'Japan in the World': A comprehensive analysis of Japan's international image
Published near the height of Japan's global economic power in 1993, "Japan in the World" brings together essays that reflect on the country's place in international affairs.
Kafu Nagai's 'Geisha in Rivalry' abounds with scheming, manipulation and, yes, sex
Although this edition of "Geisha in Rivalry" is a translation of a censored version of the more racy original, it represents Nagai's rediscovery of the fast-disappearing traditional culture of Japan.
Kenkichi Yamamoto's 'The Singing Heart': A window into modern Japanese poetry
Noted Japanese literary critic and writer Kenkichi Yamamoto's "The Singing Heart" provides a satisfying, thematic introduction to modern Japanese poetry.
Meet one of Japan's greatest modern philosophers in 'Nishida Kitaro: The Man and His Thought'
First published in Japanese in 1985, "Nishida Kitaro: The Man and His Thought" brings together diverse essays about both Nishida and his philosophy of "absolute nothingness" written by his former pupil Keiji Nishitani (1900-90).
'Philosophers of Nothingness': Philosophy built on quietly gripping human dramas
Heisig's "Philosophers of Nothingness" introduces the Kyoto School's three main philosophers: Kitaro Nishida, Hajime Tanabe and Keiji Nishitani.
'The Lone Samurai': A meticulous portrait of warrior-legend Miyamoto Musashi
William Scott Wilson's definitive 2004 biography, "The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi" stands out not only for its meticulous historical accuracy, but also for the author's expertise on samurai texts.
"Kokoro," a collection of essays published in 1896 by the prolific Anglo-Irish author Lafcadio Hearn, teems with a diverse panorama of observations from a country swelling with national pride.
Delve into a teenager's consciousness with Osamu Dazai's 'Schoolgirl'
Concise enough to be read in one sitting, "Schoolgirl" combines Osamu Dazai's familiar themes of melancholy, alienation and despair with levity and humor.
Kobo Abe's 'The Ark Sakura': A surreal narrative worth reading twice
"The Ark Sakura," Kobo Abe's puzzling, dream-like narrative about an obese recluse living in a vast underground bunker, is a dense interlacing of punning wordplay, psychological excavation and surreal imagery.
Escape from the everyday with Miyuki Miyabe's 'Brave Story'
Miyuki Miyabe's "Brave Story" tackles pertinent adolescent issues that are juxtaposed against a supernatural realm of fantasy.
"Clouds Above the Hill" portrays, in rich detail, the first generation to grow up in the Meiji Era and culminates in Japan's surprising victory in the Russo-Japanese War.
Rational analysis and mystic poetry combine in Kenzaburo Oe's 'Rouse Up O Young Men'
Through the poetry of William Blake, Kenzaburo Oe takes a new approach to probing the emotional consequences of his father's death, and parenting a severely disabled son.
