reproductive organs
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Description
Book Introduction
- A word from MD
-
A record of reproduction that shatters our common senseAnother problematic work by Asai Ryo, who is currently receiving the most attention in the Japanese literary world.
The narrator, 'I', obsessively observes Shosei, a thirty-two-year-old single man.
He, who lives faithfully within the community called the company, yearns for collapse more than anyone else.
A novel that confronts the true meaning of the human species and community.
October 10, 2025. Novel/Poetry PD Kim Yu-ri
After "Lust," another problematic work that will bring a "sense of fearful liberation"!
Will this book support you?
Or will it be destroyed?
The identity of the speaker, no spoilers!
○○, who will completely blow up your world, has arrived!
2025 Bookstore Awards Nominees
Kinokuniya, Japan's largest bookstore, ranked #1 on its 2025 bestseller list.
Cumulative sales exceed 100,000 copies
“This is my second time working with humans, but my first time with a male.
“Please take care of me.”
The youngest male Naoki Prize winner, Asai Ryo, will publish his book “Genitals” by Leadbee.
The title, ‘Record of Reproduction’, is a new word created by the author, meaning ‘record of reproduction’.
Tatsuya Shosei.
Thirty-two years old, office worker, single.
Although he lives his life fitting in with those around him, there is only one thing Shosei cares about in life.
Living without contributing to the growth and development of the world.
And today, too, 'I' observe Shosei's daily life.
A day in the life of a 'human male individual' who was put in charge for the first time.
The human species as seen through my eyes is complex and strange.
What is hidden behind the saying that humans are social animals?
Ryo Asai, the writer who poses questions with no right answers with the sharpest pen tip of all time.
《Genitals》 is another problematic work he has released following 《Lust》. It is a novel that overturns the values we have taken for granted and shatters the common sense of 'normality'.
Within three months of its publication, it sold over 100,000 copies, taking first place on Kinokuniya's list of bestsellers for 2025, and was even nominated for the Bookstore Award in the same year.
Will this book support you?
Or will it be destroyed?
The identity of the speaker, no spoilers!
○○, who will completely blow up your world, has arrived!
2025 Bookstore Awards Nominees
Kinokuniya, Japan's largest bookstore, ranked #1 on its 2025 bestseller list.
Cumulative sales exceed 100,000 copies
“This is my second time working with humans, but my first time with a male.
“Please take care of me.”
The youngest male Naoki Prize winner, Asai Ryo, will publish his book “Genitals” by Leadbee.
The title, ‘Record of Reproduction’, is a new word created by the author, meaning ‘record of reproduction’.
Tatsuya Shosei.
Thirty-two years old, office worker, single.
Although he lives his life fitting in with those around him, there is only one thing Shosei cares about in life.
Living without contributing to the growth and development of the world.
And today, too, 'I' observe Shosei's daily life.
A day in the life of a 'human male individual' who was put in charge for the first time.
The human species as seen through my eyes is complex and strange.
What is hidden behind the saying that humans are social animals?
Ryo Asai, the writer who poses questions with no right answers with the sharpest pen tip of all time.
《Genitals》 is another problematic work he has released following 《Lust》. It is a novel that overturns the values we have taken for granted and shatters the common sense of 'normality'.
Within three months of its publication, it sold over 100,000 copies, taking first place on Kinokuniya's list of bestsellers for 2025, and was even nominated for the Bookstore Award in the same year.
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
Detailed image
Into the book
But, as humans get closer to the state of “just being able to live,” they immediately want more.
Is it okay to live like this? What is the meaning or value of life? I want to live for others, I want to be passionate about something.
Anyway, I'm just trying to get out of a situation where I can survive.
I've also been in charge of non-human species, but no individual has ever thought of that.
Compared to a species where living and giving one's life are synonymous, humans, who can live without any threat to their lives unless there is a major event like war or disaster, seem to have a harder time because they are a very thoughtful species.
--- pp.9-10
Life is meaningless.
As far as I know, this is a sensation that only humans can feel.
Isn't this because only humans have a rough idea of their own lifespan?
In my experience, humans are the only species that live knowing that they will inevitably die.
If you think about it that way, it seems that the unique worries of humans actually stem from this.
It's about knowing that you will die and the approximate time until you die.
If you have a rough idea of the existence and duration of death, you can calculate backwards from the point of death.
At this age, I want to be this confident, it's better to be this confident, that's how I should be.
