[Nippan Report] 2026 First Half Bestseller List Announced: #1 Overall is 'Harvard, Stanford, Oxford... The Encyclopedia of Scientifically Proven Amazing Habits' (SB Creative)

Nippan (Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc.), led by President Ken Togashi, announced the '2026 First Half Bestsellers' (covering the period from November 19, 2025, to May 20, 2026) on June 1, 2026. Recently, terms like 'cancel culture' and 'mental performance' have gained attention, highlighting a growing interest in comfort and happiness, and a trend toward prioritizing 'not overexerting oneself' and finding a 'place for the heart.' The 2026 first-half bestseller list reflects this, with many books ranking that introduce knowledge and techniques for achieving results without strain, or that provide a sense of connection and security through relatable themes. The overall number one spot went to 'Harvard, Stanford, Oxford... The Encyclopedia of Scientifically Proven Amazing Habits.' This book compiles 112 'habit-forming techniques' verified by research institutions worldwide and has exceeded 580,000 copies in circulation. It is the first time in four years that a business book has taken the top spot since '90% of People Are Defined by How They Speak' in the first half of 2022. Additionally, 'Strange Maps' by Uketsu ranked high in the fiction category, and 'The Drop of the Great River: Final Chapter' by Hiroyuki Itsuki ranked high in the non-fiction category. Our bestseller information is compiled based on POS sales data from approximately 2,100 bookstores nationwide.