'Friendship for Grown-Ups' evokes the ambiguity of everyday life
Keshiki is a chapbook series published by Strangers Press designed to showcase some of the most exciting writers working in Japan today. "Friendship for Grown-Ups" by Nao-Cola Yamazaki is the second book in the series. The recipient of five Akutagawa Prize nominations, Yamazaki's ...
'Small Buildings of Kyoto': A spotlight on Kyoto's overlooked quotidian
When it comes to photography books about Kyoto, the genre is usually limited to three areas: geishas, gardens and temples — in the English language at least. Small Buildings of Kyoto: Volume Ⅱ, by John Einarsen.108 pages KYOTO JOURNAL, Photography. In "Small Buildings of Kyoto," John Einarsen, ...
Toriko Takarabe's 'Heaven and Hell': A child's perspective of war's aftermath
Toriko Takarabe's "Heaven and Hell," a 2005 novel recently translated into English for the first time, provides the key to Takarabe's poetry and childhood, both of which were defined by Japan's brief colonial adventure in Manchuria.
Tadao Tsuge's 'Slum Wolf': A gritty, discomfiting yet necessary manga
Tadao Tsuge's "Slum Wolf," a collection of nine of the artist's short stories translated into English, deals with difficult topics in a gritty, yet dynamic, art style.
Seiichi Yamamoto's 'Ginga': Musings from an underground music legend
Seiichi Yamamoto's "Ginga," originally released in Japanese in 2009 and translated into English by Kato David Hopkins this year, compiles highlights from Yamamoto's column for Guitar Magazine.
'Apocrypha: The Legend of Babymetal': A triumphant artistic manifestation of Babymetal hits
"Apocrypha: The Legend of Babymetal," illustrated by G.M.B. Chomichuk, is a surreal multigenre manga that elaborates on "kawaii metal" band Babymetal's origin story.
'Tinian and the Bomb': Historical details shed light on one island's overlooked role in World War II
Along with unfamiliar historical details from the U.S. side, made possible through recent declassification of archival documents, Don A. Farrell's "Tinian and the Bomb" provides an account of how the use of atomic bombs influenced the Japanese government's decision to end the war.
'Newcomer': Cop pounds the pavement in Tokyo shitamachi detective mystery
Although many police procedural mystery novels may appear to reflect realism, most authors only touch on a fraction of the time and shoe leather typically devoted to a real investigation. In "Newcomer," author Keigo Higashino challenges the conventional wisdom, adopting an approach that underscores ...
No stories for the squeamish in Asa Nonami's 'Body'
In each macabre tale from the short story collection "Body," Asa Nonami zooms in on a particular superficial fixation of modern society and proceeds to follow a "what if" question down a twisted rabbit hole.
Nahoko Uehashi's 'The Beast Player': Fantasy grounded in nature
Beautifully written, thought-provoking and utterly immersive, Nahoko Uehashi's "The Beast Player" uses the genre of fantasy to question the political realities of human tyranny over the natural world.
'When I Was a Wolf': Western fairy tales reinterpreted, for better or for worse
Shuji Terayama's "When I Was a Wolf" is a collection of essays that reappraise Western fairy tales, fables and literature and flips them head over heels.
Kenji Miyazawa's 'Once and Forever': More than a happy ending
"Once and Forever" is a brand-new selection of 24 lesser-known, but equally delightful and imaginative tales by Kenji Miyazawa expertly translated into English by the late John Bester.
