and Mothra.
We'll start out by looking at Godzilla—its context, author, and story—before we turn to Mothra. We'll close with a reflection on why the stories behind the movies are important, even for people who have already seen the films.- Buy Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama on Bookshop to support RJL.
- Buy The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Shinichiro Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta on Bookshop to support RJL.
- Join the RJL Patreon to support RJL and for six minutes of Godzilla bonus content—more information about its context, author, and American adaptation.
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.
*correction: Please note that this episode incorrectly states the only other translated fiction by an author mentioned in this episode is Takehiko Fukunaga's Flowers of Grass. There is also translated fiction available by Yoshie Hotta.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.The Japanese Cell Phone Novel
In this episode, we take a look at the Japanese cell phone novel and the classic story of Train Man.We’re going to start today by explaining the Japanese cell phone novel, including some relevant background …
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In this episode, we take a look at the Japanese cell phone novel and the classic story of Train Man.
We’re going to start today by explaining the Japanese cell phone novel, including some relevant background like the history of serialized publishing in Japan and the rise of Japanese cell phone culture.
We’ll spend some time on the early 2000s internet culture, especially on-line message boards.
And today’s focus text is Train Man, attributed to Hitori Nakano and translated into English by Bonnie Elliott.content warnings: rape as a trope in romance novels, online misogyny
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.
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Correction: Please note that this episode incorrectly calls the 2channel thread in which Train Man originally appeared Doko Otoko. The thread was actually called Doku Otoko. Doku is a play on words, meaning both "single" (独) and "poison" (毒).
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Lafcadio Hearn: The Master of the Japanese Ghost Story
In this episode, we explore the enduring legacy of Greek/English/Irish/American/Japanese author Lafcadio Hearn and the ghost story The Peony Lantern.We'll start out by looking at Hearn's life …
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In this episode, we explore the enduring legacy of Greek/English/Irish/American/Japanese author Lafcadio Hearn and the ghost story The Peony Lantern.
We'll start out by looking at Hearn's life. We'll discuss the long history of the story Boton Doro, more commonly known as The Peony Lantern, including its most famous incarnation under Hearn's pen. And then we'll look at two modern adaptations of the story by Aoko Matsuda and Kyoko Nakajima.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
Buy on In Ghostly Japan on Bookshop to support RJL.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Bullying in Japanese Literature: Mizuki Tsujimura and Lonely Castle in the Mirror
In this episode, we look at bullying in Japanese literature.We'll start out by defining bullying and looking at bullying in Japanese schools as well as the Japanese workplace. We'll see some examples …
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In this episode, we look at bullying in Japanese literature.
We'll start out by defining bullying and looking at bullying in Japanese schools as well as the Japanese workplace. We'll see some examples in Japanese novels. And then we'll talk about Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror, translated into English by Philip Gabriel.This episode is rated mature. CW: bullying and suicide
If you're thinking about suicide, please get help. Open Counseling hosts a list of international suicide hotlines.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available. Be sure to check out the new and improved RJL website!
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Christianity in Japanese Literature
In this episode, we look into the history of Christianity in Japan—especially the role Christianity has played in Japanese literature. Our focus text is Shusaku Endo's Silence.Notes and sources on the …
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In this episode, we look into the history of Christianity in Japan—especially the role Christianity has played in Japanese literature. Our focus text is Shusaku Endo's Silence.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Japanese Writers Standing Up to the State: Genzaburo Yoshino and How Do You Live?
In this episode, we take a look at the Japanese proletarian writers’ movement of the 1920s and early 1930s. We also take a deep dive into the life of author Genzaburo Yoshino—not a proletarian writer, but a man …
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In this episode, we take a look at the Japanese proletarian writers’ movement of the 1920s and early 1930s. We also take a deep dive into the life of author Genzaburo Yoshino—not a proletarian writer, but a man who spent prison alongside them and for some of the same beliefs—and his novel How Do You Live?.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Keiichiro Hirano
For the first time ever, RJL brings you information from an interview with a Japanese author—Akutagawa-winner Keiichiro Hirano. This episode takes up his life and work, the influence of Yukio Mishima on his …
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For the first time ever, RJL brings you information from an interview with a Japanese author—Akutagawa-winner Keiichiro Hirano. This episode takes up his life and work, the influence of Yukio Mishima on his fiction, and his most-recently-translated novel, Eclipse.
CW: attempted suicide in a discussion of Yukio Mishima's The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Christmas in Japanese Literature
Happy holidays! And, in the interest of today’s episode, merri kurisumasu!Today we’re going to start with the origins of Christmas, especially why Christmas is celebrated in Japan at all. We’ll move on to how …
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Happy holidays! And, in the interest of today’s episode, merri kurisumasu!
