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.
'Plum Rains' is entertaining, provocative and eerily plausible
In this complex sci-fi novel, Andromeda Romano-Lax weaves in issues of robotics, kamikaze pilots and Japan's dependence on foreign healthcare workers.
'On the Bullet Train with Emily Bronte' delves into Japan's fascination with an English classic
Both Japan and Judith Pascoe are passionate about "Wuthering Heights." In "On the Bullet Train with Emily Bronte" Pascoe blends personal self-discovery with academic analysis to investigate the cross-cultural translation and adaptation of a literary classic.
'Contemporary Japanese Architects' lays down the foundations of Japanese design
From World War II to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japanese architects have pushed the boundaries of art, architecture and design.
'Mixing Work with Pleasure': a candid reflection of a life at Studio Ghibli
Toshio Suzuki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, recounts his collaborative partnerships and lifelong bonds with Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, the third of Ghibli's founders.
'Cult X': The Fuminori Nakamura novel we've been waiting for
"Cult X" is a fast-paced thriller that shows off Nakamura's ability to explore the lives of those on the fringes of Japanese society at its best.
Hideo Yokoyama's 'Seventeen': A plane crash, a newsroom, an all-engrossing thriller
Based on the author's own experiences as an investigative reporter at a local paper in Gunma Prefecture, "Seventeen" uses the 1985 crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 as the catalyst for a gripping newsroom drama.
'Ask A North Korean' gets its answers from the source
Daniel Tudor's "Ask A North Korean" is testimony that ordinary North Koreans have more in common with the rest of us than many would have you believe.
