'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.
There's a story for every taste in 'Speculative Japan 4'
"Speculative Japan 4" is the latest in Kumamoto-based Kurodahan Press' mission to bring the best of Japanese science fiction and fantasy to the English-speaking world.
Finding beauty amid defeat: Jan Morris' 'Battleship Yamato: Of War, Beauty and Irony'
In this slim, beautifully illustrated book, historian Jan Morris details an account of the battleship Yamato's final, suicidal run near Okinawa at the end of World War II.
'Isako Isako': No punches pulled when confronting internment
Mia Ayumi Malhotra's collection of poetry, "Isako Isako," is a carefully controlled whirlwind of ideas and impressions that reminds us that the scars laid down today will still be visible generations from now
Toshiki Okada's 'The End of the Moment We Had' explores the plague of modern ennui in Japan
In two short stories, "The End of the Moment We Had" and "My Place in Plural" Okada excels at describing the great indifference that marks some Japanese youth.
'Birds of Japan': More than a guide, a labor of love
Mark Brazil's "Birds of Japan" will be a birders' Bible for the foreseeable future and fills the niche for anyone who plans to search out the wealth of birds that this country has to offer.
'The Bear and the Paving Stone': Whimsical stories celebrating language, friendship and life
Toshiyuki Horie's collection of stories embrace small moments, deep thought and cross-cultural connections.