Today we’re going to start with the origins of Christmas, especially why Christmas is celebrated in Japan at all. We’ll move on to how Christmas is celebrated in Japan. And we’ll end with some examples of what part Christmas seems to play in Japanese literature—or at least Japanese literature that gets translated.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 2
RJL is excited to bring you this two-parter about LGBTQ+ stories from Japan. Part two covers Taisho Japan (when women finally enter the stage) through through contemporary LGBTQ+ writing, especially the life …
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RJL is excited to bring you this two-parter about LGBTQ+ stories from Japan. Part two covers Taisho Japan (when women finally enter the stage) through through contemporary LGBTQ+ writing, especially the life and work of Nobuko Yoshiya, Edogawa Ranpo, Yukio Mishima, and Li Kotomi. We also spend a little time on the role of queer manga.
Part one covered some of the earliest writing in Japanese through the end of the Meiji Period in 1912.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
This episode is rated mature.
CW for the two-part series: historical accounts of practices today recognized as pedophilia and pederasty, mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation (fictional and historical), rape, homophobia, harassment of a trans authorLet RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
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Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.LGBTQ+ Stories from Japan, Part 1
RJL is excited to bring you this two-parter about LGBTQ+ stories from Japan. Part one covers some of the earliest writing in Japanese through the end of the Meiji Period in 1912.Part two (coming soon) covers …
Notas do episódio
RJL is excited to bring you this two-parter about LGBTQ+ stories from Japan. Part one covers some of the earliest writing in Japanese through the end of the Meiji Period in 1912.
Part two (coming soon) covers Taisho Japan (when women finally enter the stage) through some of Japan's contemporary queer writers.This episode is rated mature.
CW for the two-part series: historical accounts of practices today recognized as pedophilia and pederasty, mentions of suicide and suicidal ideation (fictional and historical), rape, homophobia, harassment of a trans author
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Japanese Crime and Mystery Writing: Seishi Yokomizo and The Honjin Murders
Today, we’re talking about crime and mystery novels from Japan. We’ll start with the development of the crime and mystery genre in the English-speaking world. We’ll move on to Japanese crime and mystery …
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Today, we’re talking about crime and mystery novels from Japan. We’ll start with the development of the crime and mystery genre in the English-speaking world. We’ll move on to Japanese crime and mystery writing—how it was inspired by Anglo-American crime and mystery writing and how it evolved in its own way. And we’ll end with the life and work of writer Seishi Yokomizo, especially his novel The Honjin Murders, translated into English by Louise Heal Kawai.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.CW: murder (obviously!) and a brief mention of a fictional character’s narcotics addiction
(Apologies for small pronunciation issues of English and French surnames. They’ve been corrected in the transcript.)
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Atomic Bomb Literature: Kyoko Hayashi and "Masks of Whatchamacallit"
This episode is marked mature.In this episode, we take a look at Japanese writing about the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed as many as 215,000 people in August 1945. We’ll start with the …
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This episode is marked mature.
In this episode, we take a look at Japanese writing about the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed as many as 215,000 people in August 1945. We’ll start with the history of the atomic bomb, its use, and its effects on the hibakusha who survived. Then we’ll take a look at atomic bomb literature itself. Our focus text is "Masks of Whatchamacallit" by Kyoko Hayashi, translated by Kyoko Selden.
CW: war, illness (historical and fictional), suicide (historical), forced abortion (fictional), emotional abuse (fictional)
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.Support RJL on Patreon for about 19 minutes of bonus content on this episode.
Read "Masks of Whatchamacalit" for free online.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Zainichi Literature—Koreans Writing in Japan: Kazuki Kaneshiro and Go
In this episode, we take a look at the history of Koreans writing in Japan. We’ll start with the history of Koreans in Japan, including anti-Korean prejudice before and after WWII. We’ll move on to Zainichi …
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In this episode, we take a look at the history of Koreans writing in Japan. We’ll start with the history of Koreans in Japan, including anti-Korean prejudice before and after WWII. We’ll move on to Zainichi Korean writing. And we’ll finish with a look at Kazuki Kaneshiro’s Go, translated into English by Takami Nieda.
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode website.Buy your copy of Go on Bookshop to support the podcast.
Correction: This episode claims Yi Kwang-su's book Ai Ka ("Is It Love?") does not appear in English translation. Ai Ka is actually a short story and Janet Poole's translation of "Is This Love?" appears in in Queer Subjects in Modern Japanese Literature: Male Love, Intimacy, and Erotics, 1886-2014, edited by Stephen D. Miller.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 3: Yoko Tawada and The Emissary
In part three of this episode, we’ll finish our story of Japanese apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. First, stories from the mid-90s and 20-aughts. Then, stories from after the March 2011 Triple Disasters …
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In part three of this episode, we’ll finish our story of Japanese apocalyptic and dystopian fiction.
