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Matt Alt

Goodreads Author

Born

in Washington DC, The United States

Website

http://www.mattalt.com

Twitter

matt_alt

Genre

Nonfiction, History, Folklore

Member Since

December 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/matt_alt

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Matt Alt lives in Tokyo with his wife and frequent collaborator, Hiroko Yoda.

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Matt Alt’s books

Average rating: 4.13 · 5,564 ratings · 755 reviews · 15 distinct works • Similar authors

	Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World 4.17 avg rating — 3,372 ratings — published 2020 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide by Hiroko Yoda, Matt Alt (Goodreads Author), Tatsuya Morino (Illustrator) 4.14 avg rating — 970 ratings — published 2008 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Yurei Attack!: The Japanese Ghost Survival Guide (Yokai ATTACK! Series) by Hiroko Yoda, Matt Alt (Goodreads Author), Shinkichi (Illustrator) 4.10 avg rating — 457 ratings — published 2012 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien by Toriyama Sekien, Matt Alt (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Hiroko Yoda (Editor) 4.06 avg rating — 323 ratings — published 2014 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws (Yokai ATTACK! Series) by Hiroko Yoda, Matt Alt (Goodreads Author), Yutaka Kondo (Illustrator) 3.94 avg rating — 236 ratings — published 2010 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hello, Please!: Very Helpful Super Kawaii Characters from Japan by Matt Alt (Goodreads Author), Hiroko Yoda 3.88 avg rating — 101 ratings — published 2007 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Super #1 Robot: Japanese Robot Toys, 1972-1982 by Matt Alt (Goodreads Author), Matt Alt (Goodreads Author), Robert Duban 4.09 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2005 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Frommer's? Japan Day by Day by Matt Alt (Goodreads Author), Hiroko Yoda, Melinda Joe 4.08 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 2012 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Secret Lives of Emoji: How Emoticons Conquered the World 3.89 avg rating — 9 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World 4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Matt Alt's Blog

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The sad news is, this blog has been dormant for many years now.

The good news is, I'm writing more than ever!

Check out my newsletter here:

https://blog.pureinventionbook.com/

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Thanks for all the support over the years!

Matt is Currently Reading

Matt Alt is currently reading

The Wrong Goodbye

by Toshihiko Yahagi

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 03, 2021 02:48AM

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Matt’s Recent Updates

Matt Alt liked Jakub's review of Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World: "Fantastic book! It checked two boxes for me. First - it helps getting deeper understanding of modern Japanese (pop)culture. A perspective that I haven't seen in other books I came across. Toys, computer games, manga, anime, history, politics - it's a" Read more of this review »
Apr 16, 2026 06:43PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Pure Invention by Matt Alt. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pure Invention by Matt Alt <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Matt Alt liked Logan Weaver's review of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World: "Read for my Japanese studies class. Learned so much and loved the writing style "
Apr 16, 2026 06:42PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Pure Invention by Matt Alt. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Pure Invention by Matt Alt <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Matt Alt rated a book it was amazing Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan by Hiroko Yoda	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 08, 2026 04:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Eight Million Ways to Happiness by Hiroko Yoda. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Eight Million Ways to Happiness by Hiroko Yoda <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Matt Alt is now following Hiroko Yoda Author of Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide
Dec 10, 2025 02:41PM · like
Matt Alt wants to read Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan by Hiroko Yoda	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 26, 2025 12:19PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Eight Million Ways to Happiness by Hiroko Yoda. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Eight Million Ways to Happiness by Hiroko Yoda <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Matt Alt (?)

“A 1968 survey asking young men how they spent their free time within the last three months was topped by “reading,” followed by “drinking at home.”
― Matt Alt, Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World

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“Era come se l'intero Giappone si stesse riconfezionando per essere riproposto al mondo nel suo ruolo anteguerra di venditore di curiosità.”
― Matt Alt, Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World

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Polls

Nonfiction Poll for group read March/April 2025

Japan in Print: Information and Nation in the Early Modern Period by Mary Elizabeth Berry

3 votes 50.0%

Christ's Samurai: The True Story of the Shimabara Rebellion by Jonathan Clements

2 votes 33.3%

Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World by Matt Alt

1 vote 16.7%

Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival by David Pilling

0 votes 0.0%

Takarazuka: Sexual Politics & Popular Culture in Modern Japan by Jennifer E. Robertson

0 votes 0.0%

In Search of Japan's Hidden Christians: A Story of Suppression, Secrecy and Survival by John Dougill

0 votes 0.0%

Titia: The First Western Woman in Japan by René Bersma

0 votes 0.0%

6 total votes

4 comments

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