JTB Publishing, the publisher known for its travel guidebooks "Rurubu" and "JTB Timetable," will launch its junior novel label, "Hajime Novel," on November 17th. The label will publish two works: "Amata Mai Cried," written by Murasaki Nagiko and illustrated by MATSUDA98, and "Band Boys and Songstress (1)," written by *Aira* and illustrated by Toriura. Upcoming works include those by Yipiao, known for the original story behind the manga "Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro" (Shueisha), which has also been adapted into an anime and a movie, and by Sawamura Mikage, whose novel series "Associate Professor Takatsuki Akiyoshi's Speculations" (KADOKAWA) has been adapted into a TV drama. Why enter the junior novel market now? We spoke with the company's editor-in-chief, Tanada Motono, about it.
According to the Publishing Science Institute, the estimated sales of all publications in 2024 will be 1.5716 trillion yen (including 566 billion yen in digital sales), roughly 60% of the peak of 2.6563 trillion yen in 1996. Looking at print sales alone, this has fallen to less than half. The birthrate is also declining. The number of births is expected to exceed 680,000 in 2024, nearly half the approximately 1.2 million in 1996 (data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research). Despite this, Tanada explains that the reason they are entering the junior novel market is that "due to factors such as morning reading, elementary school students read more than other generations."
He also said, "The flip side of the declining birthrate is that people will have to spend more money on each child, which is one of the few opportunities for growth in Japan, where disposable income is stagnating." Regarding the company's entry into the market, which has a strong image of travel, Tanada said, "We reconsidered travel as a part of life and thought about what would be useful in that. As a result, we found the answer: providing a rich world of stories that would provide emotional support for children as they embark on their lives, or as a weapon to help them face difficulties."
However, many publishers have already entered the market. Therefore, Tanada says, "I want to take on the challenge with memorable authors and works." The book "Amata Mai ga Naita," which goes on sale on the 17th, is written by Murasaki Nagiko, known for her "Nakasui!" (Shodensha) series of coming-of-age novels set in a fisheries high school in a landlocked prefecture, and illustrated by MATSUDA98, a regular at Comiket and a member of the so-called "wall club." The story depicts the emotional connection between an aspiring manga artist and a cool girl.
In "Band Boys and Songstress (1)," *Aira*, a leading figure in the junior novel world of romance novels, has created a unique world using the keywords of band and doting love, and popular illustrator Toriura has colorfully colored the story.
"Yipiao's first novel, 'Mystery Solving!? Team Fukutoshin (1) Search for the hidden treasure that disappeared in Shinjuku...or is it!?', scheduled for publication in February next year, is particularly impressive. The fantastic characters and story are full of surprises," says Tanada proudly. "'Mystery Solving Travelers Sora's Case Notebook,' also due for publication in February, is written by Yagi Keiichi, winner of the 'This Mystery is Amazing!' Grand Prize, and his talent is well-known. Also waiting for publication next year are storytelling masters such as Sawamura Mikage and Maki Kazuki of the 'Worries Club' series (GAKKEN)."
Tanada expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "We can take on this challenge precisely because we are the latest junior novel publisher. We want to send out into the world through Hajime Novel a work that is worthy of marking the beginning of the journey called life."
