Like Father Like Son
Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda When six year old Keita Nonomiya starts taking all sorts of exams to enter primary school, a blood test reveals that he is not actually Ryota and Midori’s son. The news that they have [...] Review by Susan Meehan
Across the Three Pagodas Pass: The Story of the Thai-Burma Railway
By Yoshihiko Futamatsu Primarily the book provides an account of his wartime experiences, a personal story of hardship, illness and disappointment over failed attempts at repatriation. The author is [...] Review by Ian Nish
Two Cultures United by Tea
This special event about how the UK and Japan are united by tea took place at the beautiful Banqueting House, created for James I in Whitehall [...] Review by Michael Sullivan
Kotoko
By Shinya Tsukamoto The premise of the movie takes on a subject which is taboo in Japan, mental illness, and presents the plight of a single mother trying to raise a baby while [...] Review by Mike Sullivan
The Winter Sun Shines In, A Life of Masaoka Shiki
By Professor Donald Keene This latest book describes the life and works of one of the most significant poets of the Meiji period, when Japanese literature in response to the revolutionary changes [...] Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi
Yamamoto Isoroku: Leadership, Strategy, Conflict
By Mark Stille This slim volume provides an introduction to the life and strategy of one of the leading Japanese naval commanders in the Pacific War: Isoroku Yamamoto. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi
Two Cultures United by Tea
This tea event was a highlight of the Japan400 Week, marking the delivery of official letters and presents from King James I of England and VI of Scotland to [...] Review by Susan Meehan
Throne of Blood
Directed by Akira Kurosawa This movie is an interpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the story is focused around Washizu who is a general for the lord of spider web castle. The movie brings together [...] Review by Mike Sullivan
From up on Poppy Hill
Directed by Goro Miyazaki This production follows a common theme in Studio Ghibli movies of innocent romance and the coming of age of teenagers, this time set in 1960s Yokohama. Review by Mike Sullivan
Schoolgirl
By Osamu Dazai Schoolgirl was the first of Dazai’s published works, and gained him national acclaim. The novella is set in Tokyo during the Second World War, a time of [...] Review by Chris Corker