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December 21, 2023
 

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CULTURE

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Author Yasunari Kawabata’s “The Rainbow” seems to suggest it is never too late to heal, so long as we face our pain rather than run away.
CULTURE / Books
‘The Rainbow’: Artistic world underscores truths of the human heart
Despite resonant themes, this translation of Nobel Prize-winner Yasunari Kawabata’s novel about lingering grief and regrets feels strangely distant.
CULTURE / Books
A wish list of hidden gems for Japanese literature lovers
Eight translators reveal their top Japanese books that English readers have yet to enjoy.
CULTURE / Books
'Judgment at Tokyo' investigates powers at play in postwar tribunal
Gary J. Bass' new book thoroughly delves into the prosecution of Japanese military atrocities and its divisive legacy.
Michiko Aoyama’s “What You are Looking For Is in the Library” centers on a local library where five Tokyoites are gently guided through personal issues by kindly librarian Sayuri Komachi.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 13, 2023
‘What You are Looking For is in the Library’: A tender tale with a touch of whimsy
By Louise George Kittaka
Five readers discover comfort and direction at their local library in Michiko Aoyama’s novel, which offers a believable take on modern life in Tokyo.
David Joiner’s books all share a detailed focus on local arts and crafts . In his latest book, “The Heron Catchers,” "kutaniyaki" ceramics of Yamanaka Onsen, Ishikawa Prefecture, take center stage.
CULTURE / Books
Nov 12, 2023
Location is everything in 'The Heron Catchers'
By Iain Maloney
Author David Joiner ties the local crafts and literary history of Ishikawa Prefecture's Yamanaka Onsen into his new novel.
“Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again” fully articulates the intentions behind the creation of Japan’s most infamous "kaijū" (monster) before Toho Studios releases the newest chapter in the “Godzilla” saga.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 29, 2023
‘Godzilla’ novellas expand on infamous monster’s origins
By Kris Kosaka
Shigeru Kayama’s entertaining and informative stories delve deep into the underlying pacifist beliefs of the entire “Godzilla” franchise.
Japan’s crime thriller genre owes a lot to Kido Okamoto and Taro Hirai, who is better known by his pen name of Edogawa Ranpo
CULTURE / Books
Oct 22, 2023
Japanese thrillers and crime mysteries to curl up with this fall
By Kris Kosaka
As the nights grow colder, pick up a recommended read in crime fiction and dive deep into this unique intersection of art and entertainment.
A 19-year-old girl plagued with strange visions sets out with her younger brother to uncover the truth about her perfect family in Banana Yoshimoto’s “The Premonition.”
CULTURE / Books
Oct 14, 2023
Banana Yoshimoto’s new book is a sickly sweet fantasy
By Thu-Huong Ha
In “The Premonition,” the characters exist in a dream-like state of sweetness and steer clear of examining complex questions.
Steve Kemme's "The Outsider" offers insight into Lafcadio Hearn's prodigious talent with the pen and the development of his style over the course of his career.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 8, 2023
'The Outsider' brings out colorful personality of one of history’s great Japanophiles
By David McElhinney
A new biography on Lafcadio Hearn charts the course of the writer’s 54-year life and shows how his years in Cincinnati and Japan were formative periods.
Writer Jon Fosse poses in Oslo in 2015. Since his debut novel was published in 1983, Fosse has written poems, essays, children’s books, plays and novels.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 5, 2023
Norwegian playwright and author Jon Fosse wins literature Nobel
By Kathleen Benoza
The Swedish Academy cited Fosse's “innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.”

Japan’s travel industry urges people to get their mighty passports
Japan’s passport gives visa-free entry to 192 global destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. The country lost the top spot to Singapore earlier this year, after leading the list for five straight years.
A wish list of hidden gems for Japanese literature lovers
While non-Japanese readers have in recent years been spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese literature in translation, there is still a wealth of notable works that translators would love to see rendered into English.
Women arrested for prostitution in Shinjuku tripled in 2023
Tokyo police officers head to host clubs in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku Ward for inspections on Friday.
Japan to partially lift ban on ride-hailing services from April
Ride-sharing apps (clockwise from bottom) Uber, Grab, Didi and Ola Cabs are seen on a smartphone display.
U.S. allies brace for high cost of defeat as Ukraine aid stalls
Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting near Moscow on Dec. 12.
A wish list of hidden gems for Japanese literature lovers
While non-Japanese readers have in recent years been spoiled for choice when it comes to Japanese literature in translation, there is still a wealth of notable works that translators would love to see rendered into English.
Women arrested for prostitution in Shinjuku tripled in 2023
Tokyo police officers head to host clubs in the Kabukicho district in Shinjuku Ward for inspections on Friday.
Japan to partially lift ban on ride-hailing services from April
Ride-sharing apps (clockwise from bottom) Uber, Grab, Didi and Ola Cabs are seen on a smartphone display.
Stablemaster Shikoroyama's lasting sumo legacy
Terao, later known as Shikoroyama, defeats yokozuna Takanohana at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka in 1995.
An oven-less Christmas ‘roast’ for your tiny Japanese kitchen
A filling, home-cooked Christmas dinner is within your reach — even among all the fried chicken and cramped kitchens throughout Japan.

Podcast

A still from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Big in Japan 2023: Anime, Murakami and The Legend of Zelda

Longform

A pair of wolves carved from wood exhibited at Mitsumine Shrine’s museum in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture
In praise of wolves
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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