Because we know death, we feel anxious and uneasy about the gap between the ideal and reality.
When you're in a non-human species, it's something you don't have to think about at all.
Everyone, always, now, here.
How can I survive here and now?
I'm just struggling along that extension.
--- pp.44-45
All companies appealed to people to work here because it strengthens their sense of community.
At this moment, Shosei realized.
I don't want to work anywhere.
I don't want to contribute to a community that requires me to kill myself in order to maintain balance, maintain, expand, develop, and grow.
--- pp.89-90
I think about it often.
Isn't it true that humans other than Shosei are also continuing to play some kind of game?
Social play.
Family fun.
Human play.
Aren't we all running hard to avoid being caught in front of surveillance cameras that show a sense of community in various forms, such as bosses, children, and the world?
Of course, it is not for me to say anything, as I am the fundamental being that makes such play happen.
But then I think about it.
What if all the entities stopped playing at once, like Shosei and Eyebrows back then?
If I told them that I could end it here, that I could achieve it, that I didn't have to force myself to find the next thing anymore, wouldn't every single thing in this world, like Shosei and his eyebrows back then, open their mouths halfway, drop their arms, bend their backs, and stick their heads forward?
Actually, isn't it that everyone just wants to get off?
From the structure of this world, where neither the population nor the economy can stand unless they continue to grow [more than they are now].
From the conditions of community existence, which everyone knows cannot continue forever.
--- pp.111-112
The standards of happiness are different.
It means that the world we live in is different.
Come to think of it, Shosei has been living in another world for a very long time.
Of course, mimicry is a piece of cake, so you can act like an individual whose happiness level depends on the sense of community.
They can naturally converse with other individuals, eat together, work together, and coexist.
Even while living like that, Shosei continued to live in another world.
And that disconnect will be more evident going forward than ever before.
That's interesting.
Is it okay to live like this? What is the meaning or value of life? I want to live for others, I want to be passionate about something.
Anyway, I'm just trying to get out of a situation where I can survive.
I've also been in charge of non-human species, but no individual has ever thought of that.
Compared to a species where living and giving one's life are synonymous, humans, who can live without any threat to their lives unless there is a major event like war or disaster, seem to have a harder time because they are a very thoughtful species.
--- pp.9-10
Life is meaningless.
As far as I know, this is a sensation that only humans can feel.
Isn't this because only humans have a rough idea of their own lifespan?
In my experience, humans are the only species that live knowing that they will inevitably die.
If you think about it that way, it seems that the unique worries of humans actually stem from this.
It's about knowing that you will die and the approximate time until you die.
If you have a rough idea of the existence and duration of death, you can calculate backwards from the point of death.
At this age, I want to be this confident, it's better to be this confident, that's how I should be.
Because we know death, we feel anxious and uneasy about the gap between the ideal and reality.
When you're in a non-human species, it's something you don't have to think about at all.
Everyone, always, now, here.
How can I survive here and now?
I'm just struggling along that extension.
--- pp.44-45
All companies appealed to people to work here because it strengthens their sense of community.
At this moment, Shosei realized.
I don't want to work anywhere.
I don't want to contribute to a community that requires me to kill myself in order to maintain balance, maintain, expand, develop, and grow.
--- pp.89-90
I think about it often.
Isn't it true that humans other than Shosei are also continuing to play some kind of game?
Social play.
Family fun.
Human play.
Aren't we all running hard to avoid being caught in front of surveillance cameras that show a sense of community in various forms, such as bosses, children, and the world?
Of course, it is not for me to say anything, as I am the fundamental being that makes such play happen.
But then I think about it.
What if all the entities stopped playing at once, like Shosei and Eyebrows back then?
If I told them that I could end it here, that I could achieve it, that I didn't have to force myself to find the next thing anymore, wouldn't every single thing in this world, like Shosei and his eyebrows back then, open their mouths halfway, drop their arms, bend their backs, and stick their heads forward?
Actually, isn't it that everyone just wants to get off?
From the structure of this world, where neither the population nor the economy can stand unless they continue to grow [more than they are now].
From the conditions of community existence, which everyone knows cannot continue forever.
--- pp.111-112
The standards of happiness are different.
It means that the world we live in is different.
Come to think of it, Shosei has been living in another world for a very long time.
Of course, mimicry is a piece of cake, so you can act like an individual whose happiness level depends on the sense of community.
