author

 
 
 Jim Adam

Meta

Jim Adam
For Jim Adam's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
CULTURE / Books
May 9, 2000
'Shuttered' to the West, Japan opened to the East
CHINA IN THE TOKUGAWA WORLD, by Marius B. Jansen. Cambridge, Mass. and London: Harvard University Press, 2000, 137 pp., $8.50 (paper). With the 400th anniversary of Japanese-Dutch relations upon us, interest has been rekindled in Japan's foreign relations during the Tokugawa period, and the part played by Nagasaki as Japan's sole international portal. Often overlooked, however, is China's role as a window on the world in Nagasaki at that time. Thus the re-release in paperback of Princeton Professor Marius Jansen's concise and readable 1992 study is timely.
COMMUNITY
Apr 20, 2000
The TW200 takes a ride on the wild side
If the TW200 was a person rather than a motorbike, it would be flooded with offers to star in before-and-after ads for a trendy esthetic salon.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 28, 2000
Compassion, discretion and social pressure key to rehabilitation
LINKING COMMUNITY AND CORRECTIONS IN JAPAN, by Elmer H. Johnson with Carol H. Johnson. Carbondale and Edwardsville, U.S.: Southern Illinois University Press; 2000; 413 pp., $44.95. One morning a Japanese farmer sees his deranged wife trying to hang herself. Rushing to her side he manages to calm her down. But the moment his back is turned, she again tries to kill herself. Struggling to control her, he slams her against a wall. She sustains head injuries and dies.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 7, 2000
Wanderlust and a pair of steel wheels
MOTORCYCLE VAGABONDING IN JAPAN, by Guy De La Rupelle, contributions by Owen Stinger. North Conway, New Hampshire, U.S.: Whitehorse Press, 1999; 255 pp., $19.95. With city centers in permanent gridlock and the availability of train and bus service decreasing in direct proportion to the distance from urban areas, one of the best ways to see Japan is on two wheels. It's relatively easy to get a motorcycle license; you don't need a special parking permit, and operating costs compare favorably to train fares.

Longform

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree