Volume 273
Issue 8
02/23/2026
Japanese books are hot. Walk into a U.S. bookstore and you’re likely to see a representative array of Japanese titles in translation: classics and current bestsellers by literary heavyweights, cozy healing fiction (look for the cat on the cover), heaving shelves of manga, and more. This is only a fraction of Japan’s overall book production, which amounts to 75,000 new titles per year and annual revenue close to $10 billion, according to the All Japan Magazine and Book Publishers and Editors Association. Meanwhile, the International Publishers Association consistently places Japan among the top five publishing markets in the world, alongside the U.S., China, Germany, and the U.K.
Though U.S. publishers have access to the biggest foreign markets through book fairs in Beijing, Frankfurt, and London, there are no major international fairs in Japan. The Tokyo International Book Fair was shuttered by RX Japan, its parent company, in 2016. This means that licensing books from Japan requires leveraging the knowledge of industry contacts—agents, authors, publishers, and translators.
Little information about the Japanese publishing industry is available abroad. To help ease entry for newcomers, we’ve spoken with publishing professionals in Japan and the U.S. to provide an inside look at Japanese publishing and its main players, best practices, and U.S. footprint—all with the intention of sparking curiosity and cross-cultural collaboration.
This report begins with an introduction to Japan’s book industry, offering an explanation of its major fiction genres, tips for working with Japanese agencies and publishers, and a look at what interests the new generation of editors. We also profile 13 key publishers and speak with the CEO of manga powerhouse Kodansha. Author Haruki Murakami discusses his work as a translator and his passion for bringing American literature to Japanese readers.
Elsewhere, we examine the stateside manga explosion and check in with Kinokuniya USA, whose 17 bookstores across eight states serve as ambassadors for Japanese literary and pop culture. The supplement spotlights four women who are reshaping Japan’s contemporary literature through a female-centric lens, leading to success in their home country and abroad, and offers an explainer on the prestigious Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes.
Whether you’re a publisher seeking your next breakout translation, a bookseller looking to understand this dynamic market, or simply curious about one of the world’s most influential publishing industries, this guide offers a roadmap for navigating Japan’s rich literary landscape.
Read more from out publishing in Japan feature.
Get to Know These Japanese Publishing Companies
What’s Next for Manga Powerhouse Kodansha?
Voice of America: PW Talks with Haruki Murakami
Kinokuniya Is an Ambassador for Japanese Popular Culture
Bestselling Women Writers in Japan Defy Cliché