They can naturally converse with other individuals, eat together, work together, and coexist.
Even while living like that, Shosei continued to live in another world.
And that disconnect will be more evident going forward than ever before.
That's interesting.
--- pp.268-269
Publisher's Review
Another problematic work that will bring a 'sense of fearful liberation'
Will this book support you or tear you down?
The youngest male Naoki Prize winner, Asai Ryo, will publish his book “Genitals” by Leadbee.
This is a full-length novel published three and a half years after the hit work “Lust,” which sparked a heated debate on the topic of “diversity.”
The title, ‘Record of Reproduction’, is a new word created by the author, meaning ‘record of reproduction’.
This technique was also used in the previous work, “Lust,” and the pronunciation of “genitals” is the same as “genital organs,” which refer to the human genitals.
When readers first see the title, they naturally begin to think about the relationship between the words we know and the words the author intentionally changed from Chinese characters.
And as you close the last chapter, you realize why the title is 'Record of Reproduction', which is a reversal of the meaning of 'reproductive organ'.
“This is my second time working with humans, but my first time with a male.”
Tatsuya Shosei.
Thirty-two years old, office worker, single.
He lives his life pretending to live up to the expectations of those around him, but he is well aware that he does not really fit in with the community.
There is only one thing Shosei cares about in life.
Living without contributing to the growth and development of the world.
And today, too, 'I' observe Shosei's daily life.
A day in the life of the 'human' species, the second one I was in charge of, and among them, the 'male individual' that I was in charge of for the first time.
In “Genitals,” a special narrator, “I,” appears, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
'I' live in Shosei's body and observe his daily life.
What is the true identity of 'I', who has been in charge of countless living beings and has moved to be in charge of humans, and who is now in charge of a 'male human individual' for the first time?
A special speaker I've never seen before
The identity, no spoilers!
Before publishing "Genitals," Asai Ryo made a very unique request to the publisher.
It is said that the editor in charge was extremely embarrassed after hearing that request.
The author's request is none other than 'promotion without disclosing key information, including the identity of the speaker.'
The request was that neither the identity of the unique speaker nor the reason for the title being 'Reproductive Records' be disclosed.
It was not an easy decision for the publisher.
Without revealing the various information that would reveal the book's appeal, would this work really be loved by readers?
The results were successful.
Rather, readers continued to praise the book, saying things like, "It was really nice to be able to read it without knowing the speaker's identity," and "The content was completely different from what I had imagined when I saw the title, but I welcome this kind of betrayal."
《Genitals》 surpassed 100,000 copies in cumulative sales within three months of its publication, ranking first on the 2025 bestseller list selected by Kinokuniya, Japan's largest bookstore, and was even nominated for the Bookstore Award in the same year.
The moment when things we thought were 'naturally' right are overturned
Our world is also turned upside down
Ryo Asai, who shook the comfort of the word “diversity” in “Lust,” once again shatters the common sense of “normality” that everyone takes for granted in “Genitals.”
The human species as seen through the eyes of the speaker ‘I’ is complex and strange.
A species that forms a society, pursues the growth of a community, and finds meaning in living within it; a species that determines its own value through productivity; and a species that excludes individuals who deviate from the path set by the community.
Self-development, growth, social development, productivity expansion… … .
We all believe that these words are the goals of our lives and that they are the paths we should naturally pursue.
But is that really true? What is it that we haven't yet noticed behind the scenes in a society that's striving for growth and development?
Is everything we have thought was right, normal, and what we should do really so natural?
Asai Ryo's request also touches on this very point.
The author says that the reason he intentionally concealed the identity of the narrator and the theme of the novel was because he wanted to shock those who had never been interested in the topic before.
People who don't question the 'obvious'.
People who believe that humans are social animals, people who believe that the development of the community is important to the lives of individuals, and people who believe that we all need to increase productivity.
People who say that we must all move forward together toward a future of greater growth and expansion.
《Genitals》 points out how violent and arrogant the things we have taken for granted are in fact.
The moment all the 'obvious' things are turned upside down, the world we knew until now is also completely turned upside down.
In the ending that Shosei and 'I' have reached, some may find hope, while others may feel puzzled.
However, Asai Ryo does not easily conclude whether the ending is correct or not.
It simply questions the existing values shared by this society.
It is up to the readers of this book to discover a new future with that question in mind.
