'Mishima, Aesthetic Terrorist': The brain behind the coup
In "Mishima, Aesthetic Terrorist," Andrew Rankin takes us to the less-visited corners of Mishima's complete works, the intellectual essays that were the fount for the ideas that played themselves out in his novels.
'Half of Each Other': Grief, marriage and tragedy
"Half of Each Other," the newest novel from the prolific author and director, Roger Pulvers, considers how love, desire and grief intertwine in the aftermath of tragedy.
'Sushi Master': Nothing fishy about this masterful account
Sushi master Nick Sakagami presents a beautifully photographed, levelheaded guide to sushi culture and cuisine. Recipes included.
'Plant-based Tokyo': A compelling guide to vegetarian food in the capital
A new resource for visitors and residents, "Plant-based Tokyo" is Momoko Nakamura's bilingual guidebook to 45 vegetarian establishments in the Tokyo area.
'The Bells of Old Tokyo': Present-day Tokyo explored through its historical soundscape
Anna Sherman's book, "The Bells of Old Tokyo," unveils a new way to look at Japan's capital: A people-centric examination of its lyrical, historical soundscape and the people that populate its many unique residential neighborhoods.
'Beyond the Gender Gap in Japan': A nuanced take on the status of women in Japan
Gill Steel's "Beyond the Gender Gap in Japan" fills in some of the gaps in previous research into the status of women in Japan, including the myriad ways in which they exercise agency in their lives.
'Waste: Consuming Postwar Japan': Japan's approach to waste is trash
In "Waste: Consuming Postwar Japan," Eiko Maruko Siniawer traces the evolution of Japanese values and aspirations from 1945 to the present through the lense of waste and waste consciousness.
'Shadows of Tokyo': Assassinations, nationalism and intrigue in Taisho Era noir
Matthew Legare's "Shadows of Tokyo" portrays the somber zeitgeist of Japan's capital in 1931, where rightist assassins armed with swords, handguns and bombs stalk key political and business figures.
In 'Indigo Girl,' family relationships are more nuanced than they first appear
Bicultural teen and manga aficionado Aiko journeys to Japan to meet her biological father for the first time in this sequel to Suzanne Kamata's 2013 "Gadget Girl."
'The Last Train': High-stakes crime in glitzy Roppongi
"The Last Train" is a fast-paced police procedural with well-crafted prose, but suffers from a series of minor research errors.
'Inhabitation': A boy and a lizard, both down on their luck
Set in 1970s Osaka, "Inhabitation" is a surrealist, symbolic novel about one man's attempt to run from his past and build his own future.
'Diva Nation': Feminine empowerment throughout Japan's history
"Diva Nation" pays tribute to Japanese women through the ages who have found a way to triumph despite societal restrictions.
