RJL is working on making the list of translated Japanese fiction into a searchable database. For now, you can find (among many other authors) virtually everything by an Akutagawa-winner.. and also translated work by Yoshimura.

Need a last-minute present? Give the gift of literature in translation with a Two Lines Press membership--it includes every book we publish plus exclusive member gifts and perks, like totebags, chapbooks, and more! 📚 🎁 www.catranslation.org/shop/members...

Masatsugu Ono’s At the Edge of the Woods is a short but disquieting Gothic novel about modern anxieties. Ono’s writing is gorgeously atmospheric, and the legendary Juliet Winters Carpenter has done a dazzling job with the translation. #Japanesefiction #booksky 🌲 japaneselit.net/2025/12/20/a...

Oh snap! It's 100k downloads we're crossing today! Thanks for your support everyone!

Oh snap! It's 100k downloads we're crossing today! Thanks for your support everyone!

RJL is going to cross 75k downloads during the life of the podcast today!

Really nice review of Dilemmas in World Literature Today! "...these stories subtly portray complex ways that women exist together through tenuous, sometimes painful intimacies... women are alternately disappointed, betrayed, loved, and rescued by women and girls around them."

Got carried away working on RJL’s website tonight. If you search for the name any Akutagawa winner, you should now be able to find virtually all of their translated work in English—including in many anthologies!

Calling all translators! Here's a great opportunity to have your work published by @cmupress.bsky.social.

Tokyo Godfathers is one of the best films of this century. A key reason is that it portrays Tokyo with an almost overwhelming level of care and detail. Satoshi Kon and his team moved mountains to make this film's world feel real — as we explore today: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/satoshi-ko...

You can learn about Christmas in Japan with the RJL podcast.

Hey, folks! It’s not too late to give the gift of JLit!

On the horizon: a book of ghost stories from Two Lines! My translation of the story "Jupiter" by Tomoyuki Hoshino appears in this collection—my third piece to appear in a Calico. In my pitch, I called it a work of "geopolitical haunting," which I stand by. The other stories are amazing as well!

The ARB this week [Newsletter for 16 Dec 2025]: fiction in translation from Japanese, memoir and history from India and Japan mailchi.mp/99d160b1ba49...

Absolutely thrilled to be invited on to the Krewe of Japan podcast, and could easily have chatted all day. Next time we must do a live record from the teahouse! And even if you are not interested in tea ceremony, there are so many interesting topics covered on the podcast. Get listening🙇

RJL's episode about the Japanese Cell Phone Novel is now available on your podcast app of choice! The history of serialized publishing The rise of Japanese cell phone culture. Early 00s internet culture, esp on-line message boards And Train Man "by" Hitori Nakano and trans Bonnie Elliott

I saw three other JLit covers on the list—two for the same book. They’re good covers, though not my faves of the year.

There are some great covers in the LitHub best covers list, but come on, the N. American Dilemmas of Working Women cover was snubbed! lithub.com/the-173-best...

This week, with Atsuko Mori of Camellia Tea Ceremony (@camelliakyoto.bsky.social) as our guide, the Krewe dives deep into everything involved in the Japanese Tea Ceremony & how it's stood the test of time. 🎧 krewe-of-japan.simplecast.com/episodes/jap... 🔗 linktr.ee/kojpodcast 📺 youtu.be/o67bo8jFBQw

Had to share the cover art 😅

RJL's episode about the Japanese Cell Phone Novel is now available on your podcast app of choice! The history of serialized publishing The rise of Japanese cell phone culture. Early 00s internet culture, esp on-line message boards And Train Man "by" Hitori Nakano and trans Bonnie Elliott

My review of When the Museum Is Closed, “an extended meditation on—almost an allegory for—what it truly means to be objectified, as told by a woman in love with a character who is, truly, a female object.”

The Japanese Cell Phone novel is now available for Patreon subscribers. Join now to listen early and support the podcast.

My review of When the Museum Is Closed, “an extended meditation on—almost an allegory for—what it truly means to be objectified, as told by a woman in love with a character who is, truly, a female object.”

The Japanese Cell Phone novel is now available for Patreon subscribers. Join now to listen early and support the podcast.

