Let’s think about less brain rot and more brain growth! Here are 10 Japanese books in translation for 2025 to add to your reading list.
Feb 14, 2025 • Subscribe
More like this


10 Japanese Literature Books To Read This Halloween
In the spirit of spooky season, it’s time to delve into the mysterious, the unsettling and the downright terrifying.


10 Must Read Japanese to English Literary Translators – Women in Translation Month
Women in Translation month is here which means we're looking at ten Japanese to English literary translators that you should check out!


Japanese to English Translation Competitions 2025
List of Japanese to English Translation Competitions 2025 for aspiring and published literary translators.


10 Japanese to English MANGA Professionals – Women in Translation Month
Check out these 10 manga professionals for Women in Translation Month 2020! Including not just translators but editors and letterers.


Which Japanese Books Get Left Out of Translation?
There are more Japanese books being made available in English every year. Still, only a small portion of them get translated.


Japanese Book Guide : 27 Books You Ought to Read about Japan
Here’s a collection of books to help expand your knowledge about Japan. I’ve referred to these books for my various writing projects. This list skews toward history because…
Japanese Book Guide : 27 Books You Ought to Read about Japan
Here’s a collection of books to help expand your knowledge about Japan. I’ve referred to these books for my various writing projects. This list skews toward history because…


Read Japanese Books with the Listening-Reading Method
Want to read Japanese books and novels? We outline a method to help get you started - and build your Japanese listening skills along the way.


Translated Books I Read in 2022
Mini-translation reviews of the nine translated books I read in 2022. A mixture of fantasy, literary fiction, and non fiction.


Translated Books I Read in 2022
Mini-translation reviews of the nine translated books I read in 2022. A mixture of fantasy, literary fiction, and non fiction.


How to Read Japanese Folktales
Japanese folktales have layers that require some thought to fully understand. Of course, Grimm’s fairy tales and even the Bible require reflection too. Context matters for understanding any…


5 Books Lovers of Japan Need to Read
The following list of books are must reads for those who are interested in Japanese culture, anime, and manga. This list focuses on important events and sections of…


How I Read Over 50 Books in 2024
I read over 50 books in 2024 thanks to the reading habits I've built up over the last five years. Here's how I was able to do it.


Why Should You Read Books?
Book reading is on the decline, at least in the US. According to Gallup (Jones, 2022), Americans read 3 fewer books in a year. The total percent of…


Japanese to English Translation Competitions 2024
A complete list of Japanese to English Translation Competitions 2024 for aspiring and published translators.


Japanese to English Translation Competitions 2024
A complete list of Japanese to English Translation Competitions 2024 for aspiring and published translators.
Books: Japanese Cinema
By Jasper Sharp. There are many paths one might take through the vast and varied terrain of Japanese cinema. Peter Cowie’s addition to the ever-expanding range of publications…
Books: Japanese Drinking
By Shelley Pallis. Masaaki Watanabe’s anime series Bartender is part of a long tradition of TV shows about smart loners who help others in secret. Its leading man…


Japanese “Cat Books”
Anyone who reads Japanese literature has surely noticed the overwhelming number of books about cats. It’s not just a phenomenon of fiction in translation—there are a lot of…


Japanese Children’s Literature in English Translation
RJL’s booklists don’t include children’s literature, so here’s a list for your reference. Support RJL by buying through our links. Check out our Bookshop.org page. Middle Gr…


Audiobooks of Japanese Literature in Translation
Kobo Abe The Woman in the DunesTranslated by E. Dale SaundersNarrated by Julian Cihi Hiro Arikawa The Traveling Cat ChroniclesTranslated by Philip GabrielNarrated by George Bladden Osamu Dazai…


How to Read a Japanese Payslip
When payday comes around, it's important to know how to read a Japanese payslip to understand your earnings, allowances and tax deductions.


How to Read Japanese Food Labels
Here's how to read Japanese food labels. Use this handy guide to navigate the most common kanji terms for going to the supermarket.


Books to Better Understand Japanese Work Culture
From traditional white-collar salarymen to blue-eyed foreigners, here are five of the best books to better understand the Japanese work culture.


