Japan Books

These are among the most amazing short stories ever written. Some could be stereotypically described as poetic; others are more straightforward and prosaic. Some focus on brief moments; others traverse entire lives. Other reviewers have added a note of caution, but my suggestion is instead to jump right in. If you don't like one story, try a few more. The mystery and grace of these stories, the fullness of the emptiness surrounding their intensity and concision, and their range in time, content, and form will continue to astonish throughout one's life.

I hate the actual physical cover of this book,
the front and back cover are both very much curling outward,
so its hard to insert the book in a bookshelf.
This has nothing to do with the content of the book,
but it is very annoying nevertheless.

Yes, I'm serious about the title of this review. Nobel Prize winner Kawabata's "Palm-of-the-Hand Stories", a collection of 70 mostly 1-4 page stories makes for excellent toilet reading, reading of the highest order. Don't lie to yourselves, we all do it - even the ladies. So instead of reading some junky magazine or playing a hand-held video game while on the throne, read this book; its stories are of the perfect duration. The stories range from slight observations to deep expositions on human nature. Coincidentally, one of the stronger stories in the book is titled 'Lavatory Buddhahood'. Go figure. So whether you take my advice as to where this book is best read or not, it's worth reading.

If you like Sudden Fiction as a genre but not the usual silliness which accompanies it, this is the perfect union of very short fiction, craftsmanship and seriousness. Not always serious in tone but in effort. For the most part they are tender stories of rememberance, loss and the betterments of life. They are brief and dream-worthy, almost as if they were prose acting as poetry:

"Startled by a sharp pain, as if her hair were being pulled out, she woke up three or four times. But when she realized that a skein of her black hair was wound around the neck of her lover, she smiled to herself. In the morning, she would say, "My hair is this long now. When we sleep together, it truly grows longer."

Quietly she closed her eyes.

"I don't want to sleep. Why do we have to sleep? Even though we are lovers, to have to go to sleep, of all things!" On nights when it was all right for her to stay with him, she would say this, as if it were a mystery to her." from Sleeping Habit

Even when the stories are harsh they aren't beleagured with excess, but consequential life and its misgivings with some ironic humor interjected amongst the living ghosts. The same can be said for the norm: lush stories that are kindly felt but never over-sentimentalizations and mush. A great bed-side companion to make you dream better and wake a little more human.

House of the Sleeping Beauties is one of my favorite anthologies, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on another book from this brilliant author. The stories in Palm of the Hand are full of poetic and philosophical undertones and magical realism. My favorite one is "Bamboo-Leaf Boats," a poignant tale about a woman who grieves the loss of her fiance. The pain the protagonist goes through moved me. The other stories are beautiful as well. I suggest you read this wonderful book...

Fantastic. A though history of the art as well as detailed photos and explanations of techniques making it easy for you to review a technique and apply it to fabric.

Excellent book!! If you study textile arts or just like tie-dyeing--I strongly recommend getting this book!

I knew this was "THE" book to have for shibori technique instructions. However, the very pleasant surprise was all the history of shibori! It would be fascinating even if I wasn't intending to learn the technique. The instructions are very clearly presented. I have already tried a couple of the techniques with very good results and I'm only a beginner!

This is an essential tool and starting point for any shibori artist. Exhaustive history and diagrams and examples. I used this book in my fiberarts classes and recently purchased it for home studio use.

Many detailed instructions on methods, very nice photos of works by some very talented artists both past and present. If you want to do shibori I would say this is a must have. If you are interested in the history of dyeing techniques this is a great text. I love it.

Great Book. It's a wonderful comparison of the manga and the Anime as well as a great reference for how each character is developed. Also makes a great picture book for my 2 year old. She sits with daddy and looks at the picturers.