“I ended up wishing that only people who had read this book and gained enlightenment could live together.”
_Hitomi Kanehara (author)
Will this book support you or tear you down?
The youngest male Naoki Prize winner, Asai Ryo, will publish his book “Genitals” by Leadbee.
This is a full-length novel published three and a half years after the hit work “Lust,” which sparked a heated debate on the topic of “diversity.”
The title, ‘Record of Reproduction’, is a new word created by the author, meaning ‘record of reproduction’.
This technique was also used in the previous work, “Lust,” and the pronunciation of “genitals” is the same as “genital organs,” which refer to the human genitals.
When readers first see the title, they naturally begin to think about the relationship between the words we know and the words the author intentionally changed from Chinese characters.
And as you close the last chapter, you realize why the title is 'Record of Reproduction', which is a reversal of the meaning of 'reproductive organ'.
“This is my second time working with humans, but my first time with a male.”
Tatsuya Shosei.
Thirty-two years old, office worker, single.
He lives his life pretending to live up to the expectations of those around him, but he is well aware that he does not really fit in with the community.
There is only one thing Shosei cares about in life.
Living without contributing to the growth and development of the world.
And today, too, 'I' observe Shosei's daily life.
A day in the life of the 'human' species, the second one I was in charge of, and among them, the 'male individual' that I was in charge of for the first time.
In “Genitals,” a special narrator, “I,” appears, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
'I' live in Shosei's body and observe his daily life.
What is the true identity of 'I', who has been in charge of countless living beings and has moved to be in charge of humans, and who is now in charge of a 'male human individual' for the first time?
A special speaker I've never seen before
The identity, no spoilers!
Before publishing "Genitals," Asai Ryo made a very unique request to the publisher.
It is said that the editor in charge was extremely embarrassed after hearing that request.
The author's request is none other than 'promotion without disclosing key information, including the identity of the speaker.'
The request was that neither the identity of the unique speaker nor the reason for the title being 'Reproductive Records' be disclosed.
It was not an easy decision for the publisher.
Without revealing the various information that would reveal the book's appeal, would this work really be loved by readers?
The results were successful.
Rather, readers continued to praise the book, saying things like, "It was really nice to be able to read it without knowing the speaker's identity," and "The content was completely different from what I had imagined when I saw the title, but I welcome this kind of betrayal."
《Genitals》 surpassed 100,000 copies in cumulative sales within three months of its publication, ranking first on the 2025 bestseller list selected by Kinokuniya, Japan's largest bookstore, and was even nominated for the Bookstore Award in the same year.
The moment when things we thought were 'naturally' right are overturned
Our world is also turned upside down
Ryo Asai, who shook the comfort of the word “diversity” in “Lust,” once again shatters the common sense of “normality” that everyone takes for granted in “Genitals.”
The human species as seen through the eyes of the speaker ‘I’ is complex and strange.
A species that forms a society, pursues the growth of a community, and finds meaning in living within it; a species that determines its own value through productivity; and a species that excludes individuals who deviate from the path set by the community.
Self-development, growth, social development, productivity expansion… … .
We all believe that these words are the goals of our lives and that they are the paths we should naturally pursue.
But is that really true? What is it that we haven't yet noticed behind the scenes in a society that's striving for growth and development?
Is everything we have thought was right, normal, and what we should do really so natural?
Asai Ryo's request also touches on this very point.
The author says that the reason he intentionally concealed the identity of the narrator and the theme of the novel was because he wanted to shock those who had never been interested in the topic before.
People who don't question the 'obvious'.
People who believe that humans are social animals, people who believe that the development of the community is important to the lives of individuals, and people who believe that we all need to increase productivity.
People who say that we must all move forward together toward a future of greater growth and expansion.
《Genitals》 points out how violent and arrogant the things we have taken for granted are in fact.
The moment all the 'obvious' things are turned upside down, the world we knew until now is also completely turned upside down.
In the ending that Shosei and 'I' have reached, some may find hope, while others may feel puzzled.
However, Asai Ryo does not easily conclude whether the ending is correct or not.
It simply questions the existing values shared by this society.
It is up to the readers of this book to discover a new future with that question in mind.
“I ended up wishing that only people who had read this book and gained enlightenment could live together.”
_Hitomi Kanehara (author)
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: September 26, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 280 pages | 338g | 135*195*18mm
- ISBN13: 9791192738611
- ISBN10: 1192738616
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