Books / Reviews Aug 14, 2022

'Just Enough' offers ideas for a modern crisis

Azby Brown's comprehensive survey of Japan during the Edo Period serves up lessons that could aid in efforts to promote sustainability as the climate crisis grows more dire.

Books / Reviews Jul 31, 2022

'Trinity, Trinity, Trinity': A commendable exploration of nuclear power

Erika Kobayashi delves into the history of nuclear warfare and its consequences in a speculative thriller that appears to be a literary riff of her "My Body, Your Voice" exhibition.

Books / Reviews Jul 17, 2022

Banana Yoshimoto’s ‘Dead-End Memories’ is the literary equivalent of a lo-fi playlist

The award-winning author's collection of short stories is a comfort read that will transport readers to a melancholy world for an hour or two.

Books / Reviews Jul 10, 2022

‘Life Ceremony’: Sayaka Murata dishes out the grotesque with humor

Sayaka Murata’s collection of hilarious and macabre short stories ask readers to take a hard look at humanity and reassess what is "normal."

Food & Drink Jul 10, 2022

Toast in translation: Aomori's ‘British’ sandwich mania

Aomori's favorite bakery treat comes straight from Old Blighty — or does it?

Food & Drink Jun 19, 2022

Will Japan’s nonvegans bite on plant-based yogurt?

After perfecting a homemade recipe, this coconut yogurt devotee is trying to convert the rest of Japan.

Books May 21, 2022

Approaching tea like you would wine, Zach Mangan gives Japan's main drink its due

In his book, "Stories of Japanese Tea: The Regions, The Growers and The Craft," Zach Mangan hopes to pay respect to a dwindling number of true artists.

Books / Reviews May 15, 2022

'This Monk Wears Heels' is a thing of beauty

Makeup artist, Buddhist monk and LGBTQ advocate Kodo Nishimura’s memoir is a heartfelt and fun read that asks us to look inward with clear compassion and love ourselves.