Reading

Tatsumi Publishing's Tanuki Marugoto BOOK, released May 1, hit #1 in 12 Amazon categories during pre-orders alone. From Shigaraki pottery statues outside every Japanese restaurant to Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko, from Animal Crossing's Tom Nook to viral SNS memes with 96 million views — why is Japan so devoted to this uniquely Japanese canid? A guide for overseas readers (and please, it's not a raccoon).

Japanese book designer Shin Sobue died at 66 on March 15. We explore soutei, the Japanese discipline of designing every element of a book—paper, type, binding, even intentional misprints—and the legacy of works like Densha-Otoko, Soseki's Kokoro, and the Dorohedoro art book.