
Books
Five books about Japan that are perfect for foodies
by Claire Williamson
Many authors writing about Japan use the country’s cuisine as a central plot point. Here are five food-centric books perfect for a lazy afternoon.
Five books about Japan that are perfect for foodies
Many authors writing about Japan use the country’s cuisine as a central plot point. Here are five food-centric books perfect for a lazy afternoon.
'Wintering': A memoir of hope for embracing dark and lonely times
A few weeks ago, The Financial Times published a sobering essay on an urgent subject: loneliness in the time of COVID-19. Written by the paper’s Chicago correspondent, Claire Bushey, it ...
Jeffrey Angles: Being a translator is an honor and a responsibility
Not only is Jeffrey Angles an award-winning translator of contemporary Japanese works, he’s also an award-winning Japanese poet. In 2017, the American writer received the Yomiuri Prize for Literature for ...
Born in Tokyo, Hando experienced massive U.S. air raids on the Japanese capital in March 1945 during World War II.
Life in David Chang’s kitchen isn’t always peachy
David Chang’s memoir, “Eat a Peach,” offers an engaging and personal, albeit disjointed, look into the American celebrity chef’s career and the tumultuous culinary world.
Fool Magazine’s latest issue dives deep into the recesses of Japan’s food culture
The publication’s mook-sized issue is back with a second printing — get it while you still can.
Exciting books and translations from Japan to look out for in 2021
It’s time to put 2020 behind us and look ahead to a new year with a new reading list. Here’s a selection of intriguing titles coming out in the next 12 months.
‘Japanese Zen Gardens’: Unearthing the complexity of Kyoto’s gardens
Yoko Kawaguchi’s book shows readers how many of Japan’s gardens incorporate Buddhist principles in their designs to function as spaces for meditation and enlightenment.
‘Love Child’: A labor of love 20 years in the making
Rakuko Rubin's collection of short stories that traverse bicultural themes and universal mileposts in life was translated by her husband, Jay Rubin.
When reading was a refuge and had no end
This was the worst year, and nothing made sense any longer, except when it was the best year, because time for reading seemed to expand like one of those endless summer afternoons when one was in the late stages of grade school. I despised ...
Fables inspired by life in lockdown resonate with Japanese readers
Barry Yourgrau’s struggle to cope with life during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired a burst of creative writing, which culminated in a book of short stories that became a hit in Japan.
Our critics’ favorite books published in 2020
As 2021 approaches, six Japan Times book reviewers look back on their top reads released in English this year.