More Than Manga! Read 5 Japanese Diaspora Authors in 2025

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1 participant (135 books)

01 Jan 2025—31 Dec 2025

Overview

Welcome to the More Than Manga challenge! 

The goal is to read 5 books by 5 different Japanese diaspora authors between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025. 

Author guidelines: 

For the purposes of this challenge, 'Japanese diaspora' refers to authors of Japanese ancestry who did not primarily grow up in Japan. Multiracial or multiethnic authors are OK as long as they are of Japanese ancestry. 

Book guidelines: 

Books of any genre or format (EXCEPT manga!) and for any age group are OK. Books can be in any language - remember, the Japanese diaspora is not just in North America! 

For the purposes of this challenge, 'manga' refers only to manga from Japan (or translations of it). Graphic novels and comic books originally published outside Japan are OK.

Why More Than Manga? 

Manga is great, and as a Japanese diaspora reader myself, I've read more than my fair share. That said, many of the Japanese diaspora authors writing today are NOT writing manga, and it's important to recognize that Japanese books as a whole are More Than Manga! 

Let's show some love for Japanese diaspora authors! Happy reading!

Challenge Books

All books added
The Mochi Makers by Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson

The Mochi Makers

Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson

40 pages • missing pub info (editions)

fiction childrens
Navigating With(out) Instruments by Traci Kato-Kiriyama

Navigating With(out) Instruments

Traci Kato-Kiriyama

264 pages • first pub 2021 (editions)

challenging informative reflective medium-paced
Harmless Like You by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

Harmless Like You

Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

320 pages • first pub 2016 (editions)

fiction contemporary literary emotional reflective slow-paced
shima: poems by shō yamagushiku

shima: poems

shō yamagushiku

112 pages • first pub 2024 (editions)

poetry medium-paced
Sansei and Sensibility by Karen Tei Yamashita

Sansei and Sensibility

Karen Tei Yamashita

224 pages • first pub 2020 (editions)

fiction short stories adventurous challenging reflective medium-paced
Letters to Memory by Karen Tei Yamashita

Letters to Memory

Karen Tei Yamashita

160 pages • first pub 2017 (editions)

nonfiction biography history memoir emotional reflective slow-paced
Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, James D. Houston

Farewell to Manzanar

Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, James D. Houston

208 pages • first pub 1973 (editions)

nonfiction history memoir emotional informative sad medium-paced
Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese-American Evacuation by Yoshiko Uchida

Journey to Topaz: A Story of the Japanese-American Evacuation

Yoshiko Uchida

168 pages • first pub 1971 (editions)

fiction historical young adult emotional informative sad slow-paced
Ink and Ashes by Valynne E. Maetani

Ink and Ashes

Valynne E. Maetani

368 pages • first pub 2015 (editions)

fiction crime thriller young adult adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
The Book of Kane and Margaret by Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi

The Book of Kane and Margaret

Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi

298 pages • first pub 2020 (editions)

fiction fantasy romance reflective medium-paced