Ninja: Unmasking the Myth
By Stephen Turnbull Stephen Turnball’s recent factual work Ninja: Unmasking the Myth acts as an entertaining, yet informative, book that provides both ninja enthusiasts and novices with a clear and thought-provoking [...] Review by George Mullins
The Beast Player
By Uehashi Nahoko Already widely popular in its native Japan, the story has been adapted into a successful anime and manga series as well as a multi-series publication. Largely unknown in the international market, this new [...] Review by Harry Martin
Japanese Prints: The Collection of Vincent van Gogh
Edited by Axel Rüger and Marije Vellekoop Published by the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, to accompany their 2018 exhibition Van Gogh & Japan, this catalogue is a collection of enriching essays detailing Van Gogh’s relationship with Japanese [...] Review by Beau Waycott
Killing Commendatore
By Murakami Haruki Murakami Haruki’s Killing Commendatore is an epic novel that fails to capture the wry poignance and fully immersive settings of his earlier works. Whilst there are passages of charming and warm prose, as [...] Review by Beau Waycott
Tanaka Kinuyo: Nation, Stardom and Female Subjectivity
Edited by Irene González-López and Michael Smith Working in the film industry from 1929 to the mid-1970s, Tanaka made films with all the great directors of the era including Ozu Yasujiro, Mizoguchi Kenji, Naruse Mikio, Kinoshita Keisuke, Kurosawa [...] Review by Kate Taylor-Jones
If Cats Disappeared From The World
By Kawamura Genki In If Cats Disappeared From The World, Kawamura tells the story of a postman in his thirties who discovers that his days are numbered because of a brain tumour which will cause his imminent death. Review by Morgane Chinal-Dargent
The Woman in the Dunes
By Abe Kobo The parabolic tale centres on Niki Jumpei, a disillusioned school teacher come amateur entomologist, and chronicles his deceptive imprisonment in a house surrounded by a wall of constantly flowing sand, whose [...] Review by George Mullins
Robata: Japanese Home Grilling
By Silla Bjerrum The underlying premise of Bjerrum’s cookbook is to encourage the reader to adapt a new style of cooking, which has traditionally been the preserve of restaurants, at home using good quality seasonal [...] Review by Niraja Singh
A Tokyo Romance
By Ian Buruma A Tokyo Romance serves to explain the beginning of a life-long love and fascination with Japanese culture (be it low or high) and, more importantly, how this culture is manifested through art and design. Review by Beau Waycott
The Bear and the Paving Stone
By Horie Toshiyuki The Bear and the Paving Stone (translated by Geraint Howells) is a collection of three works by award-winning author Horie Toshiyuki. The titular story, winner of the Akutagawa Prize in 2000, consumes most [...] Review by Harry Martin