Japan Books

This is a simple book, with nothing insightful or original about one
of the 20th century's most fascinating military leaders. When you
consider that it is a textbook written for Japanese university
students-who hardly know that Japan fought and lost a war 60 years
ago-that is all it could be, I suppose. Although the academic/English
level would be appropriate for U.S. middle or high school students, I
found it to be a nice, well-written read. The Japan-based author
surveyed his university students and was shocked at their lack of
knowledge of a war their grandfathers fought. Apparently he felt that
the Occupation of Japan should be better understood and appreciated
for what it did to change Japan for the better. I thought he did a
good job of presenting the material as simply as one could for English
as a second language students. It is unfortunate that he mentions
atrocities (Unit 731, Bataan, Nanking, etc.) only in passing because
that is what they don't get in their own
history books. The author seems over-flattering in his portrayal of
MacArthur, who, at worst, was reviled by many and at best was
controversial. Also, one wonders whether young people anywhere would
want to spend so much time on one historical figure, which, to them,
must seem like ancient history. Still, given the national collective
amnesia in Japan regarding the Pacific War, Professor McBean's text is
a welcome, commendable idea.

I ordered this book-knowing that it was written for Japanese students-because I am a MacArthur buff and have collected almost all books written about him. In addition, I was curious about the view of history students are getting from this text, which is written by an American. I have read about how Japanese high school history books distort, cover-up, and revise Pacific War history, especially atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army. After reading it, I can say that students fortunate enough to use this text will get a good, balanced treatise on the war, MacArthur, and the Occupation. Apparently, they learn much about Hiroshima, Nagasaki, etc., in other words, how Japan suffered during the war, but little about the suffering Japan caused it neighbors. The textbook deals with some of this in the lesson on the Tokyo War Crimes Trials. Given the present sour state of relations between Japan and China/Korea because of visits to Yasukuni Shrine, the textbook problem, etc., this should be required reading for Japanese leaders! I recommend this book for history buffs or educators interested in how English-as-a-second-language is taught using a content-based (historical) textbook in Japan.

With its slightly tongue-in-cheek title, "Made in Japan" is a nice, beautifully printed art book focusing on the heyday of the creative art print (sosaku hanga) from the immediate postwar years until the late 1960's. Originally intended as an exhibit catalog for a 2005 exhibition by the same name at the Milwaukee Art Museum, it stands on its own just fine as well (except for a little blurb frustratingly listing the exhibited pieces not shown herein). It also works well as a bit of art history, including as it does two interesting articles by Alicia Volk and Helen Nagata. The latter takes a careful look at the complex, ambiguous relationship between creative print artists and Ukiyo-e, a premodern tradition of mass production from which they stridently distinguished themselves even as it subtly influenced and informed some of their work. The former focuses on the role of this art form in Japanese-American relations in fascinating detail, discussing among other things the initial enthusiasm for prints on the part of American Occupation officials in the late 1940's, the efforts of people like James Michener and Oliver Statler to draw attention to these prints as a form of fine art both in America and Japan itself, and Japanese artists' intentions and motivations for using their works as a medium of cultural diplomacy between the two recently belligerent nations within the context of the Cold War. Volk does a wonderful job too of attending to the historical context and to the sociopolitical realities involved without being reductive or cynical.

And that's just the beginning. What about the actual art itself? The majority of the book is indeed dedicated to presenting a selection of 78 prints (actually more, for in a few cases there's a set of several prints under an overarching series title) by 59 artists, all in full color. Most artists are represented by one or two works as is appropriate to such an overview, though a few major figures in the field get more of a spotlight, especially the ever favorite Munakata Shiko. The prints are also organized in roughly chronological order and according to themes (nature, process and materials, abstraction, things Japanese, and pop and conceptualism), which aids one in appreciating and distinguishing the different artists and their styles as well as the gradual development of this art form during the decades in question. If the book has one imperfection, it's that some of the illustrations are a bit small. The format of the book makes this a necessary evil perhaps, though the decision-making process behind which prints get a single full page and which get crowded together with two or three others seems a tad arbitrary. So be it, though. One minor nitpick aside, this thin little volume is an immensely interesting and visually stunning look at one surprisingly significant aspect of modern art in Japan.

P.S. For a fine book on this subject published during the actual time period when Japanese creative prints were at their peak of popularity, check out CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE PRINTS.

In the rebuilding of Japanese society in the years after its defeat in World War, there was a "creative print movement [that] brought modern European artistic attitudes such as self-expression and formalist innovation to the Japanese woodblock print, a medium that had been rooted in the mass-production of popular images for several hundred years." The latest stages of this movement are becoming more widely known in the United States with the popularity of the Japanese manga and anime. The predecessors of this recent Japanese art are seen in the colors, designs, collages, subjects, and treatments of the post-war prints in this volume. One or two prints of 59 artists are shown in the main section of about 70 pages. These range from dark, tangled visions from having witnessed the devastation from the atom bombs to abstract designs to brightly-colored, comically erotic figures. Biographical sketches of the 59 artists follow the main section.

Tsunesaburo Makiguchi is one of Japan's most significant yet perhaps least-recognized educators. His fame as the founder of Soka Gakkai has somewhat eclipsed his reputation as an educator. (Soka Gakkai International is now the largest Buddhist organization in the world with over 12 million members in 128 nations.)

Mr. Makiguchi had spent a lifetime developing his "value-creating" educational philosophy from his experience as teacher, principal, and teacher of teachers before he founded the Buddhist lay organization.

A man ahead of his time, Mr. Makiguchi made proposals over sixty years ago that are being made anew today. He was staunchly opposed to the rote memorization that was the backbone of Japanese pedagogy in his day (and largely remains so today), and he called for greater involvement by community members in the education of children.

The author, himself an educator, gives a clear and vivid picture of the magnitude and revolutionary quality of Mr. Makiguchi's theories. Until this book, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi has gone virtually unrecognized in the West because so little information on non-Western educators has been available in English. This work fills a need at a time when Mr. Makiguchi's impact on education and society is of increasing importance.

Tsunesaburo Makiguchi is one of Japan's most significant yet perhaps least-recognized educators. His fame as the founder of Soka Gakkai has somewhat eclipsed his reputation as an educator. (Soka Gakkai International is now the largest Buddhist organization in the world with over 12 million members in 128 nations.)

Mr. Makiguchi had spent a lifetime developing his "value-creating" educational philosophy from his experience as teacher, principal, and teacher of teachers before he founded the Buddhist lay organization.

A man ahead of his time, Mr. Makiguchi made proposals over sixty years ago that are being made anew today. He was staunchly opposed to the rote memorization that was the backbone of Japanese pedagogy in his day (and largely remains so today), and he called for greater involvement by community members in the education of children.

The author, himself an educator, gives a clear and vivid picture of the magnitude and revolutionary quality of Mr. Makiguchi's theories. Until this book, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi has gone virtually unrecognized in the West because so little information on non-Western educators has been available in English. This work fills a need at a time when Mr. Makiguchi's impact on education and society is of increasing importance.

it's quite shar

This book doesn't mention every Japanese architecture that one would normally associate. It gives an extremely unique and highly critical and selective account of modern Japanese architecture history particularly based on the powerful architecture of Antonin Raymond, Kazuo Shinohara and Arata Isozaki. From the author's tribute to these selected architects and architecture, the reader would be able to receive a new insight and broader yet more focus understanding of contemporary Japanesearchitecture. Original classic photographs

I feel a bit outrageous in assigning my own book five stars, but what can I say, I'm biased!

I am really just writing this note to let potential readers know that my book is winner of the International Planning History Society book award for best single-author book in planning history 2000-2003, awarded at the IPHS conference in Barcelona in July. For me, that is just about the best possible affirmation of the value of the book.

I am also pleased to inform you that a new paperback edition was released during May of 2004. I have included below three excerpts from recent reviews in relevant journals.

Best wishes,

Andre Sorensen


Reviews:

`Andre Sorensen has written a very important book. More than any English language study now available, it unlocks a major puzzle in understanding modern Japan - why has a country that has excelled at industry and efficiency in its economy (and transport systems) failed so miserably in providing a high urban quality of life for its citizens? ... A very well written work'-
Urban Studies

`Meticulously researched and impressively presented ... a tremendous resource for the serious scholar.' -
Geographical Association

`This book should establish itself as the first port of call for both students and scholars embarking on a study of Japanese urbanism and planning history ... a highly sophisticated work'-
Environment and Planning/Government & Policy

Sorensen's book is a wonderful overview of the history of Tokyo (and Edo before it), from the point of view of the geographical and physical structure of the city and its development over time. The book should be read by anyone with a serious interest in the planning, architecture, or social history of Tokyo. Well illustrated with maps and plans many of which are not, to my knowledge, readily available to an English language audience elsewhere.

This one definetly one of the best books available with regards to the history of the Jews of Kaifeng. Pollak writes a convincing and yet entertaining piece of history that is sure to educate all its readers.

* Me: I'm someone interested in serious, semi-academic books about Jewish history. I'm not someone looking for a James Michener book, but I'm not some equipped to critique Pollak's scholarship. * The book: This is a wonderful, well-written book that seems to discuss every old reference to the Jews of China in just about every language. It seems to give every known detail about the lives of China's Jews. Because China's Jews were one of the peoples of the "Silk Road" (the collection of ancient trade routes that linked China with Europe for many centuries), the book is also a pretty good introduction to the history of the Silk Road. * Who for: I think this book might be especially useful to anyone interested in Central Asian history; Jewish history; or extreme Jewish genealogy (i.e., the DNA testing folks). It could also be the basis for a pretty fine martial arts movie.

