Japan Books

This is a great book for kids and adults alike. It has wonderful artwork that depicts periond clothing and settings.
Even some good general information. If my children were interested in samurai's, I'd buy it for them.

"A Samurai Castle" looks at the history of the samurai castles of medieval Japan, not only in terms of diagramming the layout of these castles but also in terms of the examining the role of samurai, the shogun, and women in feudal Japanese society. Fiona MacDonald looks at everything that made up this society, from the religious beliefs to the arms and armor of the period. In the late Sixties I visited just such a castle in Tokyo, but of course I had no appreciation for it beyond noticing that they are built up on tall stone foundations (which had aesthetic and symbolic significance). This book begins with the idea of how sites where selected for building these castles along with how they were designed and constructed. The book is illustrated by David Antram and John James, with pictures not only of these castles but the people that worked and lived inside them in feudal Japan.

Actually, this book places as much emphasis on the samurai as it does on their castle, covering how they trained, their arms and armor, and what they did during a normal day of service to their lord. The roles of women and what these people did for entertainment are covered as well. Consequently, I was a bit disappointed that there were not more details on the actual castles, although there was a section near the end on how the samurai laid siege to these castles. But this is rather consistent with the format of this series. "A Samurai Castle" is one of over a dozen books from the Inside Story series that diagram ancient structures such as an Egyptian Pyramid, a Roman Fort, and a Medieval Cathedral to more recent structures such as a frontier fort on the Oregon Trail and a World War II submarine. Obviously what is nice about these volumes is that they present young readers with the idea of form and function in a way that is both creative and educational.

In Samurai Sketches From The Bloody Final Years Of The Shogun, Romulus Hillsborough offers historical sketches of the world of the samurai during the mid-nineteenth century which saw the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the rise of the Meiji Restoration -- an age of unprecedented political turmoil and bloody conflicts between clans and war lords. Here is a "window in time" through which we can observe those bygone days when the samurai class underwent social, cultural, and political upheavals with attendant pressures on their stoic codes of life and death. Samurai Sketches is a "must" for all Japanese history students and samurai buffs.

Samurai Sketches -- From the Final Bloody Years of the Shogun is an accurate and realistic study-in-brief of the fifteen years of bloody revolution which culminated with the overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868. In this collection of historical sketches written in short-story form, Romulus Hillsborough depicts scenes of human strife, courage, fidelity, self-sacrifice, heroism, good and evil, in prose which are always concise, often intensely vivid, at times poetic. He throws light upon a period in Japanese history which has either been sadly neglected or grossly misinterpreted by Western writers. Sketches is Hillsborough's sequel to RYOMA -- Life of a Renaissance Samurai, which chronicles this historical era through the life of one of its most important heroes, Sakamoto Ryoma. As a Japanese man, and as a life-long student of Japanese history, I am at once proud and happy to recommend both Samurai Sketches and Ryoma to people interested in Japanese culture and history, or, more broadly speaking, the human condition.

Hanshi Masayuki Kukan Hisataka wrote this book originally in 1976. It is a complete work covering the unique Shorinjiryu Kenkokan style of karatedo - an Okinawan/Chinese/Japanese hybrid martial art founded in 1945.

The book contains full description of historical aspects, physical principles, techniques, kata, kumite, and weapons. It is a detailed work, with hundreds of pictures.

I think it is one of, if not the, outstanding books on karate. It still takes pride of place in my collection.

There are so many different karate schools and texts on karate, a very popular oriental martial art, and so, it makes it difficult for the individual enthusiast to know what approach is best and which books to select. But the problem is simplified when the question is asked: "What must a karate system do?". The logical answer is that a karate system ought to offer a scientific analysis of standard techniques and clear, well-founded explanations of all the basic karate rules.

Scientific Karatedo, by Masayuki Kukan Hisataka, provides exactly this kind of treatment in detailed scientific explanations, unlike anything ever published before. Furthermore, this book is more inclusive than other works on the subject. Including warm up exercises, basic techniques demonstrated in multi-photo sequences, prearranged forms, prearranged partner training, self defence, a special section on self defence for women, and it contains little known armed techniques.

In general, karate is interpreted as a way of combat involving no weapons. However, in the early stages of it's development, karate called for the conversion of simple articles of daily use and certain agricultural tools into weapons for the peasantry to employ in protective combat.

The immense amount of material contained in this text, makes this book essential to all people who want to understand karate in it's entirety.

This is a very nice sushi guide,in Japan and out of it with great advices for places to go eating..

I have been looking for a book like this ever since my interest in sushi became deeper. Even though I've been eating sushi for many years now, my knowledge was vastly expanded by this book. I personally enjoyed seeing the nutrient content of the fish per piece and when the best season was to consume certain fish. Carl was also able to share little extras he learned in his search of sushi. For example, I didn't know that the wasabi we get is most likely not true wasabi or the proper etiquette one should have at the bar. I believe that as the name implies this is a truly gastronomic guide to the world of sushi.

This is the very best book I have read regarding the Japanese invasion of Manchuko 1931-1945. Mr. Vespa exits Harbin, China just ahead of the Japanese Police. His family are captured and treated horribly. His stories correspond with what my friend General "C" told me. They were friends in this conflict and the General had the higest regard for the man he simply called "Vespa". You will enjoy this book! If you are the relative who wrote the other review I would like to trade emails. You can contact me at netplus dot net. Thank you!

I have been listening stories on "Zio" (uncle, in Italian) Amleto since I was a kid. He was my grandfather's favourite uncle. My granpa was so proud of the man that took his own family and life by surprise, deciding to leave everything to fight for things he believed in. I used to dream of this courageous man who left a small town and a poor family in the Italian countryside to fight the Mexican civil war without blinking. I re-lived his life through my grandfather's words, his travels through Eastern Europe in an era when no one dared to do so, marrying a Polish Countess and taking her along to Asia; i went through a rollercoaster of emotions imagining trains blowing up, real james bond type action, a glamourous life and such an un-glamourous death. I read the letters Amleto Vespa wrote his family back in Italy, his fear of being killed without seeing his loved ones. My great grand uncle lived his to the fullest and travelled distances to realize whatever his dreams might have been. Secret agent of Japan is a simple and wonderful book that tells you how life was for a real spy in the Orient during early-mid century. Needless to say this book is dearest to me, and I hope that some of you will take the time and patience to read it.

If you are reader who wrote the above review, please email me at laviniapenna@juno.com - tried to email you but your email came back. thanks.

This book is a collection of articles from the periodical "Cryptologia" The articles included are mostly recollections of memories from the people that were there, breaking and making codes. A large portion of the book is dedicated to the German Enigma used throughout WW2. This book is unparalleled as a research source and contains the best documentation I've ever seen on cryptanalysis methods employed in the past.

Cryptologia is the definitive magazine in the area of cryptology. It's a small magazine with limited circulation, largely to professionals in the area. Often though it publishes articles dealing with areas of interest to us amateurs. These articles might include more information that has just become available on the German Enigma of World War II, or the article in this book on code breaking by the Vatican.

It now appears pretty generally accepted that the Japanese codes that had been broken did not provide any definitive information as to the attack on Pearl Harbour. There is new information however about the receipt of some messages sent in other non-broken codes that would have directly pointed to Pearl as the target. Unfortunately these codes were not broken until after the war. There is enough confusion about these messages that people are still not convinced of its truth. But there are two articles on the subject in this book, one taking each side.

Reading Cryptologia to pull out the interesting article would be a task. Artech House, the publisher of this book has managed to pull together what amounts to the editorial board of Cryptologia to put this book together. It follows the supurb book - The German Enigma Cipher Machine. These books seem expensive, but they are not printed in high volume and the contain information not available anywhere else. I recommend buying them before they go out of print.

Now I'd like to put in a request to these authors and publishers. Do a book on Russian/Soviet codes and code breaking. Success in code breaking seem to come with capabilities in music, mathematics, and chess -- skills at which the Russians seem to excell. And of course there's the Venona project.

Regardless, please keep these books coming.

This is a very good book, but as the previous reviewer pointed out, you will need to pick up the English translation etc. as it is entirely in Japanese (full-on Hiragana, Kanji, Katakana, the works).

If you are serious about learning the language, this is probably the best place to start - but similar texts such as 'Japanese for Busy People' are a little less daunting. Since you could probably learn 3 European languages in the same time that it would take you to acheive a respectable level of Japanese, I would only recommend this if you are serious about learning to really read and write the language.

If you are happy to focus more on speaking etc., then you would be better off with another text, cause this is a bit of a slog. Happy studies.

Having studied Japanese both at university and in Japan, I have come across a myriad of beginner's titles but none of them are comparable to Shin Nihongo No Kiso I & II. These texts give a thorough grounding in the language and prepare the students for further study. This is also the text used by many Japanese language schools in Japan as it quickly yet succinctly gives students a grasp of the spoken language which can be used immediately. The texts must also be praised for its methodical approach to grammar which is where many other texts fail.

Please note that the main text must be bought in conjunction with two additional supplementary books, grammar notes and the English translation...

Galouchko's original story is so inspired that it could easily be mistaken as a myth. In her paintings, even the rocks breathe and the ocean senses. It pulses with life, and honours our humanity. I have seldom come across a book which expresses compassion and restores dignity so simply and playfully.

