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29 results
Review—Mami Suzuki: Private Eye
Slow-burning character studies wrapped in mysteries that originate with people grappling with real-life problems.
Review—The Nature of Kyoto
An anthology of 30 essays on Kyoto, Japan
Review—A Passion for Japan
Snippets of life from people who have all come to live and search for a passion in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Interview—Two Manga Artists Tell You How to Draw Manga
"One of the editors at Skyhorse asked me what I thought about doing a book on chalk art, but in the manga style. I thought, "Why hasn't anyone…
Review—Life Ceremony, by Sayaka Murata (transl. Takemori)
A wildly imaginative and chilling short story collection about loners and outcasts.
Review—3 Memoirs: Ian Buruma, John Nathan and Mayumi Oda
A Tale of Three Memoirs: A Tokyo Romance, by Ian Buruma, Living Carelessly in Tokyo and Elsewhere by John Nathan and Sarasvati’s Gift: The Autobiography of Mayumi Oda–Artist,…
Review—Spirit of Shizen: Japan’s Nature Through its 72 Seasons
Spirit of Shizen: Japan’s Nature through its 72 seasons is a museum catalouge and anthology to accompany the Spirit of Shizen exhibition at the National Museum of Natural…
Review—The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter
Not since Donald Richie’s The Inland Sea have we had the privilege of seeing first-hand the traditions, superstitions and folklore of a Japanese island culture that has all…
Review—Kanazawa by David Joiner
In Kanazawa, David Joiner delivers a slow-burning family drama reminiscent of a film by Yasujirō Ozu or Hirokazu Koreeda
Review—Places, by Setouchi Jakuchō
"Places" is a braid of success stories: female independence, authorial achievement, and a mind taken to the brink of suicide, and back.
Review—Heaven, by Mieko Kawakami
Mieko Kawakami has proven once again that she can produce a social critique while remaining entertaining.
Excerpt—The Wedding Party, by Liu Xinwu
Set at a pivotal point after the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Liu Xinwu’s tale weaves together a rich tapestry of characters, intertwined lives, and stories within…
Review—Where the Wild Ladies Are
In Matsuda’s collection, familiar ghosts are treated as commonplace: They are neither surprising nor frightening as they comfortably situate themselves in the modern world
Review—Buddhism and Modernity: Sources from Nineteenth-Century Japan
A valuable source book for Buddhist scholars
First Book—The Short Story Collective
The Short Story Collective is a thirteen-part journey through contemporary Japan taking in themes as disparate as mental illness, Buddhism, the human drive for validation, workplace harassment, cults,…
Review—On Haiku, by Hiroaki Sato
Hiroaki Sato reveals how the radical brevity of the haiku genre contains worlds within worlds. This is a book to cherish, and which nurtures in return.
First Book—Can Machines Bring Peace?: Hope in a Post-Apocalyptic Age
A young diplomat who builds a Thinking Machine to bring peace, but instead, it discovers a plot for war.
Secrets of Things—Charcoal Quenching Jar
In this episode of Alex Kerr’s Youtube Channel Secrets of Things, he introduces a Japanese sumikeshi-tsubo (“charcoal quenching jar”). This video takes place at his home “Chiiori” in…
Review—Structures of Kyoto: Writers in Kyoto Anthology 4
Judith Clancy and Alex Kerr book-end this remarkable publication offering insight into the physical, spiritual and artistic elements of Kyoto.
Review—Kokoro, by Natsume Sōseki
Kokoro offers deep insight into the human psyche and investigates internal struggles, and the darker sides of admiration, envy and temptation
Review—The Art of Emptiness
The Art of Emptiness gives the reader insight into one of the most famous lineages of Japanese pottery.
Review—Grit, Grace and Gold: Haiku Celebrating the Sports of Summer
Haiku Poetry for the Summer Olympic Games
Review—Well-Versed: Exploring Modern Japanese Haiku
Well-Versed: Exploring Modern Japanese Haiku is a collection of roughly three hundred modern haiku by different poets, curated from Ozawa's commentary in the magazine Haiku Arufa over the…
Secrets of Things: Andon Floor Lamp
In this episode of Alex Kerr's YouTube channel "Secrets of Things," Kerr introduces the Japanese andon floor lamp, an item you'll often come across in classic Japanese literature.
Review—Bullet Train, by Kōtarō Isaka
An action-packed thriller with mature themes exploring the nature of evil, loyalty, mankind’s weaknesses and the morality of killing.
Excerpt—Koreans at Work
This volume on Korea includes interviews with 23 individuals who work in jobs as diverse as persimmon farmer, professor of Pansori (traditional Korean songs), boxer, fruit seller, leather…
Secrets of Things: Ruyi Scepter
Ruyi Scepter: The Chinese “wish-fulfilling” symbol of magical power.
Review—Rabbit in the Moon
The reader follows along with the author as she experiences full-blown culture shock as she falls in love with Fred, marries him, and then grapples with understanding his Chinese…
New Release—Another Bangkok, by Alex Kerr
This new book is a rich, personal exploration of the culture and history of Bangkok, and an essential guide for anyone visiting the city.