China formally arrests Australian writer on suspicion of spying
An Australian writer detained in China seven months ago has been formally arrested on suspicion of espionage, triggering swift demands from the government in Canberra that he be allowed to return home. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was "concerned and disappointed" that Yang Hengjun, ...
Museum chronicling novelist Natsume Soseki's life in U.K. begins new chapter
A museum dedicated to novelist Natsume Soseki (1867-1916) that closed in 2016 has reopened in a new location in southeast England. Previously in south London, at the site of Soseki's lodgings during his stay in Britain, the museum closed after 32 years amid dwindling attendance ...
Seiko Tanabe, an award-winning author known for her modernized version of the classic "Tale of Genji" titled "Shin-Genji Monogatari," died of cholangitis, an inflammation of the bile duct, on June 6 in Kobe, her family said Monday. She was 91. Born in Osaka, the author ...
Hyper-wired South Korea is the world's 11th-largest economy, one of its most technologically advanced countries, and the first to launch a nationwide 5G network. But that is a relatively recent transformation. At the other end of the spectrum, many of its elderly are illiterate. Now some ...
Museum devoted to Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki, shuttered in London in 2016, to reopen in Surrey
A museum in London devoted to renowned Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki (1867-1916), which was closed over two years ago, is set to be revived in nearby Surrey in May. Ikuo Tsunematsu, 67, who headed the museum, decided to reopen it after receiving a flurry of ...
Banna, Banpo, Eiko, Koshi and Kyuka: The Japan eras that could have been, beaten out by Reiwa
Five of the potential names for Japan's next era that were unsuccessful at the final stage came to light Tuesday, a day after the government selected Reiwa from the six finalists. The five other candidates were Eiko, Kyuka, Koshi, Banna and Banpo, sources with knowledge ...
What's in a name? Reiwa reflects today's politics, Japan's cultural history and a social philosophy
Media hype over Reiwa, the newly announced name for the upcoming era, continued unabated Tuesday. At the same time, a majority of people appeared to happily welcome the name, which means "auspicious" (rei) and "peace" or "harmony" (wa). However, the choice of the era name ...
Haruki Murakami: Writing in a parallel universe, connecting with a global readership
In Japan, it was the runaway best-seller status of "Norwegian Wood" (1987), his wistful tale of crushed innocence and young love that sold more than 4 million copies in Japanese alone, that established Murakami's iconic status.
'My Brother's Husband': Young adult literature from Japan attracts a new global audience
In January this year, "My Brother's Husband," a two-volume manga written by Gengoroh Tagame and translated by Anne Ishii, won the inaugural Global Literature in Libraries Initiative (GLLI) Translated YA Book Prize.
Writers recall their initiation to Japanese literature via Donald Keene
The Japan Times asked author Suzanne Kamata to reach out to some of her fellow writers for their memories and thoughts about Donald Keene, the noted scholar of Japanese literature who died Sunday in Tokyo at age 96. Here is a short collection of ...
Donald Keene, lauded scholar of Japanese literature, dies at 96
Prominent U.S.-born Japanese literature scholar Donald Keene, who introduced a roster of talented writers from Japan to the world, died of cardiac arrest in Tokyo on Sunday.
When Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani won Australia's most valuable literary prize last week, he could not attend the ceremony to accept it. But as he has done for almost six years, living in Papua New Guinea under Canberra's harsh offshore detention policy, the asylum-seeker still ...
