In "The Japanese Discovery of Chinese Fiction," William C. Helberg delves into Japan's fascination with "The Water Margin," and how its influence spread beyond the confines of pure literature.

Refusing to be bound by tradition or convention, Hokusai bent rules and sought inspiration from all corners — but how did such audacity influence his own students and followers?

"Japanese Woodblock Prints" exhibits classic ukiyo-e artwork in near-original size, allowing readers to examine them in all their splendid detail. Its 200 reproductions embrace the entire history of the genre and also cover the new print movements of the early 20th century.

The National Gallery of Canada showcases Showa Era (1926-89) photographers, whose documentation and interpretation of politics, culture, social issues and even the quotidian changed the face of modern photography in Japan.

Utamaro is justly remembered as one of the greatest ukiyo-e print designers of the 18th century. The Folio Society's reproduction of his "Studies from Nature" reminds us why.

"Peak Japan" provides a painstaking overview of the country's social, economic and political trajectory since the 1990s.

Toyoko Yamasaki's "The Barren Zone" is a chilling portrayal of the harsh realities of being a POW and the social difficulties faced by survivors upon returning to Japan.

Years of extensive research and interviews make Anna Fifield's biography of Kim Jong Un and others in the Kim dynasty a must-read for those striving to understand North Korea's enigmatic comrade-in-chief.

The Washington Post Beijing bureau chief Anna Fifield's new book, "The Great Successor," details the life of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

As a fulcrum of exchange, the Ryukyu archipelago was multilingual and multicultural from its earliest days.