Photo/Illutration The corporate monument of major Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corp. stands in front of its headquarters in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A major Japanese publisher has canceled the publication of a translated version of a controversial U.S. book that argues that social media is influencing young women to become transgender, Kadokawa Corp. said on its website on Dec. 5.

The original book “Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters” is a nonfiction work written in English by journalist Abigail Shrier.

The title of the Japanese version was translated as “That girl became transgender too: The tragedy of the sex-change boom being contagious through social media.” It was scheduled for release on Jan. 24.

The book’s sales copy said, “The frenzy becomes contagious through social media,” referring to transgender people.

Criticism spread on X, formerly Twitter, and other social media for “promoting discrimination against transgender people.”

Kadokawa said in a statement, “Immediately after the announcement of the release, we received various opinions about the contents of the book and the appropriateness of its publication from many people.

“We had planned to publish it in the hopes that it would help to deepen discussions among domestic readers about gender-related issues through understanding what has taken place in Europe and the United States. But we deeply apologize that the title and sales copy ultimately hurt transgender people,” the publisher said.

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