Recorded. Editing in progress.

TIL the Japanese-language release of Napoleon Dynamite was titled "Bus Man" to try to capitalize on the success of Train Man—a story about a dork who nevertheless gets the girl.

Preparation is almost finished for RJL’s upcoming episode on the Japanese cell phone novel. Expect a story about novels told in screen-sized chunks, a loving homage to early 00s internet culture, and a true* tale of an otaku who needed a little courage. (*It’s probably not true.)

Today the in ARB: @mhillis reviews “The Summer House” by Masashi Matsuie tr from Japanese by Margaret Mitsutani asianreviewofbooks.com/the-summer-h...

Preparation is almost finished for RJL’s upcoming episode on the Japanese cell phone novel. Expect a story about novels told in screen-sized chunks, a loving homage to early 00s internet culture, and a true* tale of an otaku who needed a little courage. (*It’s probably not true.)

Ready for some seasonal listening? Revist last year's Christmas in Japanese Literature episode. Why Christmas is celebrated in Japan at all? How is Christmas is celebrated in Japan? What part does Christmas seems to play in Japanese literature?

Ready for some seasonal listening? Revist last year's Christmas in Japanese Literature episode. Why Christmas is celebrated in Japan at all? How is Christmas is celebrated in Japan? What part does Christmas seems to play in Japanese literature?

An incredible, insightful book (and one of our favourite covers!): "Intersex Figures in Modern Japanese Literature and Art" explores how artists used non-heteronormative bodies and sexualities to resist authoritative dicta. 🗾 @conditionedsoul.bsky.social @uofmpress.bsky.social bit.ly/48c2H9W

Highly recommended!

Sending positive thoughts to Japan and especially Aomori Prefecture.

🙏🍀'THE SEVEN GODS OF FORTUNE' (七福神)🪙💸 O New Year's god this year too send help! とし神やことしも御世話下さるる -Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶). Trans. David Lanoue. As the year draws to a close, images of seven cheerful figures (often riding a treasure laden boat) begin to appear all over Japan. #七福神 #sevengodsoffortune

The Curse of the Colonel (And a weird holiday bonus…) NEW EPISODE - Supernatural Japan 🇯🇵 🎤 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... #Japan #Osaka #HanshinTigers #weird #urbanlegends #folklore #history

My review of Grave of the Fireflies: “…the novella isn’t nearly as gut-wrenching as its visual counterpart. Instead, the narrator tells the story with matter-of-fact detachment that stirs up different emotions altogether.”

Looking for a great Christmasy read? Look no further! RJL has a list of almost two dozen Japanese books where the holiday plays a significant role.

Here’s my Spotify Wrapped 🎵✨

Looking for a great Christmasy read? Look no further! RJL has a list of almost two dozen Japanese books where the holiday plays a significant role.

December is upon us, and what better movie is there to get you in that holiday mood than Kon Satoshi's Tokyo Godfathers? Heartfelt, hilarious, and even thrilling, it's our pick as one of the top Christmas films of all time. Learn more in our video essay exploring the film! youtu.be/7o0RVtSoGTo

Stuart Lloyd reviews “Spring Castle”, historical fiction by Michiko Ishimure tr by Bruce Allen (Tuttle) asianreviewofbooks.com/spring-castl...

Looking for a gift for a Japanese literature aficionado in your life? Buying yourself something special for the holidays? Consider picking up one or more of the books we've covered together on the RJL podcast.

RJL’s list of New and Upcoming Japanese Fiction Releases for 2026 is now available!

Do you dream of sharing your love of Japanese literature with the perfect translated book? Read Japanese Literature has 15 recommendations to cover everyone on your list.

Do you dream of sharing your love of Japanese literature with the perfect translated book? Read Japanese Literature has 15 recommendations to cover everyone on your list.

Good literary translation requires understanding (language, culture, genre--on both sides of the translation) and an ability to write well. "AI" can't do that. There are no shortcuts. Treat your work and foreign language readers with the respect they deserve. You won't fool anyone with this.

Sachiko Kashiwaba joined me for this video about THE VILLAGE BEYOND THE MIST on Libby & Sora Reads. Look for Kashiwaba-san 40 seconds in! ❤️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JuG...