Yoshimoto Banana, given name Mahoko, became a best-selling author upon the publication of her debut novel Kitchin (1987; tr. Kitchen, 1991) at the age of 23. Several of her novels, including Kitchin and Tugumi (1989; tr. Goodbye Tsugumi, 2002), have been adapted for television and film. Yoshimoto’s writing, including 12 novels and seven essay collections, incorporates traditional Japanese elements in a lighthearted manner, but is sometimes criticized for being superficial and commercial.
See also FEMINISM; WOMEN IN LITERATURE.
Historical dictionary of modern Japanese literature and theater. J. Scott Miller. 2009.