MCLC: Japanese books removed from sale

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: Japanese books removed from sale
***********************************************************

Source: The Guardian (9/25/12):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/sep/25/japanese-books-removed-sale-chi
na-row-islands

Japanese books removed from sale by China in row over islands
Chinese publishers told to block titles relating to Japan as diplomatic
spat over Senkaku islands spreads to literary sphere
By Alison Flood

Japanese novels are being pulled from the shelves of bookshops in Beijing,
according to local reports, as the row over a group of islands in the East
China sea continues to escalate.

China and Japan both lay claim to the disputed islands ­ known as
theSenkaku islands in Japan and as the Diaoyu islands in China ­ as does
Taiwan. The clash started when Japan announced earlier this month that it
had bought the islands from private owners, sparkingprotests in China,
where Japanese firms have closed their offices and diplomatic events have
been cancelled.

The dispute has now spread to the literary sphere, with bookshops in
Beijing removing books by Japanese authors from their shelves,according to
reports <http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201209220047>.

The popular Wangfujing bookstore has pulled Chinese versions of Haruki
Murakami's bestseller 1Q84, as well as other Japanese authors' titles,
said the Japan Times <http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120924a6.html>.
"We don't sell Japanese books," said a shop clerk, adding, "I don't know
much about the reason, but perhaps it is because China-Japan relations are
not good."

Another large Beijing store was also getting rid of books by Japanese
authors and those relating to Japan, according to Japanese newspaper the
Asahi Shimbun. "It's because of the deteriorating ties between China and
Japan," a bookseller was quoted as saying.

The Asahi Shimbun reported that the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Press and
Publication 
<http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/Government/Departments/t912436.htm> had
instructed publishers not to release books relating to Japan, or by
Japanese authors, an allegation denied by the bureau.

A source told the Guardian that at times of heightened sensitivity, it is
common practice for the Chinese government to instruct retailers on what
they can and can't sell. "There are instructions from time to time,
especially at moments of internal instability, such as this, but they will
be short-lived," said the source.