K-Book Trends -

Search word : "japan", Search result : 421

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

A World Carried by the Yangtze River: Shanghai

Special Project [New Ways of Walking Through Cities ⑩] A World Carried by the Yangtze River: Shanghai 2025.10.02 Shanghai has always been a paradoxical space in Chinese history. What is now the city of Shanghai was once Shanghai County (上海縣), under Jiangsu Province (江?省), functioning as an administrative town and regional market-port, though it was no match for Suzhou (?州市) or Hangzhou (杭州市). Everything changed in 1842, after the First Opium War and the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing, when Shanghai was designated as a treaty port. European powers established concessions, exercising administrative and policing authority and enjoying extraterritorial rights. From China’s perspective, it was hardly different from colonial subjugation.Yet Shanghai rapidly developed alongside the influx of foreign powers. Rival empires competed to exhibit their strength, and individuals carved out their own spheres through we...

VOL.87 / 2025.10

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

The Export Case of Hello Baby

Export Case The Export Case of Hello Baby Women’s stories have strong appeal in the global literary market 2025.10.02 Published in March 2023, Hello Baby (EunHaengNaMu Publishing) by Kim Eui-Kyung is a novel that tells the stories of women struggling with infertility, an issue that has long been overlooked in our society. In recent years, infertility has become more common, and I even had acquaintances seeking treatment at clinics, but my knowledge was limited to the fact that the procedures placed a heavy burden on women’s bodies. For me, reading Hello Baby was a shockingly fresh experience, as the novel vividly and realistically depicts the treatment process and the psychology of women who choose to undergo it, making it feel almost like reportage. At the time, there was a steady demand overseas for women’s stories, and since attention was being paid not only to infertility treatments, but also to the social and cultural pressures impos...

VOL.87 / 2025.10

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

Paving the Way for Exports Through People-to-People Exchange

Export Case Paving the Way for Exports Through People-to-People Exchange The export case of Don’t Worry About Me 2025.09.04 Korean picture books have recently gained worldwide attention by winning international picture book awards. In 2022, illustrator Lee Suzy became the first Korean winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA). Her works were translated and published in Japan, Taiwan, and France. In 2020, Wave (BIR Publishing) was selected for Taiwan’s OpenBook Good Book Awards. In 2025, Borders (Bearbooks) by Gudol (writer) and Haerang (illustrator), and Mo Story (Atnoonbooks) by Choi Yeon-Ju became the first Korean works to win France’s Prix Sorci?res. Yet many outstanding Korean picture books remain unknown abroad. With 2025 designated as the “Year of the Picture Book” in Korea, this article examines an export case of the particular picture book Don’t Worry About Me (Bombyeott Publishing). How Don’t Worry About M...

VOL.86 / 2025.09

[TREND / TOPIC]

The Reality and Prospects of K-Mystery Literature

Topic The Reality and Prospects of K-Mystery Literature 2025.08.04 The global popularity of Korean content has spread beyond popular music (K-POP), dramas, and movies to include literature. However, Korean mystery literature is a relatively minor and lesser-known area. Yet, with the increasing attention and translations of Korean crime and mystery novels abroad, there have been comments that Korean mystery literature could be the “next Scandi Noir.” 1) In fact, Korean mysteries have been gaining prominence on the international stage, with Yun Ko-Eun’s The Disaster Tourist (Minumsa Publishing) winning the Dagger Award for Translation by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) in the UK in 2021. This article aims to shed light on the current state and potential of Korean mystery literature in a global context. I will look at the characteristics of works that incorporate Korean sentiment and social background, as well as notable authors. ...

VOL.85 / 2025.08

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

How Korean Essays Captured the Hearts of Japanese Female Readers

Export Case How Korean Essays Captured the Hearts ofJapanese Female Readers 2025.08.04 Korean books in the Japanese publishing industry are more dynamic than translations from any other language. There are a wide variety of genres, including fiction, poetry, non-fiction, humanities, self-help, and learning materials, all available in a large number of titles. This is something that translators and publishers in other languages envy. This article focuses on the non-fiction (essay) genre and examines the recent trends of readers in Japan and the reasons for the popularity of Korean essays. The “K-Healing essay” reaches Japanese readers I Decided to Live as Me (Clay House) became a bestseller as soon as it was translated and published in Japan in late 2018. To date, it has sold over 600,000 copies, making it the best-selling essay collection of all time. This was followed by I Want to Die But I Also Want to Eat Tteokppokki (HEUN) and I Almost L...

