Nagoya, December 18 - Kodansha International editor Michael Staley discussed the challenges of publishing translated Japanese books in the United States.

Citing famed author Haruki Murakami as a rare success story, Mr. Staley said that Japanese authors’ popularity in the American market depends not only on their ability to write compelling work, but also on the efforts of their translators, publishers and marketers.

Following his talk, Mr. Staley took questions from the audience about the popularity of Japanese fiction in the U.S.

Aichi University of Education Professor Shunsuke Ozaki moderated the event.