Born in Tokyo but raised in Los Angeles, Yuki Tejima runs the book-centric Instagram account @booknerdtokyo, one of the few Japan-based bilingual accounts of its kind. Personal and thoughtful, her reviews are like chats over a cup of coffee with a bibliophile friend.
1. How did you stay connected to Japan growing up? My parents signed me up for Japanese school, so I was able to connect with the language early on. I loved to read and whenever my dad went to Japan on business trips, I would always have a list of books for him to bring back.
2. Which authors did you ask him to pick up for you? I loved Banana Yoshimoto and her book “Kitchen.” The book is easy to read, but it wasn’t until my 20s that I understood what it’s really about and appreciated it more. Amy Yamada is another author that I read a lot.