VOL.85 / 2025.08

[TREND / TOPIC]

60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Korea and Japan: Today and Tomorrow of the Publishing Trade

Topic 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations betweenKorea and Japan: Today and Tomorrow of the Publishing Trade 2025.06.02 This year marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation (1910-1945) and the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries since 1965, when they restored diplomatic relations. In Korea, there is a tradition of celebrating the 60th birthday of a person with great festivity, and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries is also considered an important milestone. As such, while various commemorative events are taking place, the publishing sector will be organizing Korean book exhibitions, exchanges between Korean and Japanese authors and publishers, and special sales of translated Korean books in Japanese bookstores in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency o...

VOL.83 / 2025.06

[TREND / SPECIAL PROJECT]

Experiencing Nature’s Great Epic on the Paradise Island of Hawaii

Special Project [New Ways of Walking Through Cities ⑤] Experiencing Nature’s Great Epic on the Paradise Island of Hawaii 2025.05.07 Whether it’s surfing the waves at Waikiki Beach, hiking Diamond Head to feel the earth’s vitality, or snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, a beautiful volcanic crater, Hawaii’s great nature is an art in itself. Moreover, you can enjoy sensational artwork in Kaka’ako, a former factory turned art village, or spend peaceful time exploring the National Wildlife Refuge on Kauai, a pristine island home to many natural wonders. In particular, Waimea Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” offers a deeply relaxing experience with the majesty of nature.Hawaii is a heavenly paradise that is considered a favorite vacation spot of the gods. In addition to the magnificent nature, you can also enjoy shopping at various shopping malls and culinary delights, such as Kona coffee, which is only grown in H...

VOL.82 / 2025.05

[TREND / EXPORT CASE]

The “Anxiety of Youth” Crosses National Borders

Export Case The “Anxiety of Youth” Crosses National Borders 2025.05.07 What defines independent publishing? As publishing formats diversify and formerly “self-published authors” begin to compete by starting their own publishing houses, the question of what constitutes independent publishing has become a hot topic. In the absence of objective indicators, independent publisher Balcony defines independent publishing as follows: publishing that can entice readers with its own narrative without large-scale capital investment. In this sense, Yeon Jeong’s Tomorrow’s Sun Will Rise, But What About Tonight? can be considered one of the clear success stories of independent publishing.Before it was published by Balcony in 2020, Tomorrow’s Sun Will Rise, But What About Tonight? was an independent publication that Yeon Jeong wrote as a palm-sized book and distributed on a small scale. The publisher at Balcony discovered the book, which had been dis...

VOL.82 / 2025.05

[TREND / ONE-LINER QUOTES]

About Fountain Pens, a Record of Nostalgia

One-Liner Quotes About Fountain Pens, a Record of Nostalgia Fountain pen expert’s pick 2025.05.07 Park Jong-Jin is the head of the Fountain Pen Lab. He sees the world through fountain pens. He has been collecting and studying fountain pens for over 40 years. He also plans and hosts the “Seoul Pen Show” every spring and fall. He has written books such as It’s a Fountain Pen (Lbig Media) and Of Two Minds About Fountain Pens (Teumsae Books). What is a well-made fountain pen? It’s one that you write with effortless control by just changing the direction, and one that you fall in love with every time you look at it, no matter how long you have had it, for its beautiful nib and exquisite body. I think writing is something similar. Even though I can’t write well, a good piece of writing reads smoothly and gives you a different feeling of interest every time you read it. Plus, if it’s written about fountain pens, a fountain pen enthusiast lik...

VOL.82 / 2025.05

[TREND / TOPIC]

The Era of High Exchange Rates and the Korean Publishing Market

Topic The Era of High Exchange Rates and the Korean Publishing Market Readers ultimately respond to good content 2025.04.07 The structure of the Korean publishing market and translation-oriented publishing in the 1990s I vividly remember the days when the Asian Financial Crisis hit Korea. The value of foreign currencies jumped one day. I waited for it to fall, but things didn’t go as expected. The value of foreign currencies continued to skyrocket, and the value of the Korean won plummeted. This was the situation in 1997. Until then, the Korean publishing market had been heavily dependent on importing translation rights to titles that could compete in Korea from overseas markets, mainly Japan and the English-speaking countries. In this climate, Korea was hit by the era of high exchange rates. By the time we had to pay the advance for a title contracted at 800 won per dollar, the exchange rate had nearly doubled to 1,600 won per ...

VOL.81 / 2025.04

VOL.93/2026.04

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