The Staggered Shelf
from Stone Bridge Press
The Staggered Shelf is a weekly newsletter from SBP where we collect important and exciting news related to Japan, publishing, and anything else that catches our eye.
International Booker Prize nominees include two Japanese translations
Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Asa Yoneda, and Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa, translated by Polly Barton, are among the 13 nominees on this year’s long list.
The New York Times notes that this year’s nominees are decidedly short, with only one book numbering above 300 pages.
If you’re looking for short fiction from Japan, read other works by this year’s authors and translator: A Hundred Years and a Day by Tomoka Shibasaki, translated by Polly Barton, and Dragon Palace by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Ted Goossen.
Jose Ando’s rising star
Jose Ando emerged as a literary celebrity after winning the 172nd Akutagawa Prize for the novel Dtopia. But Ando’s fame also has a personal dimension:
For acolytes of Japanese literature, Ando was a rare sight on the stage — partially due to his height, but mostly because of his appearance. Ando, who is mixed race and prefers not to disclose his heritage, is one of the few winners in the history of the 90-year-old prize with non-Japanese roots.
While Dtopia hasn’t been translated, Ando’s previous work Jackson Hitori is set to be published in English by Soho Press and translated by Kalau Almony.
The Japan Times
The impact of Dragon Ball
The Japan Foundation is hosting a free online event March 4 on the cultural significance of Dragon Ball for Black and Latin communities. A panel of academics and professionals will discuss Dragon Ball’s global appeal.
March 1st marks the anniversary of the death of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball’s creator. I wrote about the literary influence of Journey to the West to mark the occasion last year and interviewed professor Frederik H. Green to better understand the historical context.
Best-selling horror comes to the US
Uketsu began as a Japanese YouTube channel, blending elements of surrealism, mystery, and horror, all centered around the masked, black-clad host of the channel. Since then Uketsu has made its way into print, with multiple best-selling titles in Japan.
Author, translator, and sake expert Jim Rion helped bring Uketsu’s Strange Pictures to the English-speaking market in January. The follow up, Strange Houses, is due this June.
The Guardian
Free high school in Japan
Unlike in the United States, high school is neither free nor compulsory in Japan. That could change.
Under the Innovation Party’s (維新の会; ishin no kai) proposed change, starting in April, all parents of high schoolers – regardless of income level – would receive 118,800 yen per year, regardless of whether the student attends a public or private high school.
Despite pushback from fiscally conservative groups, polls show general favorability among the public for some measure of subsidy.