Japanese Literature is in High Demand in Bengaluru

Explore the captivating world of Japanese and Korean literature at Bengaluru bookstores, where bestsellers await.

on Oct 11, 2023

Japanese Literature is in High Demand in Bengaluru | Frontlist

While Japanese literature has long dominated the crime and thriller genres, as well as graphic novels, a growing number of 'light reads' are hitting the market.

According to local bookshops, Japanese literature is selling like hotcakes, and Korean literature isn't far behind.

Currently, most Bengaluru bookstores have a display of Japanese literature. Books such as 'Convenience Store Woman' by Sayaka Murata, 'Days at the Morisaki Bookshop' by Satoshi Yogisawa, 'The Inugami Curse' by Seishi Yokomizo, and Toshikazu Kawaguchi's 'Before The Coffee Gets Cold' series are widely available.

"Previously, we would get popular author translations like Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro, which sold well." "We now get translated works from new and first-time authors," says Krishna Gowda, owner of The Bookworm. His Church Street store currently stocks books by roughly 30 Japanese authors. Based on patterns, he orders books in tiny batches. "We order in batches of 20 to 50, and occasionally 100." "The stock will last one to two weeks," he adds.

A similar selection is available at one of the Blossom Book House locations on Church Street. "We get at least two or three Japanese books that sell well every month." "At least 50 Japanese titles sell every month," says manager Mukund Gowda, adding that these books are popular among Gen Z and millennials.

He adds, "Many aged 20-35 gravitate towards Japanese literature, as they can see similarities between Indian and Japanese lifestyles." While Japanese literature has long dominated the crime and thriller genres, as well as graphic novels, a growing number of 'light reads' are hitting the market. Literary fiction titles such as 'Days in the Morisaki Bookshop' and 'What You Are Looking For Is in the Library' by Michiko Aoyama are among them. Other great options are 'Weasels in the Attic' by Hiroko Oyamada and 'Kitchen' by Banana Yoshimoto.

"Because Japan, like India, is a patriarchal country, patriarchy and feminism are popular themes." "Japanese female authors are very popular at our store," says Shakti Swaminathan, library instructor at Champaca on Edward Road. She also mentions an upsurge in demand for Japanese and Korean recipe books. THE KOREAN STORM Krishna Gowda recently devoted a unique display to Kim Nam-joon aka RM of the South Korean boy band BTS. "He has a lot of female fans in the city." "The show is a big hit," he says. It contained translated pieces like 'The Old Woman With the Knife' by Gu Byeong-mo, 'Pachinko' by Min Jin Lee, and 'Human Acts' by Han Kang.

"At least two Korean books go viral every month, but they have yet to match the popularity of Japanese fiction." Anand C, manager at Higginbothams on M G Road, adds that "roughly 70% of the customers who come for these books are youngsters." He says that the senior generation, those aged 40 and up, prefer self-help books from Korea and Japan. Popular Korean versions include 'Almond' by Sohn Won-pyung, 'I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki' by Baek Se-hee, and 'Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982' by Cho Nam-joo.