Butter’s Asako Yuzuki on Why Overlooked Japanese Novels Became Global Sensations

Never Imagined Such Popularity in Her Lifetime: A Parallel World of Global Reception

BUTTER was first published in 2017, at a time when, as Professor Toko Tanaka from the University of Tokyo pointed out, public opinion on feminism began to shift noticeably. I remember reading BUTTER back then and how it became a pivotal book that opened my eyes to different perspectives on feminism.

Yuzuki: Thank you very much.

After the paperback edition was released in 2020, BUTTER was translated into 35 languages, including English, French, and Italian. As you’ve traveled to different countries for lectures and events, did you feel the overwhelming international response firsthand?

Yuzuki: To be honest, I never imagined that my book would become this popular in Japan. It felt almost like entering a parallel world.

When I visited India, there were so many people asking for photos, and the line for autographs seemed endless. I signed so many books that my hand started to hurt.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Asako Yuzuki (@yuzukiasako)

What left the biggest impression on you?

Yuzuki: There are many things, but one thing that really surprised me was the large number of male fans. In Japan, BUTTER might be seen as literature aimed at women, but in English-speaking countries, it’s being interpreted as a form of “moderate” feminist literature that also addresses the struggles men face.

That said, the book’s success isn’t just due to my efforts alone. The ongoing boom of Japanese literature in the UK and the amazing work of Polly Barton, who translated the book, were key factors as well.

Polly Barton is a renowned translator of Japanese literature, earning significant acclaim for her work. She received the PEN Translation Prize for her English rendition of Kikuo Tsumura’s There’s No Such Thing As An Easy Job and the World Fantasy Award for her translation of Aoko Matsuda’s Where The Wild Ladies Are, solidifying her reputation in the literary world.

Yuzuki: Similar to how readers in Japan are eager to explore books translated by Sachiko Kishimoto or Mariko Saito, Polly Barton has become a charismatic figure in the English-speaking world. During my overseas lectures, the most frequent question I was asked was, “Have you met Polly?” It seems that many readers trust her translations, believing that if Polly Barton is behind a book, it’s bound to be excellent.

Literary Works Born from Japan’s Distinctive Culture

There’s been a lot of talk about the Japanese literature boom, with works by authors across different generations, from younger writers like Sayaka Murata and Aoko Matsuda to established names like Yoko Ogawa and Mieko Kanai, being embraced overseas.

Yuzuki: That’s what I find so interesting. It’s not only the internationally acclaimed authors from an older generation, like Yoko Tawada or Yoko Ogawa—there’s a growing sense that reading books by Japanese women writers in their 40s is now seen as chic and culturally savvy.

Like, “Oh, you know about that?”

Yuzuki: I think it all started with Sayaka Murata. Her novel Convenience Store Woman gave readers this eye-opening look at how many different tasks are involved in working at a Japanese convenience store. That sense of novelty really struck a chord. With BUTTER, I think the most surprising detail for readers was the idea that there are virtually no women in senior editorial roles at weekly magazines. I based that on actual interviews with people in publishing, but I kept getting asked, “Wait, is that really the case?”

So from an international perspective, Japan can come across as quite unusual?

Yuzuki: I think Japan really does have a unique culture. For instance, Seichō Matsumoto’s mystery novel Points and Lines is currently popular in the UK, but there are parts of it that British readers find hard to wrap their heads around. The story involves a crime that takes place on a train platform, and the key trick hinges on the train arriving exactly on time. But to people in the UK, that kind of punctuality feels miraculous—they’ll say things like, “Was this murder just a gamble based on coincidence?” And I’m like, no, no, no—not at all!

So it’s a meticulously calculated murder, all based on train timetables. [laughs]

Yuzuki: Exactly—it’s painstakingly planned! People say, “But a train arriving exactly on time? That’s impossible!” And I tell them, in Japan, if a train is even one minute late, there’s an official apology announcement. That just blows everyone’s mind. With Convenience Store Woman, too, there’s this sense of learning about Japanese culture through fiction. I’ve even heard that some people traveled to Japan just to see if what’s written in the book is really true. I think that’s why Japanese literature feels so close and accessible to readers abroad.

Are there more people reading books in other countries?

Yuzuki: Yes, there are definitely more people reading, and those who do, read quite a lot. When I was in Germany, I particularly noticed that, despite the clear income disparity, people are paid well and have much more vacation time than in Japan, which gives them the opportunity to read. Every bookstore I visited was bustling with people. In Japan, though, even buying books has become a struggle for many, and with such limited time off, it’s hard for people to find the time to read. I think this also points to issues in the political system. Lately, I’ve been constantly thinking about wages and vacation time.