Bunko-size saddle-stitched booklets
Bunko is the pocket paperback size Japanese novels ship in: 105 x 148 mm, identical to A6. Two of them fill an A5 sheet turned sideways, giving a book you can hold in one hand.
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Bunko is A6 by another name
A Japanese bunko paperback measures 105 x 148 mm, exactly A6. Turn A5 sideways to 210 x 148 mm and two bunko pages sit side by side. If all you have is A4 stock, build the A5 spread here, print two spreads per A4 sheet, and guillotine down the middle.
Typesetting numbers that work at this size
Vertical Japanese text at bunko size reads best at roughly 38 to 42 characters per line and 15 to 17 lines per page. Allow 13 to 15 mm at the gutter, about 10 mm at the fore edge and 12 to 18 mm top and bottom. Saddle stitch tops out around sixty pages; beyond that, perfect binding lies flatter.
Leave the binding on the right
Vertical Japanese text reads right to left, so the book is bound on the right and page one sits on the left of the first printed side. That is the default here. Only switch to left-bound if your text is horizontal, English, or otherwise reads left to right. Bleed, trim marks and paper thickness differ from printer to printer — always check the spec sheet of the shop you are submitting to.
Frequently asked questions
How is bunko different from shinsho?
Bunko is 105 x 148 mm; shinsho is 103 x 182 mm, noticeably taller and narrower in proportion. Shinsho is also in the finished-size list if you need it.
How many pages can be saddle stitched?
On ordinary copier paper, about sixty. Past that the spine swells, the fore edge steps outwards and the staple stops reaching.
Can page numbers be added too?
Stamp them first with the page-number job, then impose. Numbering after imposition would number the printed sides rather than the book pages.