First, stories from the mid-90s and 20-aughts. Then, stories from after the March 2011 Triple Disasters.
We’ll end with a look at the life and work of author Yoko Tawada who has written several apocalyptic stories, including one of the most important works of post-3/11 apocalyptic fiction available in English translation—The Emissary, also known at The Last Children of Tokyo.
CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rape
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
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Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 2
In part two of this three part episode, we're looking at the apocalyptic and dystopian fiction of Japan. We'll begin with the evolution of the idea of "the end of the world" in Japan, especially after …
Notas do episódio
In part two of this three part episode, we're looking at the apocalyptic and dystopian fiction of Japan.
We'll begin with the evolution of the idea of "the end of the world" in Japan, especially after Japan started importing American and European science fiction. We'll move on to Japanese apocalyptic stories, especially between 1945 and the 1970s and then during the 1970s and 1980s.
CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rape
Part two mistakenly implies Jules Verne was an Anglo-American author. As outlined in part one, he was French.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
This episode’s artwork is adapted from a photograph by Du Truong, “The Student of Gunkanjima”. Gunkanjima, also known as Hashima Island, is an abandoned island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Truong’s work is available under a Creative Commons license.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
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Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.The End of the World! Japanese Apocalypse, Part 1
In part one of this three part episode, we're looking at apocalyptic and dystopian fiction as genres. Their origins in Western and Central Asia. Their evolution in Western Europe. And a history of …
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In part one of this three part episode, we're looking at apocalyptic and dystopian fiction as genres. Their origins in Western and Central Asia. Their evolution in Western Europe. And a history of English-language apocalyptic and dystopian storytelling that will provide us with context and a basis for comparison when we turn to Japanese stories in part two.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
CW: brief mentions of historical and fictional violence and rape
This episode’s artwork is adapted from a photograph by Du Truong, “The Student of Gunkanjima”. Gunkanjima, also known as Hashima Island, is an abandoned island in Nagasaki Prefecture. Truong’s work is available under a Creative Commons license.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Misogyny and Yukio Mishima, Part 2: Mishima's Life and Work
In part two of this two-part episode on misogyny in Japanese literature, we're talking about the life and work of Yukio Mishima, especially by way of his I-Novel, Confessions of a Mask.Check out part one …
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In part two of this two-part episode on misogyny in Japanese literature, we're talking about the life and work of Yukio Mishima, especially by way of his I-Novel, Confessions of a Mask.
Check out part one for
- 400 years of attitudes about women in Japan
- Woman in modern Japanese literature, especially in the work of some of its most important writers
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
This episode is rated mature.CW: misogyny, fictional rape, internalized homophobia, suicide
Join Patreon to support the podcast and access bonus content.
Support Wajima and the urushi industry with the Matsuzawa Urushi Workshop.
Support this podcast by buying from Bookshop.org.
Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Misogyny and Yukio Mishima, Part 1: Misogyny in Japanese Literature
In part one of this two-part episode, we're talking about misogyny in Japanese literature. 400 years of attitudes about women in JapanWoman in modern Japanese literature, especially in the work of some of …
Notas do episódio
In part one of this two-part episode, we're talking about misogyny in Japanese literature.
- 400 years of attitudes about women in Japan
- Woman in modern Japanese literature, especially in the work of some of its most important writers
- Check out part two (coming soon) for the life and work of Yukio Mishima, especially by way of his I-Novel, Confessions of a Mask.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
This episode is rated mature.CW: misogyny, fictional rape, internalized homophobia, suicide
Join Patreon to support the podcast and access 10 minutes of bonus content.
Support Wajima and the urushi industry with the Matsuzawa Urushi Workshop.
Support this podcast by buying from Bookshop.org.
Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Kenji Miyazawa
There is no one quite like Kenji Miyazawa. Born into wealth, he longed to be “a real peasant”. One of Japan’s most influential children’s writers, he sold only one story during his lifetime.Read Japanese …
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There is no one quite like Kenji Miyazawa. Born into wealth, he longed to be “a real peasant”. One of Japan’s most influential children’s writers, he sold only one story during his lifetime.
Read Japanese Literature takes a look at Miyazawa's colorful biography through three of his beloved stories.
Miyazawa produced the artwork for this episode. It's a painted titled Power Pole in the Moonlight.
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
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Support RJL on Patreon.com.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.The Stories of Studio Ghibli: Eiko Kadano and Kiki's Delivery Service
To celebrate the overseas release of The Boy and the Heron (aka How Do You Live?) RJL delves into the stories that inspire animator Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, especiallyNausicaä of the Valley of the …
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To celebrate the overseas release of The Boy and the Heron (aka How Do You Live?) RJL delves into the stories that inspire animator Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, especially
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- My Neighbor Totoro
We’ll end with a deep dive into Kiki’s Delivery Service—the Ghibli film and the novel by Eiko Kadano (as translated by Emily Balistrieri).
Notes and sources on the episode page. Transcript available.
*25,000 total episode downloads! Thanks for your support!*Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Haruki Murakami
In this episode, we're talking about one of the most important voices in modern Japanese literature, Haruki Murakami.His biographyWhy so many people have such strong feelings about his writingAnd his short …
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In this episode, we're talking about one of the most important voices in modern Japanese literature, Haruki Murakami.
- His biography
- Why so many people have such strong feelings about his writing
- And his short story "TV People"
We'll end with what I like best about this much loved (and much hated) author.
Notes and sources on the episode page.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Japanese Children's Literature
In this episode, we're talking about Japanese children's literature.The history of children’s literature in generalThe history of children’s literature in JapanAnd Sachiko Kashiwaba and Temple Alley …
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In this episode, we're talking about Japanese children's literature.
- The history of children’s literature in general
- The history of children’s literature in Japan
- And Sachiko Kashiwaba and Temple Alley Summer—a story that is about Japanese children’s literature (at least a little bit!)
Notes and sources on the episode page.
Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
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Support RJL on Patreon.com.
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All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Translating Japanese to English, Part 2
How does a book make it from the mind of a Japanese author into the hands of an English-language reader?In part 2 of this 2-part episode, we'll tackle the question, “How do Japanese books get translated …
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How does a book make it from the mind of a Japanese author into the hands of an English-language reader?
In part 2 of this 2-part episode, we'll tackle the question, “How do Japanese books get translated into English?" What kinds of choices do translators make when they present a Japanese-language text to English-language readers?
We're still looking at at Minae Mizumura's An I-Novel, translated into English by Juliet Winters Carpenter, and we'll end with some philosophical and ethical questions about translation.
Notes and sources on the episode page.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Translating Japanese to English, Part 1: Minae Mizumura and Juliet Winters Carpenter
How does a book make it from the mind of a Japanese author into the hands of an English-language reader?In part 1 of this 2-part episode, we'll tackle the question, “Why do some Japanese books get …
Notas do episódio
How does a book make it from the mind of a Japanese author into the hands of an English-language reader?
In part 1 of this 2-part episode, we'll tackle the question, “Why do some Japanese books get translated into English?" How do publishers decide what gets translated? How do they decide what doesn’t get translated. And we'll take a look at Minae Mizumura's An I-Novel, translated into English by Juliet Winters Carpenter.
Please note two errors in part 1.1. Noriko Mizuta Lippit translated "The Smile of the Mountain Witch", assisted by Mariko Ochi. The translation appears in Yamamba: In Search of the Japanese Mountain Witch, which is edited by Rebecca Copeland and Linda C. Ehrlich.
2. Author Astrid Lindgren and her Pippi Longstocking series are Swedish—not Norwegian.
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode page.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.SF! Japanese Science Fiction: Izumi Suzuki
In this episode, we’re talking about Japanese science fiction.The history of the genre. SF in Japan. Breakthrough feminist sci-fi writer Izumi Suzuki.Plus loads of SF stories, including Suzuki’s “Night …
Notas do episódio
In this episode, we’re talking about Japanese science fiction.
The history of the genre. SF in Japan. Breakthrough feminist sci-fi writer Izumi Suzuki.
Plus loads of SF stories, including Suzuki’s “Night Picnic”.
CW: suicide
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode page.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.Writing from Okinawa: Shun Medoruma and "Droplets"
This episode is marked mature.In this episode, we're talking about writing from Okinawa. The history of the Ryukyu Islands, especially the Battle of Okinawa. The evolution of writing from Okinawa. And the …
Notas do episódio
This episode is marked mature.
In this episode, we're talking about writing from Okinawa. The history of the Ryukyu Islands, especially the Battle of Okinawa. The evolution of writing from Okinawa. And the life life and work of author and activist Shun Medoruma, especially his Akutagawa-winning story "Droplets".CW: war, forced suicide (historical), violence (historical and fictional), historical rape
Correction: This episode claims Hokkaido is Japan's largest island. I know better and misspoke. My apologies.Honshu is Japan's largest island.
Transcript, notes and sources at the podcast episode page.Let RJL know what you think! (Contact us through the website if you want a response.)
Get in touch at www.readjapaneseliterature.com.
Support RJL on Patreon.com.
Buy your books from Bookshop.org.
All content © 2026 Read Japanese Literature.
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