‘At the End of the Matinee’: Love and longing in the recent past strike a chord
In his novel, Keiichiro Hirano provides a detailed view of politics, culture and economics at the start of the 21st century alongside a story about star-crossed lovers.
‘Terminal Boredom’ is a treasure trove of Izumi Suzuki’s subversive science fiction
Izumi Suzuki, a prolific writer of speculative science fiction and a counterculture figure in the 1970s and ’80s, has gone largely overlooked by modern readers — until now.
'First Person Singular' marks Haruki Murakami's welcome return to his signature style
The writer’s new collection of eight short stories is a return to form, with first-person narratives full of cheek and playfulness.
Bookstore specializing in Okinawan works marks ruby anniversary
Books Jinon store in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, is known for its extensive collection of local literature.
Author Mieko Kawakami is hoping to 'stir things up'
The award-winning writer is critical of persistent inequalities in Japan, slamming traditional gender roles.
The genius and geniality of Santoka Taneda, a wandering Zen poet
‘The Life and Zen Haiku Poetry of Santoka Taneda,’ a biography of one of Japan’s most beloved poets, is a loving tribute compiled by Taneda’s close friend, Sumita Oyama.
‘That We May Live’: New Chinese fiction delves into the playfully weird
Explaining the difference between speculative fiction and science fiction can feel like sorting out overlapping nebulae. The main distinction of speculative fiction may be that a story is just barely possible, at a slight remove from reality that veers into the playfully weird. A ...
In ‘Klara and the Sun,’ Kazuo Ishiguro questions what it means to be human
There’s a moment in “Klara and the Sun,” Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017, in which the protagonist, Klara, and another character, The Father, are discussing whether artificial intelligence may ever fully replicate what it means to ...
‘Immigrant Japan’: An expansive account of the migrant experience
In her book, Gracia Liu-Farrer judiciously covers the migrant experience and argues that Japan is becoming an "immigrant country."
Bridging divides in the workplace with ‘The Business of We’
Business consultant Laura Kriska provides a roadmap for improving workplace communication in her book, which draws insight from her experiences navigating Japanese corporate culture.
Cathy Hirano: Translation is a door to another world
Translator Cathy Hirano balances her time between freelance translations and young adult literature, and has earned accolades for both. Although her most recognized translations are for lifestyle guru Marie Kondo’s wildly popular works, starting with “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” Hirano’s translations have ...
Foraging in Japan: What to eat and where to find it
In her book, “Eating Wild Japan,” Winifred Bird traverses the country searching for edible plants and the stories of those who pick them, eat them and live surrounded by them.
