Brian Bergstrom
@brianbergstrom.bsky.social
Lecturer & Literary Translator JPN -> ENG
Current: DILEMMAS OF WORKING WOMEN by Fumio Yamamoto
July 2026: CAPITAL FROM ZERO by Kōhei Saitō
Soon: LOVEAHOLIC by Fumio Yamamoto
Tarte 🥧 and Butt 🌈 Enthusiast (à Montréal)
IG: instagram.com/asa_no_burei
Current: DILEMMAS OF WORKING WOMEN by Fumio Yamamoto
July 2026: CAPITAL FROM ZERO by Kōhei Saitō
Soon: LOVEAHOLIC by Fumio Yamamoto
Tarte 🥧 and Butt 🌈 Enthusiast (à Montréal)
IG: instagram.com/asa_no_burei
Pinned
To celebrate the release of Dilemmas in the UK, Foyles asked me to write an essay about Yamamoto and her life and work.
It's up on their site now, and I'd love it if you gave it a look—I love this book, and I'm so excited to have a platform to talk about it
www.foyles.co.uk/further-read...
It's up on their site now, and I'd love it if you gave it a look—I love this book, and I'm so excited to have a platform to talk about it
www.foyles.co.uk/further-read...
I mean, there's nothing to add to this
Over and over the US inflicts obscene violence against the global South, in flagrant violation of international law, to maintain the conditions for capital accumulation for its decadent billionaire class. It's disgusting and intolerable. We cannot continue to accept this.
January 3, 2026 at 3:09 PM
I mean, there's nothing to add to this
Reposted by Brian Bergstrom
This Tokyo subway poster warning passengers not to rush onto trains gets updated every year to match the Chinese zodiac. (This year it’s the year of the horse.)
January 3, 2026 at 12:54 PM
This Tokyo subway poster warning passengers not to rush onto trains gets updated every year to match the Chinese zodiac. (This year it’s the year of the horse.)
Five stars for Hotel Lucky Seven! 🥰
Here is my Goodreads year in review list of books I read (in no order at all since Goodreads is bad) reformatted by me into an image because I hate they way they present it and you shouldn't have to go to their site to look at it.
Yes, I know "clicks". But clicks are garbage.
Yes, I know "clicks". But clicks are garbage.
January 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Five stars for Hotel Lucky Seven! 🥰
あけましておめでとうございます✨
January 1, 2026 at 6:40 AM
あけましておめでとうございます✨
January 1, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Oh no I'm back in Canada and watched Heated Rivalry and now have A Take on it (the François Arnaud part is the only good part) (he's also by far the sexiest guy) (I'm sorry)
December 31, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Oh no I'm back in Canada and watched Heated Rivalry and now have A Take on it (the François Arnaud part is the only good part) (he's also by far the sexiest guy) (I'm sorry)
Decided to translate the name of a character's rabbit, うさ吉, as "Bunjamin", possibly for the amusement of solely myself #amtranslating #translation
December 30, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Decided to translate the name of a character's rabbit, うさ吉, as "Bunjamin", possibly for the amusement of solely myself #amtranslating #translation
Soon it will be the Year of the Horse
December 28, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Soon it will be the Year of the Horse
I love Montréal English. I love when my friends say "in all cases" instead of "in any case" because they're thinking "en tout cas". I love "listening" to a tv show, "shutting" the lights. I just have to make sure it doesn't infiltrate my English when I translate 😅
December 27, 2025 at 6:27 PM
I love Montréal English. I love when my friends say "in all cases" instead of "in any case" because they're thinking "en tout cas". I love "listening" to a tv show, "shutting" the lights. I just have to make sure it doesn't infiltrate my English when I translate 😅
Reposted by Brian Bergstrom
The Year in Reviews: ARB Highlights from 2025 asianreviewofbooks.com/the-year-in-...
December 27, 2025 at 7:58 AM
The Year in Reviews: ARB Highlights from 2025 asianreviewofbooks.com/the-year-in-...
This is terrible -- one of my favorite manga artists, and so young
Blue and Strawberry Shortcakes manga creator Kiriko Nananan died a year ago at age 52. Her death was revealed one year later at the wishes of her and her family.
Strawberry Shortcakes, Blue Manga Creator Kiriko Nananan Dies at 52
Manga creator died in December 2024, announcement held for 1 year at behest of family
www.animenewsnetwork.com
December 27, 2025 at 10:30 AM
This is terrible -- one of my favorite manga artists, and so young
Great list (and not just because I have some translations on it)!
Wildcat Dome is an especially good choice (that I fear is being overlooked a bit), I'm in awe of both the book and the translation.
Wildcat Dome is an especially good choice (that I fear is being overlooked a bit), I'm in awe of both the book and the translation.
RJL's 2025 wrap up is now available!
Top 10 favorites from 2025 *and* notable JLit publishing trends.
(To the best of my knowledge, there was more translated Japanese fiction published in English than any previous year EVER.)
Top 10 favorites from 2025 *and* notable JLit publishing trends.
(To the best of my knowledge, there was more translated Japanese fiction published in English than any previous year EVER.)
10 Favorites From 2025 and Year in Review - Read Japanese Literature
Picking my favorite new translations from the year and noting trends in what publishers are putting out.
readjapaneseliterature.com
December 27, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Great list (and not just because I have some translations on it)!
Wildcat Dome is an especially good choice (that I fear is being overlooked a bit), I'm in awe of both the book and the translation.
Wildcat Dome is an especially good choice (that I fear is being overlooked a bit), I'm in awe of both the book and the translation.
December 26, 2025 at 10:35 PM
"Jupiter" is the second story in the same collection "Pink" appears in, 焔 (The Flame), which won the Tanizaki Prize in its year. I'm still looking for a publisher for the whole mind-blowing thing!
If you like "Jupiter"—or you're especially looking forward to it—you can enjoy "Pink" (also by Tomoyuki Hoshino and also translated by Brian Bergstrom) totally for free!
December 26, 2025 at 6:27 PM
"Jupiter" is the second story in the same collection "Pink" appears in, 焔 (The Flame), which won the Tanizaki Prize in its year. I'm still looking for a publisher for the whole mind-blowing thing!
👻🥰
Friday December 26: "Jupiter" by Tomoyuki Hoshino; translated by Brian Bergstrom. "It was just before Golden Week, on a Sunday that turned out to be the day her hay fever cleared up, that Maruko ran into Akane for the first time in ten years."
December 26, 2025 at 5:34 PM
👻🥰
December 25, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Princeton University Press, among others, should be ashamed
A small (personal) example of this book’s intellectual dishonesty:
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
My father-in-law is reading In Covid’s Wake, and excitedly told me he found a passage where I’m quoted. The quote in question is me saying the FBI worked to censor speech on social media.
Huh? When did I say that?!
December 24, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Princeton University Press, among others, should be ashamed
Reposted by Brian Bergstrom
Reposted by Brian Bergstrom
The ruthlessness that comes from having no imagination whatever.
—Agatha Christie, Crooked House
—Agatha Christie, Crooked House
December 24, 2025 at 11:18 AM
The ruthlessness that comes from having no imagination whatever.
—Agatha Christie, Crooked House
—Agatha Christie, Crooked House
Ahh, what a nice review to encounter this close to Christmas.
Dilemmas of Working Women is still finding readers!
Dilemmas of Working Women is still finding readers!
December 24, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Ahh, what a nice review to encounter this close to Christmas.
Dilemmas of Working Women is still finding readers!
Dilemmas of Working Women is still finding readers!