Banana Yoshimoto

About Banana Yoshimoto

Banana Yoshimoto is a published author. It is also the pen name used by Mahoko Yoshimoto. She is a contemporary Japanese author who is known for having the famous father, the poet Takaaki Yoshimoto. In addition to this, Haruno Yoiko is the author’s sister and is well known in Japan as a cartoonist. She grew up in a family that identified as liberal and as such was able to learn the value of being independent from a young age. Banana attended the Art College at Nihon University, majoring in literature there. It was during this time that she took on the name ‘Banana’ thanks to the fond feelings that she has for banana flowers. She says the name is cute as well as being ‘purposefully androgynous’. Even though she has been very successful as an author, Yoshimoto is obscure and down to earth. G