This story is one of strong significance for it addresses fear and liberation... A true testament to art as therapy! As an elementary art teacher, I use this book in the classroom in connection with none other than a kite-making project. It is amazing to watch the children grow from this singular story! Annouchka Gravel Galouchko's (and how is that said?) colorfully detailed illustrations do great justice to this inspirational Asian myth. The way she uses clusters of pattern, shape and color to direct the flow of the viewer's attention throughout an image is musical and captivating. With what seem to be thousands of eyes peering at the reader at each turn of a page, Galouchko undoubtedly reminds us that there is heart and soul in all of nature.

There is a long tradition among artists and writers of maintaining a journal to record observations and impressions. Many writers use journals to write informally, often spontaneously, to describe real or imagined people, places, and events. Artists and naturalists as well fill sketchbooks with both words and images to help focus their observations. Frank Ching, the author of this sketchbook, not only records the optical reality of what is seen; he uses these drawings as a means of gaining understanding, insight, and perhaps even inspiration. His drawings stimulate the mind to think and can even make visible aspects that cannot be seen by the naked eye, or captured on film by a camera.

Frank Ching made most of the drawings in this sketchbook in or around O-okayama, a town southwest of downtown Tokyo, where the Tokyo Institute of Technology is located. The subject matter ranges from street scenes to traditional construction details, from temples and their sacred precincts to stimulating juxtapositions of old and new. He has successfully captured the sights, sounds and even smells of vibrant metropolis Tokyo, enabling the reader to feel the humid heat of the day or the cool rainy mist that fell as he drew. In addition, there are scenes sketched during the author's brief excursion to Kyoto and the mountain village of Takayama

All the drawings were executed in a pure contour-line technique with a fountain pen and black ink. There is a crispness and finality to an inkline that is both daunting and exciting. The process not only fostered the careful observation of details; it also required seeing how they fit into the larger framework and pattern of shapes, and noting which details could be omitted. The shape and extent of the white spaces are as important to a composition as what is delineated.

Francis D.K. Ching (1943- ) completed a month in the spring of 1990 as a visiting scholar at the Tokyo Institute of Technology which he spent producing this sketchbook.

Every fan of drawing, everyone who has ever traveled with a sketchbook will enjoy this little collection of his travel sketches from Japan, and this will delight those already acquainted with the ravishing beauty of Francis Ching's architectural drawings. Ching's other books are analytical drawings, showing architectural detail and forms with a controlled, disciplined line that architects know as the Ching style - contour drawings with a hierarchy of line emphasizing the outlines of figures. Ching's freehand sketches are a remarkably free riff on the drawing approach seen in his other work, as if he finally took his tie off and improvised a solo.

These are predominantly contour drawings. Tone is used for contrast of focus, or emphasis of a figure to its ground, but tone is rarely used to define a volume. The control of line is extraordinary, and the variety of marks interesting. But the power of the drawings often comes from his orchestration of many contrasting textures, shapes, and details.

Ching has remarkable control of representing a detail and describing its place as a part of a whole: there is always clarity in the disorder, even showing the exuberant chaos of telephone and power lines criss scrossing over the busy street. One can almost feel the mist, smell the sounds and hear the bustling noise on the street. The crowds of people are convincing, and he has no fear of quickly sketching a whole cluster of motorcycles. Looking at Ching's drawings feels like taking lessons in vitality, in visual selection, and in how a talented draughtsman really requires an editing, selective eye.

The drawings are unfortunately interrupted by a graphic drawing analysis of the Centennial Hall of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. There's nothing particularly wrong with the analysis but it is nowhere near as compelling as the drawings, and also this sort of formal drawing analysis is covered well in Ching's other works. This analysis breaks the tone of the rest of the books, and it's a relief when the analysis ends and the exploration of Japan's urban life begins again.

Big, beautiful B-17s flying at an altitude of 25,000 feet. Japanese ships that must have appeared ant-sized from that height. The question: how to get the bombs from the former to hit and destroy the latter? This book details the development of the technique, 'skip bombing', that increased the percentage of Japanese ships hit from LESS that 1% to an incredible 72%---and once you read what the technique was, you'll be amazed that it was not only conceptualized, but implemented with success. This book takes you from the idea's inception, through its development, and to its stunning success at the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. I thought this was a fascinating book, a definite 'must read' for anyone interested in military aviation or the war in the SW Pacific.

I purchased this book to find out some of my father's history as a B-17 crew member of the 43rd BG. This book put me in the cockpit with the author and I felt every bomb drop and every piece of flack hit the ship. This is an excellent account of the air war in the South Pacific. It will keep you excited as well as bring tears to your eyes. If you enjoy this era, I highly recommend it.