As a huge lover of Japanese literature, I’m always on the hunt for the latest Japanese books and authors. When I found Red Circle, I was so happy to discover their books because I didn’t know about them before. It turns out they were specifically written for Red Circle.
Established by two close friends Richard Nathan and Koji Chikatani, Red Circle is a company with a single purpose: making the best Japanese contemporary writing accessible to readers outside Japan.
With this in mind, in November 2018, they launched Red Circle Minis. Each of the books is a first edition written specifically for the series and is being published in English first.
One of the things I admire is the covers of the series. They are absolutely gorgeous and well thought of. Hear it from them: “The book covers in the series draw on traditional Japanese motifs and colours found in Japanese building, paper, garden and textile design. Everything, in fact, that is beautiful and refined, from kimonos to zen gardens and everything in between. The mark included on the covers incorporates the Japanese character mame meaning ‘bean’, a word that has many uses and connotations including all things miniature and adorable. Each cover uses a traditional Japanese colour, all of which have a unique Japanese name.”
Red Circle Minis
Red Circle Minis is a series of short captivating books by Japan’s finest contemporary writers that brings the narratives and voices of Japan together as never before.
For this series, they have chosen authors that are already well known in Japan. I’ll be reading their books and write about them here. So don’t forget to check this page for updates and join me if you want.
The List
- Stand-in Companion by Kazufumi Shiraishi
- Backlight by Kanji Hanawa
- Tokyo Performance by Roger Pulvers
- The Refugees’ Daughter by Takuji Ichikawa
- The Chronicles of Lord Asunaro by Kanji Hanawa
- One Love Chigusa – Soji Shimada
- Monkey Man – Takuji Ichikawa
They also have an excellent magazine, The Circle, in which you can read about Japanese literature, culture and publishing. Hence a great source for all the Japanese literature lovers out there.
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