Japanese author Asako Yuzuki’s novel Butter was a global phenomenon. Inspired by the real-life ‘Konkatsu Killer’ case, it traced the relationship between journalist Rika Machida and Manako Kajii, a serial killer and gourmet cook.  Part social satire, part feminist thriller, its exploration of sexism, alienation and female friendship – alongside mouthwatering descriptions of buttery noodles with soy sauce – earned her millions of readers worldwide. 

In June 2026 she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss her eagerly anticipated new novel, Hooked. It tells the story of Eriko, an ambitious but isolated career woman who becomes obsessed with Shōko, whose popular blog challenges conventional ideas of the typical Japanese housewife. 

We heard one of the most exciting writers in contemporary Japanese fiction as she reflected on the extraordinary international response to Butter and revealed the inspiration behind her new novel – a gripping, unsettling story of female power dynamics, urban loneliness and the seductive pull of social media.