Event: Japanese

Bookstores have long been romanticized as idyllic workplaces, but a pair of newly translated Japanese novels give insight into the book business and show how it is upheld by the tireless labor of underpaid employees. | JOHAN BROOKS Lately, the titles of Japanese books released in English translation are starting to blend into each other.“Every Bookshop Needs a Cat,” “The Nine Lives of a Bookshop Cat,” “The Friday Bookshop,” “Matcha on Monday,” “Dreamers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop,” “Welcome to the Kokoro Cat Clinic,” “The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen.”That’s a lot of bookshops and cats, and quite a few cafes, too. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. SUBSCRIBE NOW