author

 
 

Meta

Iain Maloney
For Iain Maloney's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Fiction such as Asako Yuzuki’s “Butter: A Novel of Food and Murder” and nonfiction like Robert Whiting’s "Gamblers, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies: The Outsiders who Shaped Modern Japan” are just a taste of 2024's exciting releases.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 11, 2024
Anticipated translations and books about Japan to brighten your 2024
From debut novels to classic crime thrillers, the year ahead promises a wealth of must-read titles to add to your reading list.
David Joiner’s books all share a detailed focus on local arts and crafts . In his latest book, “The Heron Catchers,” "kutaniyaki" ceramics of Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture, take center stage.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 12, 2023
Location is everything in 'The Heron Catchers'
Author David Joiner ties the local crafts and literary history of Ishikawa Prefecture's Yamanaka Onsen into his new novel.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 28, 2023
The curious case of Fuminori Nakamura's genre misalignment
Little do English-language readers know, the author of "The Rope Artist" and other critically acclaimed books writes on much more than crime.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 6, 2023
'Mister Timeless Blyth' traces the indelible influences of Zen and poetry
Alan Spence"s new novel, which was nearly 10 years in the making, follows the life of R.H. Blyth, a British scholar who helped bring Japanese poetry to the West.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 28, 2023
Translations and books about Japan for your 2023 reading list
From Osamu Dazai to Yu Miri, the year ahead promises of trove of books about Japan and newly translated literature.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 20, 2022
'The Samurai Castle Master': Long-maligned samurai gets overdue redemption
Chris Glennu2019s new book on Todo Takatora portrays him as an intelligent and honest warrior worthy of Tokugawa Ieyasuu2019s trust, rather than the disloyal man his enemies made him out to be.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 15, 2022
Kaoru Takamura's thrilling whydunit saga comes to a close
English readers can finally solve the puzzle of the author's magnum opus with the release of 'Lady Joker: Volume Two," compellingly translated by Marie Iida and Allison Markin Powell.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 21, 2022
Independent publisher gives short stories their due with 'Storybook ND' series
New Directions spotlights short fiction with a new translated series featuring Yoko Tawada and Osamu Dazai.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 10, 2022
The oddities and pleasures of a bygone Japan come to life in 'Kyoto Stories'
Author Steve Alpert mines his personal experiences in his novel about the escapades of a young American student in the old capital.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jun 2, 2022
Revisiting Jun'ichiro Tanizaki’s flawed families in 'Longing and Other Stories'
The centerpiece of "Longing and Other Stories" is "Sorrows of a Heretic," which can be viewed as a self-deprecating satire thanks to the narcissism of its protagonist.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 28, 2022
Trips to Kamusari bring diminishing returns
While the latest in the "Kamusari" series is full of information on folk culture, the story could use a slightly better narrator.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 27, 2022
'Scattered All Over the Earth': Yoko Tawada's utopia rejects present-day conventions
The Japanese writer's latest release is a thoroughly modern novel that reflects the seismic changes technology and globalization have wrought on humanity.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 27, 2022
'Vou: Visual Poetry Tokio 1958-1978' is a work of art, 20 years in the making
Editor Taylor Mignon's collection of Japanese visual poetry highlights artists who are of key importance to understanding 20th-century Japanese poetry.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 5, 2022
'The Battle of Sekigahara' retraces Japan's historic samurai conflict
Chris Glenn's new book brings one of the most significant events in Japanese history to life in a blow-by-blow account of the battle that took place in 1600.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 30, 2022
'Rip It Up': Enter the kaleidoscopic world of Ko Machida
Daniel Joseph's translation of the punk rock artist turned author's novella, "Rip It Up," opens the door to a more avant-garde, experimental kind of Japanese literature for English readers.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 23, 2022
Fuminori Nakamura: ‘The darkness of fiction can be healing’
The author delves deep into the mind of a murderer and the monstrous depths of humanity in his complex thriller u201cMy Annihilation,u201d his latest novel to be translated into English.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 22, 2022
‘Kanazawa’ is a tribute to life outside of Japan’s well-known cities
For author David Joiner, the rich history and culture of the city of Kanazawa is as much a part of his novel as its characters, who face the challenges of an international marriage.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 8, 2022
Exciting translations and books about Japan to bookmark for 2022
From Yoko Tawadau2019s u201cScattered All Over the Earthu201d to Sayaka Muratau2019s u201cLife Ceremony,u201d this yearu2019s new releases are sure to brighten up your 2022.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Oct 31, 2021
‘The Easy Life in Kamusari’: Leave the city behind, the mountains are calling
In Shion Miurau2019s novel, a young man from Yokohama finds it difficult to fit in with a rural mountain community, but he soon discovers thereu2019s more to life than the trappings of city living.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jul 11, 2021
‘Lady Joker: Volume One’: A crime thriller opus’ weighty first half
Kaoru Takamura isnu2019t playing around with u201cLady Joker,u201d her two-part novel that reveals the social and economic inequities in Japan.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world