TikTok and YouTube fuel a Japanese literature boom in Britain

In Britain, Japanese novels in English translation are experiencing a boom in popularity among a new generation, with word-of-mouth on social media driving book sales.

Trends on social media platforms such as TikTok — where members of the “BookTok” community recommend and theorize about their favorite books, genres and authors — have inspired young Britons to seek out more works translated from other languages.

Yet among these, novels reflecting elements of Japanese society and culture in particular have become hits with this younger demographic.