The Japan Society Review

By Kameda Naoki, Sangu Yuko and Catherine Nakamichi A book which should be considered a living national treasure for its importance in the preservation of Japan’s rich cultural heritage. Here each craft, shrine, and custom is explained in both Japanese and English. Review by Holly Helt

The scholarly essays in this catalogue include ‘The beginnings of the “Japanese Dream”: Van Gogh’s acquaintance with Japan’, ‘In the light of Japan: Van Gogh’s quest for happiness and a modern identity’, [...] Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Oguma Eiji This is the story of a Japanese man who has no particular claim to fame. He had a tough time before, during and after the war. Its interest lies primarily in the light it throws on how ordinary Japanese coped in war. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Murata Sayaka Convenience Store Woman is a book of deftly crafted paradoxes that hold a haunting mirror up to both Japanese and Western societies. The protagonist, Furukura Keiko, is a numb character depicted in bare [...] Review by Beau Waycott

By Simon Kerry For those interested in Japan the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne is best known as the Foreign Secretary who negotiated for Britain in talks that led to the Anglo-Japanese alliance. In this volume Simon Kerry has [...] Review by Antony Best

By Simon Rowe As the name would suggest, this is an eclectic anthology of works written by the Japan-based writer Simon Rowe, covering diverse topics and exotic geographies including Japan, Australia, Indonesia [...] Review by Harry Martin

By Una Rose The Tokyo Express is the self-published debut novel of Anglo-Irish writer Una Rose. Taking inspiration from her time in Japan and her Irish heritage, Una has encased her story within these distant cultures [...] Review by Harry Martin

By Zelda Rhiando Irish writer Zelda Rhiando follows up her self-published debut book Caposcripti with this deeply unsettling novel, set in the aftermath of the 2011 disaster. The book came into being after crowdfunding [...] Review by Poppy Cosyns

By Christian Polak with Hugh Cortazzi The French artist Georges Bigot (1860-1927) is not a household name in France or in England, but he certainly is in Japan, for Japanese schoolchildren see some of his caricatures in their textbooks. Review by Peter Kornicki

By Jennifer Robertson In the mid-1920s, the word “robot” (robotto) was coined as Japan began to embrace the possibilities and potential of human-robot coexistence. This book is an ethnography and sociohistorical analysis that [...] Review by Riyoko Shibe and Paul Tebble