Translations of Japanese literature and English-language writing on Japan have arguably never been more popular.
In the American publishing industry, literature in translation sells better per book than non-translated works. Translations of Japanese literature have increased tenfold since 1980, and a relentless U.S. and U.K. publisher hunt for the “next Haruki Murakami” has resulted in abundant and well-selling contemporary translations of authors such as Mieko Kawakami, Yoko Ogawa and Sayaka Murata.
On the writing side, the largest international population in Japan’s history alongside the country’s remarkable tourist boom of the 2010s has contributed to an thriving market and a vast online repository of writing about Japan: everything from memoirs, to creative cultural and historical nonfiction, to an ever-growing plethora of travel websites and blogs.