“Japanesque” series

Metropolitan Metamorphosis Have you ever wondered what it takes to reinvent yourself completely? In Yulia Yu. Sakurazawa’s Metropolitan Metamorphosis, we meet Kurumi Hiiragi, a young man who loses everything and adopts a new identity in Tokyo. Through grit, courage, and determination, Kurumi builds a new life as a woman in a corporate world, facing challenges … Read more

Metropolitan Metamorphosis Metropolitan Metamorphosis follows Kurumi Hiiragi, a homeless survivor who reinvents herself as a woman in Tokyo’s corporate world. A gripping tale of survival, identity, and love, this illustrated novel explores the courage it takes to start over and find belonging. This is a story of survival, love, and transformation. Kurumi Hiiragi’s journey from … Read more

The Ghost Who Loved Me One of the central themes in The Ghost Who Loved Me is gender identity—a topic that’s deeply personal and universal at the same time. Shizuka’s journey is an intimate exploration of what it means to discover yourself, especially when your memories and experiences are fragmented by trauma. Throughout the story, … Read more

The Ghost Who Loved Me Ghost stories often deal with themes of unfinished business, lingering regrets, and connections that transcend death. In The Ghost Who Loved Me, these themes take center stage as Shizuka reconnects with the spirits of their classmates and their first love, Kubota. For me, the ghostly elements of the story aren’t … Read more

The Ghost Who Loved Me When I started writing The Ghost Who Loved Me, I didn’t just want to tell a ghost story. I wanted to dive into themes that resonate deeply: identity, love, and loss. Set in post-tsunami Japan, the story is as much about the lingering effects of the disaster as it is … Read more

From Salaryman to Bride What happens when love transcends expectations, gender, and societal norms? Yulia Yu. Sakurazawa’s “From Salaryman to Bride” answers this question with a story that is both unconventional and deeply moving. When Fumio’s boss, Sugita, proposes marriage, it’s not just a question of love—it’s a challenge to everything Fumio thought he knew … Read more

In “From Salaryman to Bride”, Yulia Yu. Sakurazawa challenges traditional notions of family and parenthood through the lens of Fumio Uehara’s extraordinary journey. Becoming a parent is never easy, but becoming a mother figure while navigating the complexities of a same-sex marriage in modern Japan is a whole new challenge. Fumio’s evolving relationship with his … Read more

From Salaryman to Bride In a world where societal expectations often dictate the roles we play, breaking free to find our true selves can feel like an impossible dream. In “From Salaryman to Bride”, Yulia Yu. Sakurazawa masterfully weaves a story of transformation, love, and resilience. Fumio Uehara’s journey from a struggling corporate employee to … Read more

Corporate Chrysalis Workplace Chaos & Unexpected Longing: Unraveling the Love Story Within “Corporate Chrysalis” “Corporate Chrysalis” isn’t just about gender and power; it’s about the unexpected places where love can take root. When Reina enters the female-dominated world of Promocreate, he isn’t just dealing with new roles and expectations, he is facing a host of … Read more

Corporate Chrysalis More Than Meets the Eye: Unpacking the Complexities of Reina in “Corporate Chrysalis” In “Corporate Chrysalis,” I really wanted to explore a protagonist who is, well, a little bit clueless. It may seem at first that Reina has been thrown into a bizarre situation, a male recruit at a female dominated ad agency. … Read more