This book has lots of interesting info on all the characters and enemies throughout the first part of this great anime/manga series Inuyasha. It has many full colored pages and director, voice actor,etc, commentary. It also features sketches of important characters and enemies in the series from Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku to Kaede, Seshomaru, Jaken, Yura, Mistress Centipede, and many others. I found the sketches useful for learning how to draw. Anyways, this is definetly a must have for all Inuyasha fans.

First of all, let me say my daughter is a complete InuYahsa addict. :) She loves the serial tale. That said, this book is marvelous! It has drawing examples, story snippets, voice character interviews.... very informative.

Beautifully colored drawings and detailed black and white work.

My only complaint refers to the hardbound version..... The spine of the book broke down the back very quickly and had to be taped. Otherwise the book is very well constructed.

Be aware the book is made to read from back to front in the typical Japanese manga manner. A little difficult for me, but my 9 year old daughter grasped the concept immediately....

Well worth the money for reference value alone.

Other reviewers have given accurate particulars about this volume, and I agree with their high ratings. This book is really a delight and a perfect way to spend a couple hours in Inuyasha bliss. I was incredibly impressed with the color panels from the manga, taken from Shonen Sunday Jump. The beautiful printing job brings out the quality of Takahashi's art, and I find myself going back and studying these pages again and again. There is also a nice section at the beginning (short but sweet) about the difference between manga and animation when it comes to storytelling techniques. As it's been said elsewhere in these reviews, if you're a fan of Inuyasha, this is a must-have. Keep in mind this isn't a voluminous book with tons of text ... you can read the whole thing in just two or three hours. But the art in it, and its A-plus presentation here, offers many more hours of enjoyment and you may, like me, find yourself returning to this book repeatedly and feeling like you've picked it up for the very first time. The art in it is that good.

I am actually over 13 years old , however I didnt want to give my email address out so I said I was younger. This is a great book. I bought it for my 16 year old son and he absolutely LOVES it. He is into drawing japanese animation and this book was a great inspiration. All of his friends who are mostly the same age want to get the book to. I did see it at Borders also , for the same price , and you dont have to pay shipping and handling charges, also you dont have to wait for it to show up. Borders also had a huge selection of other Inuyasha books and other Japanese animation characters.

I got this book last summer. Despite being the fourth of an outstanding series of beaded jewelry instruction and inspiration, it provides yet even more inspiring designs and instructions. This book, like its predecessors, is content rich and full of unique designs. I continue to get compliments on jewelry made from this book.

I received this book today & it's just what I expected. Beautiful pieces,great instructions & very nice pictures.I think I'll be buying all her books now.I strongly recommend this one.

One of the nicest books ever.Easy instructions and very beautiful example which you can change yourself if it doesn't suit your style.Small and compact book!

I haven't done any of the crafts in the book yet, but the instructions look easy and the pictures are very clear.

This is by far the best jewellery book I have bought. The jewellery is lovely and is quite different to other American beading books I have bought. the main techniques used in this book are bead weaving, bead stringing and the right angle weave (what she calls 'figure eights' in the book.)However, most of the projects use 2 needles which beginers or people used to 1 needle methods might find confusing. i wouldnt recommend this book to complete beginners, but anyone with beading experience would be able to complete the projects in this book

Recommended to me by a well known tattoo artist, this book truly gave me the nuts and bolts info I needed to make the big leap. Especially helpful
to me were the explanations of the different areas of the body that are typically tattooed w/their Japanese names. There was also a stunning picture of a gorgeous girl with a ray of butterflies tattooed in the body suit style. As the art evolves from a badge of the criminal class to pure art, I believe we will see more feminine interpretations
of this masculine art form. Excellent from text to pictures!

I was in the process of researching Japanese tattoos for my own tattoo design and purchased four books. Bushido was the best for telling the story and history of Japanese tattooing and the pictures were equally amazing. Bushido was informative and pictures were beautifully shot. By far the best book on the subject I have seen.

It's a cool book that shows us many curious aspects of the japan tattoo history and tradition.
But, in another way, there's a lack of variety of photos, like koi fish and masks for example.

