'The Book of Form and Emptiness': Ruth Ozeki’s inquisitive side is still on point
An award-winning author with four titles and two film credits under her belt, Ruth Ozeki’s greatest talent may be her ability to ask the right questions. Her fifth novel, "The ...
‘Best Day Walks Japan’: A more relaxed approach to hiking in Japan
Lonely Planet’s helpful new guidebook covers 60 accessible walks throughout Japan, with accompanying maps and photographs showing off Japan’s wilder side in full color.
Philip Jodidio: ‘A willingness to transgress and a desire to be extremely innovative’
‘Contemporary Japanese Architecture’ author Philip Jodidio discusses the past and future significance of Japanese architecture and his career as an art/architecture critic and editor.
‘Contemporary Japanese Architecture’: Embracing nature and the need for sustainability
Architecture critic Philip Jodidio's new book examines the ingenuity of Japan's architects, particularly in their response to climate change.
‘Soul Lanterns’ approaches Hiroshima's past with childlike curiosity and compassion
Shaw Kuzki’s middle grade novel takes place 25 years after the atomic bombings, with middle schoolers seeking out memories of World War II from their community to reclaim their history.
Katie Kitamura and the cognitive dissonance of being alive right now
Her new novel, “Intimacies,” introduces readers to the perceptive, digressive mind of an interpreter at The Hague who is dealing with loss, an uncertain relationship and an insecure world.
‘Tea Life, Tea Mind’: Celebrating the simple act of serving tea
Green tea began in China as a medicinal brew, and grew in Japan into an aid to wakefulness and meditation for Zen monks. In time, the ceremony of its preparation became a mode of refinement for a social elite versed in introspection and aesthetics. ...
‘Impressions of Japanese Architecture’: A sense of discovery toward the traditional arts
Ralph Adams Cram’s focus on traditional architecture, with design principles still relevant today, explains why his book “Impressions of Japanese Architecture,” first published in 1905, has stood the test of time.
‘Lady Joker: Volume One’: A crime thriller opus’ weighty first half
Kaoru Takamura isn’t playing around with “Lady Joker,” her two-part novel that reveals the social and economic inequities in Japan.
'Black Box' shines a light on shadowy realities of sexual assault in Japan
Shiori Ito’s memoir highlights shortcomings of justice for survivors in Japan.
‘The War on Wheels’: Head-butts, broken bones and big bets
Justin McCurry gets readers up to speed on the gritty sport of keirin, Japan's premier cycling competition.
‘Paradise in Plain Sight’: You don't need to look far for life lessons
In Karen Maezen Miller’s book, the Zen garden she restores to its former beauty becomes a metaphor for life.
