For those who read widely and take an interest in Asia — likely readers of this article — chances are they will have picked up a book put out by Tuttle Publishing at one time or another. With a catalog encompassing everything from Korean-language learning books and Indonesian cookbooks to translations of famous novels and Japanese death poems, books emblazoned with Tuttle’s little red logo are found in bookstores around the globe.
While the Tuttle family business can be traced back to 1832, making it one of the oldest American publishers still in operation, according to the company, the Japan presence was established in 1948 when Charles Tuttle, who was married to Japanese singer Reiko Chiba, noticed a gap in the market while based in the country.
Initially arriving in Japan to work in the newspaper industry as part of the American Occupation, Tuttle later began importing American books for U.S. troops stationed in the country, and ferrying Japanese books back to the United States for interested readers.