Each year, Nippan (Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc.) publishes and reports on the year’s best-selling books, based on point-of-sale data collected from 3,000 bookstores nationwide.
Nippan is Japan’s largest wholesale book distributor, acting as an intermediary between publishers and sellers, including Rakuten Books, Amazon Japan, and other online book retailers.
You are reading: Best selling books in japan
while many bestseller lists are published at the end of the year in japan, the two that are considered definitive are the nippan list and another list published annually by tohon.
(Naturally, if you’re a die-hard bibliophile 😏 then you might prefer annual award lists to inform your unread pile. So, just for you, we’ve included other notable book ranking lists 🏆 at the end of the article.)
but back to nippan’s 2021 best sellers list: here’s a window into what readers in japan were buying during the second year of the pandemic in japan.
Let’s take a look at the books themselves.
Note: The Nippan Best Sellers list is based on data collected from November 24, 2020 to November 21, 2021.
1.人は話し方が９割
Hitowa hanashikata ga kyu wari (trans.: People are 90% how they talk)
author: 永松茂久 nagamatsu shigehisa
publisher: すばる舎
Publication date: September 2019
the motto says: “how to excite people in a minute and make them like you 100% of the time”. Focusing on communication advice, Nippan attributes the book’s popularity to readers seeking action to resolve the decline in face-to-face communication caused by Covid restrictions and the resulting communication problems in the workplace and with friends and relatives. according to nippan figures, a total of 850,000 copies were sold in 2021.
2.スマホ脳
Sumaho no (trans.: Smartphone brain)
author: anders hansen
publisher: 新潮社
publication date: November 2020
A translation of skärmhjärnan by the swedish psychiatrist anders hansen ranked second in the nippan bestseller ranking. With the increased use of smartphones during Japan’s self-control period due to the pandemic, coupled with increased efforts towards the digitization of society as a whole, this book was a popular choice for those interested in the psychological effects of smartphones. digital tools.
3.推し、燃ゆ
Oshi, moyu (trans.: stan, burn)
author: 宇佐見りん rin usami
publisher: 河出書房新社
publication date: September 2020
a novel about a high school girl whose purpose in life is to recommend idols. The book sold 520,000 copies, according to Nippan. The novel’s author, Rin Usami, became the third youngest person to win the 164th Akutagawa Award 芥川賞 at the age of 21.
4.星ひとみの天星術
Hoshihitomi no tenseijutsu (trans.: Hoshi Hitomi’s astrology)
author: 星ひとみ hitomi hoshi
publisher: 幻冬舎
See Also: How to Self-Publish a Childrens Book in 7 Magical Steps
publication date: December 2020
hitomi hoshi, a television personality, has created her own divination method, which is detailed in this bestselling book. Hoshi hosts the Fuji TV show 「突然ですが占ってもいいですか？」 (trans. This is sudden, but can I tell you your fortune?) where she provides astrological guidance and her Reviews of musicians, idols, comedians, and others in various fields often become hot topics.
5.本当の自由を手に入れるお金の大学
Hontou no jiyuu wo te ni ireru okane no daigaku (trans.: The money university for real freedom)
author: 両＠リベ大学長 ryou @ ribedaigakuchou
publisher: 朝日新聞出版
publication date: June 2020
ryogakuchou is the username of a well-known youtuber in japan who teaches and explains wealth concepts and strategies on his channel where he has 1.7 million subscribers. the popularity of his book is probably an indication of those who used the self-control measures of the pandemic to seek ways to reinvest in themselves and build wealth.
6. ５２ヘルツのクジラたち
52 herutsu no kujiratachi (trans.: 52 hertz whales)
author: 町田そのこ sonoko machida
publisher: 中央公論新社 publish date: april 2020
a moving story dealing with domestic violence, abuse, and the hardships faced by transgender people. 2021 honya taisho award winner 本屋大賞 and many other awards. the title refers to an unidentified whale that is famous for its song that has a frequency inaudible to other whales, often described as the loneliest whale in the world. the “52-hertz whales” serve as a metaphor for characters in the novel who are often overlooked in society.
7.鬼滅の刃塗絵帳
Kimetsu no yaiba nuriechou (coloring book)
author: 吾峠呼世晴 koyoharu gotouge
publisher: 集英社
publication date: March 2021
In December 2020, the final volume of kimetsu no yaiba was released, where it instantly reached #1 on the sales charts due to the persistent popularity of the manga. This coloring book featuring definitive scenes and characters from Kimetsu no Yaiba ranked seventh on the bestseller list in all categories. the installment “kimetsu no yaiba: kaze no michishirube”『鬼滅の刃 風の道しるべ』, which was released in July 2020, ranked 20th.
8.秘密の法
Himitsu no hou (trans.: the secret law)
author: 大川隆法 ryuho okawa
publisher: 幸福の科学出版
publication date: January 2021
himitsu no hou by the founder of happy science reached 8th place on the nippan bestseller list (and number 1 overall seller on tohon). the religion and tenets taught by ryuho okawa are considered cult, both within japan and abroad, so we’re a bit surprised that it’s on the list, but it seems his teachings have a large enough audience to influence sales charts.
9.よけいなひと言を好かれるセリフに変える言いかえ図鑑
Yokeina hitokoto wo sukareru serifu ni kaeru iikae zukan (trans.: A picture book of phrases to turn an unwanted word into a well-liked line)
author: 大野萌子, moeko ohno
publisher: サンマーク出版
Publication date: August 2020
See Also: Sharon Cameron – Book Series In Order
here is the second communication book to make the top 10 list. the author promises that when you learn to communicate in a positive way, you will be able to make a good impression and build a relationship of trust. In this book, readers learn 141 examples of how to turn an “idle word” into a “popular line.”
10.呪術廻戦 逝く夏と還る秋
Jujutsu kaisen, yuku natsu to kaeru aki (trans.: Jujutsu kaisen: The Passing Summer and the Returning Autumn)
author: 芥見下々, 北國ばらっど gege akutami, ballad kitaguni
publisher: ＪＵＭＰ ｊ ＢＯＯＫＳ, 集英社 publication date: May 2019
Four books based on serializations published in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine made it to Nippan’s list of top 20 best-selling books nationwide, including the aforementioned kimetsu no yaiba coloring book previously, which ranked seventh.
“jujutsu kaisen: the passing summer and the returning autumn” came in 10th, and “jujutsu kaisen: yoakeno ibara michi”『呪術廻戦 夜明けのいばら道』was 19th and “kimetsu no yaiba: kaze no michishirube”『鬼滅の刃 風の道しるべ』was 20th.
appendix for distant bibliophiles of Japanese books
As promised, here are more places to look for your next reading adventure 📚🏕️
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japan bookseller award (honya taisho award) 2021
『読書メーター of the year 2021』bookmeter.com
読書委員が選ぶ「２０２１年の３冊」
kinokuniya 2021 best sellers list
2021 bestseller list
amazon bestseller list (updated hourly; not a cumulative yearly ranking, but an interesting visualization nonetheless)
further reading: mailmate’s most read articles in 2021 🥰
Since you’re a reader, you might also enjoy this: Of the 137 articles we published last year, these articles got the highest page views. 📈
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half width vs full width: a tale of two characters
learning to drive in japan, from zero to driving hero
Best Picks: English Speaking Maid & House Cleaning Services in Tokyo
how to change to a Japanese driver’s license
English speaking therapists in Tokyo in 2021
a short list of trusted bilingual accounting firms in tokyo
how to get a permanent resident visa for japan
your guide to the best workplace cafes with electricity and free wi-fi in tokyo
where to do yoga in english in tokyo
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