Sunmark Publishing Rights Highlights
and NEWS Mail--June 2019 Issue

Hi, I’m Naoki Umeda, a member of the Rights Department at Sunmark Publishing.

 

Starting at the end of April, we had 10 holidays in a row. Such a long holiday is a first for us, but it was because of a big event in the Japanese royal family. We had a change of emperors!

 

Also, when a new emperor assumes the throne, the Japanese era-name  is changed.

The period of each Japanese emperor’s reign is given a name, called gengo in Japanese. The new gengo is Reiwa.

 

At the start of the Reiwa period, I went to Guam with my family. There were so many people there! Very crowded.

If you have 10 days off, what will you do on a special vacation?  

If you have any questions or inquiries about this NEWS Mail, please contact Ms. Shino Kobayashi, Rights Manager (rights@sunmark.co.jp).

Topic of the Month

We will attend the Beijing International Book Fair this August.

Again this year, we’re attending the Beijing International Book Fair, held from August 21st to 25th.  Just like last year, we’ll have a small stand in the collective Japanese area, and our staff will be there from Wednesday the 21st to Friday the 23rd.  It will be great if we can meet any of you at the largest international book fair in Asia.

Hot Titles

11 Reasons Not to Own a Cat

by Kyousuke

ISBN978-4-7631-3753-1 C0095

233 pages / April 2019 / 1,200 yen (w/o tax)

Attention! Your life will completely change (for the better)! Cats can have an unbelievable effect on your daily life!

Description

Recommended by head clinician Yuki Hattori at the Tokyo Feline Medical Center!

“This is a must-read for cat lovers (you’ll love cats even more).”

 

A hot topic on Twitter and other online news sites.

The long-awaited book version of the author’s popular blog, Strange-Faced Ryukku & Happy Friends.

 

A hilarious account of the daily lives of a unique group of seven cats and their master.

 

Cats are more than just cute animals. Owning a cat can completely change your life.

 

For example:
 

[Less storage space on your smartphone and computer](Compared to those without cats)

You have endless photos of the same thing.

 

[You can’t sleep comfortably on a bed]

Beds are for cats.
 
[Whenever you want to sit or lie down, they are there]

All places belong to cats.
 
[You get only about 5 minutes to yourself]

When you see cats on your day off,

the day magically disappears.  
 

[Lose all arguments, and your house]

As soon as you decide to own a cat, your house is no longer yours.

Understand that you are lending them the property.
 

This book reveals the truth about cats. Read this if you are ready to own…no…to be owned by a cat!

From the table of contents

– Don’t you dare forget to feed them
– The cockroach purge
– All things, including yours, belong to them
– They will take over and hide your stuff
– When a cat gets sick, you realize the difficulty of being a cat owner and being a cat expert

– Unknown facts about the kindness of cats
– Cat trivia: Why they come bother you as soon as you enter their field of vision
– You think you are managing their health by watching how they eat…
– You feel like you have only 5 minutes to yourself! The busy day of a cat expert
– 10 important things for those who still want to live with cats

From the editor "Catty"

I’ve always been a cat owner and lover, but this is the first time I’ve worked on a book about cats. I began following Kyousuke’s Twitter account following the buzz his posts gained. I thought it would be great to have him provide several unique stories for a book. He provided wonderful accounts different from his twitter and blog entries. I often laughed out loud while editing this. I’m sure you will enjoy it just as much as I have. 

 

Author:

Kyousuke

Kyousuke is a cat expert, music composer, producer and guitarist. He was born in 1990. His tweets about his life with his seven cats went viral, earning him over 60,000 followers as of February 2019 and giving him some degree of fame in the world of cat lovers. He lives happy days working hard to meet his songwriting deadlines, while also making sure to feed his cats on time. He currently provides a popular column to Neko No Kimochi Web Magazine called Backpacks, Happy Friends & Kyousuke.

My Girlfriend Was Sexually Assaulted

by Marx

ISBN978-4-7631-3741-8 C0095

170 pages / March 2019 / 1,200 yen (w/o tax)

This true account in comic book format is causing a buzz on the Internet.
Lust wasn’t the only motive of the crime.

My girlfriend became a sexual crime victim out of the blue one day.

Description

She hasn’t smiled since that day. She no longer worries about her personal appearance.

Even just watching TV together can trigger flashbacks.

According to National Police Agency crime statistics, 2017 saw 1,111 acknowledged cases of “forced sexual intercourse.” Acknowledged cases of  “indecent assault” reached 5,808 in the same year. 
 

 

That’s an average of at least 20 harassment victims per day in a year.

Again, those are only the cases that have been acknowledged.
 

Unforgivable sex crimes occur daily within a 5-meter radius. Furthermore, sex crimes also gravely affect victims’ families and partners.

 

“I produced this book in the hope of spreading awareness and preventing such horrible acts from ever happening again.”
 
My Girlfriend Was Sexually Assaulted――

 

What an unbelievable thing to say, but it could happen to anyone.

This story involves you as well.

From the table of contents

Chapter 1            Intercourse with a sexual assault victim
Chapter 2            Child victims of  sexual assault
Chapter 3            What not to do to a victim
Chapter 4            Attempted crime
Chapter 5            The effects on victims’ families and partners.
Chapter 6            The inner beast of men
Chapter 7            #NotAllMen, rape culture, and things that torment victims
Chapter 8            Powerful, influential people
Chapter 9            If society silences women, men should speak out
Chapter 10          Problems that continue
Chapter 11          Envy

Chapter 12          Coming out
Chapter 13          Cheating
Chapter 14          Positive labeling to regain self-respect
Chapter 15          The goals of victims in medical terms

Where the relationship ended up

Author:

Marx

After his girlfriend was sexually assaulted, Marx began working toward societal change through writing comic books. After comic strips detailing their daily lives were posted, they gathered widespread attention from all genders. His stories posted on Twitter about “The issue of male domination that affects society” and “The psychology of sex crimes” continue to receive a massive response from followers. This is his first authored work.