Hate on the Bookshelves: Explaining the Phenomenon of Anti-Korean Hate Books in Japan.

This article examines the phenomenon of "hate books"—publications containing hate speech against Koreans and Chinese—that have become prevalent in Japanese bookstores, with a particular focus on anti-Korean titles known as kenkanbon. It argues that the existence of these hate books in Japan results from a combination of two key factors: a fluctuating rise in antagonistic nationalism that creates demand during diplomatic crises, and structural features of the Japanese publishing industry that facilitate supply, including an automated distribution system and a prepayment model incentivizing overproduction and reduced quality control. In contrast, despite strong anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea, similar hate books are virtually absent there due to differences in the South Korean publishing and retail system, where bookstores select titles independently and publishers are paid post-sale. The article concludes that both heightened nationalism during crises and the unique Japanese publishing structure are necessary conditions for the production and sale of hate books in Japan, making the phenomenon cyclical and likely to persist without regulatory or industry changes.