For those looking for intelligent and entertaining discussions of Japanese literature and pop culture, I cannot recommend highly enough Kathryn Hemmann’s Contemporary Japanese Literature. Ms. Hemmann, a Japanese Literature PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, describes her blog as a place to explore “various textual manifestations of contemporary Japanese culture, literary or otherwise.” The breadth of material is quite wide and includes reviews of popular Japanese literature in translation, reviews of academic works about Japanese culture, critical discussions of feminism in video games, and information on accessing Japanese literature, such an article on her experiences using a Kindle.

Ms. Hemmann’s writing is frank, witty and thoughtful. Her book reviews are a pleasure to read, particularly because she’s willing to take a hard look at cultural and gender factors within the concise space of the review. Furthermore, her writing is intelligent and academic but never obsequiously theoretical, and Ms. Hemmann has a knack for treating problematic material with a rare blend of respect and humor. Whether you’re looking for academic works for your thesis reading list, information on the state of publishing translations, or a new manga to read, check out Contemporary Japanese Literature.

To get started, here’s a list of my favorite articles:

“Feminism and Final Fantasy”

“Challenging Auteurship: Dōjinshi as Creative Fan Interpretation”

Review of Getting Wet: Adventures in the Japanese Bath

Review of Ôoku (the manga)

Review of Translucent Tree

-Leah