Lifetime devoted to haiku nets Scottish poet prestigious honor
Haiku poet and novelist Alan Spence was honored with an Order of the Rising Sun for "contributions to developing haiku poetry in the United Kingdom and promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United Kingdom."
Fiercely intelligent and unstoppably prolific, Hiromi Ito is a modern literary provocateur
Love her or hate her — and her work tends to provoke strong passions in critics and fans alike — ...
Hiroki Takahashi wins Akutagawa literary award, while Rio Shimamoto bags Naoki Prize
Novelist Hiroki Takahashi has won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize for up-and-coming authors, while the Naoki Prize for popular fiction has ...
The enduring appeal of 'Akira,' the manga
Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk masterpiece, "Akira," has gone through multiple English-language incarnations throughout the years, but reader demand has never wavered.
'City of Devils' review: Reliving the heady days of gangster land Shanghai
The space was bare. Except for a dirty mattress, there was no furniture. Bugs were crawling on the walls, the chamber pot reeked. Unshaved, unwashed and alone, Jack Riley had only a few benzedrine pills left to feed his addiction. Soon, he would be ...
Ishiguro has always seen himself as a British writer and dislikes being pegged to his Japanese origins. Still, he admits that the matter is complex.
'The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories': Memorable shorts from the greats of modern literature
From Haruki Murakami to Natsume Soseki, "The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories" serves up a feast of literature, a smorgasbord of over 30 widely varied modern Japanese writers.
The trials and tribulations of the self-published zine
From the modern ukiyo-e prints of the Edo Period (1603-1868) to contemporary dōjinshi (self-published) fan comics, there has always been an outlet in Japan for artistic self-publishing. But where do zines slot into this system?
Danly's 'In the Shade of Spring Leaves' brings writer Ichiyo Higuchi's genius into the sun
Hailed as a true poet and lauded for her humanistic perspective in depicting the seedy underside of the Meiji Restoration, the test of time puts paid to Ichiyo Higuchi's (1872-96) lasting influence.
In 'Convenience Store Woman', Sayaka Murata questions normality in modern Japan
A former convenience store worker herself, Murata tells stories of women who don't fit in, who aren't ticking the boxes of middle class conformity.
Kobo Abe's 'Kangaroo Notebook' is absurdist, surrealist and occasionally exasperating
Is this bizarrely oneiric journey, daikon sprouts and all, really just Kobo Abe's exteriorized exploration of a tortured psyche?
'Contemporary Japanese Architects' lays down the foundations of Japanese design
From World War II to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japanese architects have pushed the boundaries of art, architecture and design.
'Japanese Whisky' puts the ambrosial spirit in its place
In his new book, Brian Ashcraft explores the phenomenal success of Japanese whisky and what has led it to becoming the world's most desirable spirit.
Yukio Mishima's demons are out in full force in 'Runaway Horses'
"Perfect purity is possible," Mishima writes, "if you turn your life into a line of poetry written with a splash of death."
'Mixing Work with Pleasure': a candid reflection of a life at Studio Ghibli
Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, recounts his collaborative partnerships and lifelong bonds with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the third of Ghibli's founders.