This book is probably the best yet that I've read from the Manga Techniques series. While not as extensive and rich in pages as other series, this particular volume has enough to get someone through the basic steps of drawing manga characters. As usual, the title is "Manga Techniques", so it's supposed to show techniques and tips in drawing, not really ideas or concepts. But it's good enough to show a starter how to make characters. Tips on head size, body measurement, body parts shaping, and posing characters are included, all the technical stuff that some artists might miss. I guess one drawback is that the book focuses on human characters only, no orcs, monsters or any other such variations on characters. But after all, that's not what this book is for. Of course, this series is meant to be a beginner's series, so more advanced artists could use professional samples or more advanced instruction books for more developed concepts and ideas. But this particular volume could be considered an essential.

The first day I got this book I was amazed how much it taught me. My kids love it, and it has become one of my favorite hobbies. It shows you everything from head to toes how to draw your favorite Manga characters. It has detailed pictures and discriptive words to explain the correct way to draw Manga characters. If you love Manga and want to know how to draw, I erge you to get this book.

This is the definitive book on Maritime Operations in the Russo-Japanese War. Originally a classified document in the British War Ministry it was finally published by the Naval Institute in the 1990's. Used as a principal reference document at the U.S. Naval War College. No longer available anywhere. Corbett provides a insightful contrast to Mahan in the examination of many core concepts on early 20th century naval strategy. The war itself is a perfect vignette on how a lesser power can defeat a more powerful foe given the right political and geographical situation. All the main themes of Land and Sea, Joint Military Operations are displayed in this too often overlooked "first" modern war.

Julian Corbett is a great contrast to the likes of Alfred Thayer Mahan. While presenting the Russo-Japanese War in an unbiased play-by-play way, he does not guide his analysis by mathematical strategies nor does he judge battles solely by their tactical outcome.

The more interesting Strategic topics covered herein are the ideas of "Fleet in Being," naval blockade and torpedo warfare. It is an eye-opening analysis for the way it shows the naval war between Japan and Russia as being in a far more precarious situation than anyone might have expected. Thorough and well-written, Corbett has produced a solid, well thought-out and intriguing analysis of the naval strategy of the Russo-Japanese War.

Excellent introduction to a variety of asian cooking. Helpfully explains some of the more esoteric foodstuffs, et al. Based on the straightforward presentation I intend to buy more of his books. Also, I found the written forum a much more direct way to learn from Yan than his cooking show.

Even if you find his television show to be over the top, you have to admit that Martin Yan always presents very tasty recipes. This book is an introduction to a variety of Asian cuisines with recipes and helpful hints not just on preparation, but on eating as well.

I've prepared roughly 40% of the dishes included in this book and have yet to find one that wasn't delicious. I was sufficiently impressed to buy his other books as well.

The most commonplace items of the past occasionally become treasured collectibles today. But miniature advertising graphics that adorned Japanese matchboxes were more striking (forgive the pun) than common as one discovers in this delightful introduction to Matchibako by Maggie Kinser Hohle.

The matchbox labels depicted in forty-two full-color plates are from the collection of designer Naomichi Kawahata. The collection itself spans the 1920s and 30s and provides snapshots of a country in transition and internal turmoil, both embracing and decrying modernist influence of industrialist nations.

Above all, the images in this micro gallery had one intent, to advertise anything from sox to sex. These palm held billboards enticed the holder with promises of "modern" life, euro-hairstyles, jazz cafés with sexy moga (modern girls) or pitched the entaku (yen-taxi) delivering fares anywhere in Tokyo for only one yen.

It is said that "good things come in small packages" as does this superb gallery of 42 plates, with one matchbox label to a page, perfectly frames the near-actual sized labels so that each reproduction appear larger than life.

Another highly unique aspect of Matchibako is the accordion page format, which if you were to unfold would stretch over fourteen feet from cover to cover. Hohle's 4.75 x 4.75 inch art book was not meant for the bookshelf, but to be left in plain view to entice closer inspection in the same way the original matchbox labels delivered their messages over seventy years ago.

This tiny little book is a perfect gift for any Japanophile or matchbox collector. Built like an accordian, its pages exhibit gorgeous Japanese matchbox covers from the 20's and 30's, images like I've never seen before, accompanied by explanations chronicalling why the covers are so unique: they were manufactured during a time when Japan was transforming from traditonal to modern, from culturally-singular to Western-influenced. One panel, for example, shows a Japanese girl depicted in a strikingly untraditional manner, not simply because of the flapper haircut she sports or the cigarette hanging from her mouth, but because of the decidedly cubism-influenced illustration style.