20 Japanese Book News is published quarterly by the Japan Foundation mainly to apprise publishers, editors, translators, scholars and libraries of the latest trends in Japanese publishing and selected new titles introduced with brief descriptions of the content. Articles and information included provide a window for Japanese books that contribute to the reservoir of human knowledge and the advancement of mutual understanding between Japan and the rest of the world. New titles are chosen for annotation by members of the advisory board from among notable current publications for their potential interest to readers in other countries, insight into Japanese society, institutions, attitudes, and culture, and perspective on issues and topics of domestic as well as international concern. The opinions and views expressed in the essays and new title summaries are not necessarily those of the Japan Foundation or the advisory board.
Japanese names follow the practice of surname first.
Further information about the titles may be obtained by contacting the publishers and agencies. Shuppan News Co. Editorial and Translation Services Center for Intercultural Communication Design Michiyoshi Design Laboratory, Inc. It was not long before the gekiga , a new genre featuring realistic portrayal of stories and characters, joined the fantasy story manga, with their cherubic heroes, and the traditional strip gag and lampoon comics. While some register alarm at the sight of hordes of white-collar commuters absorbed in manga, even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose to include Mangajin , a magazine that publishes English translations of gekiga , in its promotional materials on Japan to be displayed at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. Takeuchi Osamu, professor at Osaka International Women's University, critic, and specialist on the work of Tezuka Osamu, talks about current publishing and trends in the manga world in Japan.