Books
'Travels with a Writing Brush': 1,000 years of travel writing, united by a poetic thread
by Kris Kosaka
From "The Tale of Genji" to Matsuo Basho, Meredith McKinney travels across Japan through 1,000 years of Japanese poetry.
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Books / Reviews | RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
'My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life': Well-intentioned diversity misses the mark
by Claire Williamson
Props to Rachel Cohn for attempting to add some much-needed diversity into Japanese literature with "My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life." Unfortunately, it falls flat.
Books / Reviews | RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
'Kojiki: The Birth of Japan': Picture this, a nation's creation myth
by Iain Maloney
Artist Kazumi Wilds retells Japan's creation myth, the "Kojiki," through vivid and accessible illustrations.
Books | 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW Nov 23, 2019
Let us put an end to Haruki Murakami's decade-long Nobel Prize pilgrimage
by William Lang
The 2010s have flown by and still there is no end in sight for Haruki Murakami's Nobel Prize drought. William Lang offers tips to end this sorry state of affairs.
Books Nov 16, 2019
'Forty-Seven Samurai': A paradoxical account of bloody revenge and haiku poetry
by Damian Flanagan
The saga of the 47 ronin has inspired artists and imaginations for centuries. Now, this book by Hiroaki Sato seeks to shed new light on the origins of the conflict.
Books | Children's Literature in Japan Nov 16, 2019
Keiko Sena: Whimsical books with a hint of horror
by Kris Kosaka
Keiko Sena's children's books, with their collage-like, simple illustrations, have been bestsellers for decades. This year, a special art exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of her first publication.
Books / Reviews Nov 9, 2019
Back to 'The Factory' in a new era of meaningless work
by Kris Kosaka
Hiroko Oyamada's award-winning debut novel, "The Factory," measures out in terse detail an indictment of contemporary work culture. Set in modern Japan where the norms of underpay and overwork are well-known, the novella evokes the worst of the Silicon Valley-type tech campuses and asks ...
Books / Reviews Nov 9, 2019
'The Sweetest Fruits': The influential women in Lafcadio Hearn's life
by Damian Flanagan
The extraordinary story of Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) is here skillfully brought to life in a sumptuous historical novel told from the perspectives of the most important women in his memorable life. The Sweetest Fruits, by Monique Truong.304 pages PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE, Historical fiction. We begin on the ...
Books / Reviews Nov 9, 2019
'World Heritage Japan': John Lander photographs the country's UNESCO sites
by Oscar Boyd
If there's a country more infatuated with receiving UNESCO heritage status than Japan, please name it. World Heritage Japan, by John Lander.236 pages RIVER BOOKS, Photography. From the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido to the low-lying islands of Okinawa (the main attraction of which, Shuri Castle, burned down ...
Books | 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW Nov 2, 2019
Our critics' favorite Japanese books of the decade
by Mark Schreiber, Kris Kosaka, Nicolas Gattig, Claire Williamson, Oscar Boyd, Suzanne Kamata and Louise George Kittaka
As 2020 approaches, The Japan Times' book reviewers look back at a decade of literature and their favorite and most impactful books written about Japan or by Japanese writers.
Books Oct 26, 2019
Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood won't close the chapter on books
by Manami Okazaki
Thousands of bibliophiles are expected to descend on Tokyo's Jinbocho neighborhood over the next week or so as the city celebrates the 60th anniversary of its largest secondhand book fair. Some even claim the Kanda Used Book Festival, which this year runs through Nov. 4, ...
Books Oct 26, 2019
'Studies from Nature': Kitagawa Utamaro's glorious prints
by Martin Laflamme
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.
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