A book that remains on the bookshelf of the heart.

We are introducing three representative works of the book editing department along with their episodes.

Beauty Introduction — A highly acclaimed series loved across generations, originating from a popular serialization

――What was the trigger for the book editing department to be born in a publisher that centered on magazines?

Seya: I guess that since Magazine House's magazines had many popular serializations, the momentum grew that it would be a waste not to compile them into a single book. Sensitive editors requested writing from authors who were both popular and talented, and in fact, I was one of those readers before joining the company.

Therefore, I think it was inevitable that many bestsellers were born from magazine serializations. Among them, one impressive book is Mariko Hayashi's "Beauty Introduction" series. It still continues its serialization on the last page of anan and was so popular that it earned the nickname "the woman who makes you open anan from the back," and the first book in the series was a big hit. The style of drawing her own illustrations started back then, and when it was first published as a book, Hayashi herself wrote the main copy for the obi. When I received it, I was truly amazed. It's a famous copy that no one can imitate.

This series reached its 23rd volume this year, which itself is amazing, but it is also proof of having run through the times together with fans, and when you reread it, the atmosphere of that time comes back. Once a book is placed on someone's bookshelf, it serves as a door to return to that era anytime, which is fascinating. I want to send out as many books as possible that people will keep at hand like that.

If the World Were a Village of 100 People — A concept book that changes perspectives

――"If the World Were a Village of 100 People" is also a representative work of the book editing department, isn't it?

Seya: This book was published in December 2001, just after the September 11 attacks in the US, a time when anxiety about what would happen to the world was everywhere. At such a time, by proposing the method of thinking of the world as a "village of 100 people," it became easier to understand global disparities and diversity, providing a chance to think. Many people responded to it.

――I heard it was also translated.

Seya: Yes, it has been translated into many languages and became a bestseller in Japan with over one million copies sold. This book has been out for more than 20 years, but every time I hear voices like, "I read it as a child and now I'm involved in SDGs projects," or "I started working at the United Nations after reading this book," I feel deeply inspired. I myself have nourished my heart with many books, and I am proud that there is a book in Magazine House's lineup that can be cited as a life-changing one.

How Do You Live?——A book that reached across eras

――"Manga: How Do You Live?" also became a big topic, didn't it?

Seya: This book was published in 2017, but it had an unexpectedly huge response. The pace and number of reprints were on a different scale, and as a result, it became a huge bestseller exceeding 2 million copies. Looking back now, I think that was the trigger that led to the creation of the manga editorial department.

――It's amazing to have such an impact that it creates an editorial department.

Seya: Yes. The original work was written over 80 years ago, but the universal themes—bullying, poverty, disparity—and the question of how you think about them deeply resonated with modern readers. Delivering that in the form of manga probably became a bridge to many generations.

The appeal of book editing work

――Are magazines and books really made in completely different ways?

Seya: I think the basics are the same, but the editorial stance might be very different between magazines, which try to quickly deliver various perspectives and information, and books, which delve deeply into one approach or expand a worldview. Since we face book creation with the author for at least six months to a year, sometimes several years, I feel we look a little further ahead than magazines. If possible, I want to create books that remain on bookshelves forever.

――I see. It's like creating a book that continues to be read unchanged in a constantly changing era.

Seya: That's right. Book projects often don't get approved without enthusiasm and belief that "this absolutely must be published," and you can't even start without conveying that seriousness to the author. But the joy of sending a book out into the world after going through such a process is exceptional. Even if it doesn't change someone's life, there is definitely someone waiting for this book—that thought is held close as the release day arrives.

Books from Japan spreading overseas

――I want to ask about overseas expansion as well, but how much are Japanese books read overseas?

Seya: Recently, I've heard that Japanese novels are selling quite well overseas. I often see Japanese-origin translated books in the rankings of overseas online bookstores, and our editorial department has been receiving quite frequent inquiries about whether translation is possible. Not limited to novels, picture books also seem to be genres that are easy to expand, and Magazine House's books are being translated one after another, mainly in Asia.

――Books encountered in childhood can also become guides for life afterward.

Seya: Indeed. The reading experiences that moved us as children suddenly come back to us even as adults. Now is an era where information spreads on a global scale, and borders and suchにIt would be my greatest wish to deliver something that moves hearts regardless. I will continue to take on various challenges, so please keep an eye on me.

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If magazines keep pace with the speed of the times, books are something to be carefully nurtured over time. Instead of reacting to short-term trends, the job of book editing is to grasp and shape the "essence" needed in that era. What impressed me in this interview was the strong belief that "a single book can change a person's life" and the determination that "the goal is to create a book that remains on the reader's bookshelf."A project that an editor firmly believes in becomes a book and reaches the hearts of readers. And sometimes, it influences them as a guide for life. Books have that kind of power. Books like "Introduction to Beautiful Women," "If the World Were a Village of 100 People," and "Manga: How Do You Live?" have been read across eras and generations, proving that.Also, I want to pay attention to developments with a global perspective. Books born in Japan cross the seas and reach many readers. Even if the manuscript in front of the editor is in Japanese, beyond that are readers all over the world. When you think about it that way, the message entrusted to a single book becomes even heavier and more precious. The intuition to read the winds of the times and an unwavering belief. Holding onto both is probably the foundation for creating books that are read for a long time. What kind of book will be born next?