Make Believe Bonus: 10 Things To Watch From Japanese Pop Culture In 2025 (NewsPicks)
In: Physical Media, Indie, Escapism


10 Japanese Literature Books For Your Autumn Reading List
If you're looking to add some spice to your autumn reading and wish you could travel to Japan this fall, let the pages of a book take you…


31 Days of Japanese Women in Translation
Just in time for August and Women in Translation Month, here’s a list of resources about Japanese women writers for listening and watching.


10 Ways to Say Hello in Japanese
One of the first things you're taught when learning Japanese is "konnichiwa", or "hello", but there's many ways to greet people in Japanese.


10 Ways to Say Goodbye in Japanese
Despite being one of the most well-known Japanese words "sayonara" is actually not often used as a way to say "goodbye" in Japanese.


Best New K-Comics to Read: February 2025
For the romance-focused month, we've got sweet BL, a writer in a wardrobe, daring love affairs, and just enough to spice to keep it interesting.
Books: Branding Japanese Food
By Jonathan Clements. In 2013, the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe took the remarkable step of appearing on YouTube to talk about Japanese food. He was addressing the…


Can You Learn Translation from “The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation”?
Can you learn translation from "The Routledge Course in Japanese Translation"? How useful is this book for new and experienced translators?
![Featured image for Media Translation Link Roundup [2025]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20250308/1741425357.99412.142356.jpg)
![Background image for Media Translation Link Roundup [2025]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20250308/1741425357.99412.142356.jpg)
Media Translation Link Roundup [2025]
Articles from the last year about manga, game, and literary translation. For translators and localization fans alike.


Balancing Japanese-English Translation
There are times when you need to know how to balance Japanese-English translation, especially when working in media translation.


Balancing Japanese-English Translation
There are times when you need to know how to balance Japanese-English translation, especially when working in media translation.
20 Books in 2020 (Part IV) Japanese Literature
It’s getting closer and closer to the end now, but there’s still a little while to go. Thanks to my Kindle screen becoming a temperamental little nuisance (by…
20 Books in 2020 (Part V) Japanese Literature
So, here we are. After spending a whole year attempting the challenge to read 20 books’ worth of Japanese literature in 2020, the deadline is here.


The Best New K-Comics to Read: March 2025
From dungeons to Joseon, come find your next read with our March roundup of the most interesting new K-comics!


The Best New K-Comics to Read: March 2025
From dungeons to Joseon, come find your next read with our March roundup of the most interesting new K-comics!


10 Interesting Manga I Read in 2021
From slice-of-life comedies to supernatural romance, let’s take a look at some of the more memorable manga I read in 2021!


10 Interesting Manga I Read in 2021
From slice-of-life comedies to supernatural romance, let’s take a look at some of the more memorable manga I read in 2021!


10 Interesting Manga I Read in 2021
From slice-of-life comedies to supernatural romance, let’s take a look at some of the more memorable manga I read in 2021!


10 Awesome Manga I Read in 2022
Somehow, in all the chaos of 2022, I managed to read some really great manga series. Take a look at my top picks for the year!
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E09 – Morgan Giles – Reading Japanese, Translation, MEXT Scholarship
Morgan Giles is a Japanese translator based in London. She’s translated a number of different writers, including Kanehara Hitomi, Furukawa Hideo, and the National Book Award-winning Tokyo Ueno…


10 Of Japan’s Best Children’s Books in English
Here are some of Japan's best children's books translated into English for your little ones to enjoy. Let your imagination roam free!


Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2022
A list of Japanese - English Translation Competitions 2022 including competitions for aspiring and published translators.


Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2023
A list of translation competitions for Japanese to English translators in 2023. I’ve also posted a list of articles at the bottom which should help! Japanese –…


Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2023
A list of translation competitions for Japanese to English translators in 2023. I’ve also posted a list of articles at the bottom which should help! Japanese –…
Japanese – English Translation Competitions 2021
It is a new year and a new round of translation competitions is upon us! At least I hope they will be! Last year was a bit of…


SF! A Booklist of Japanese Science Fiction in Translation
Support RJL. Check out our Bookshop.org page. Anthologies The Best Japanese Science Fiction Stories ed. John Apostolou and Martin Greenberg The Future is Japanese: Science Fiction Futures and…