Horioshi work speaks for itself and this book is an impressive tribute to it. The pictures are fantastic and it's very nice to see that the family business has its heritage assured.

This book is a great reference for tattoo artists and other artists that enjoy the art of Japanese tattooing. It displays full page photographs (including close ups) so you can see the detail and subject matter quite well.

This book has touched me. The main character is morally strong, and the result of his strength has affected a breed of dog to a point beyond comprehension. If you own an Akita, this is a must read. If you do not own an Akita, you need to read this as well.

Heard about this book when Charlie Rose interviewed the author on his show. Apparently the Akita is a country dog bred in the mountains in Japan. During WWII, the breed was threatened--people ate them because they were starving--and this is the story of how one man formed a network of friends to save the breed and protect them. It is also the story of his family, including stories of the different dogs he saved. For dog lovers and Akita fans especially.

Haven't had a dog in years but love great books about dogs and this is a great book about a dog and the man who rescued the breed from extinction.

And what a gentle man he is. Brings the word Zen to life for me. And to think he never accepted money for any of the dogs, and has lived such a simple pure life. Not only is it a story of a man saving a breed of dog, but it also has some priceless lessons about living simple, enjoying stillness and being content.

I wonder if the Japanese exchange students we have had over the years who all owned Akitas know of Morie Sawataishi.

...he could have been a lot like Morie Sawataishi. Singular of mind, even monomaniacal. Narcissistic. Athletic and daring. And superhuman in his talent--rescuing the Akita "snow dog" breed from annihilation during World War II.

Author Martha Sherrill manages to bring us to a sympathetic understanding of this man in her fine work Dog Man. Dog lovers will find it easier to comprehend Morie's fixation, and how he uses his beloved Akitas as an escape, even a bulwark, from his family and its war-time struggles with hunger and poverty. But Dog Man goes far beyond its esoteric main subject as we travel via Sherrill's fluid prose to Japan's fascinating post-war snow country, and bear witness as it enters the modern age. In the span of her book, the region goes from untouched country largely lacking electric power and prowled by bears and wild mountain men, to populated civilization served by bullet train. And the photos of all those beautiful dogs alone are worth the price of the hardcover. A great read that takes you far away!

I bought this book because I'm very interested in dogs and had visited Japan. While the book really was about a man who saved Akitas after WWII, it was so much more. Interwoven was a very interesting history of what the Japanese endured from close to the end of the war until today. I was in awe of the hardships they faced and the tremendous number of things they achieved. I feel I'd need more than one lifetime to even approach accomplishing what they have.
The author kept the momentum going and has produced a really wonderful book that was never dull and brought life during these times alive. Effortless reading.
I have read that the Japanese take one idea and keep refining it, not just always looking for the next best thing. This is how Dog Man approached his life with dogs. Wonderful book.

Deeply insightful and elegantly written, Donald Richie's books deserve a place on the shelf of everyone interested discovering a Japan seen through the eyes of a brilliant and sympathetic observer immersed in the culture.

What a life lived. For almost sixty years, Richie, born and raised in Ohio, watched one of the most fascinating countries in the world, Japan, change from a defeated enemy to a global powerhouse. As a writer, he had the wisdom in his youth to begin keeping detailed journals of his thoughts and adventures in Tokyo and beyond. Unlike many of my journal entries, Richie's are beautifully written and thoughtful, and the people he met and the insights he provides on Japan make for good reading. Although some of the journal entries are truly gems, others can be dull, if not too personal. It was in search for Richie's telling observations regarding Japan and its people that compelled me to continue reading. I would recommend this book for those who are knowledgeable of Japan, its people, language and history. Without such background, the book would not be as interesting. Overall, though, this is a good book by a man who lived life the way he wanted to and lived to write about it.

I usually start reading diaries with a sense of excitement, an eagerness for revelation, life revealed in the small changes and observations over time. But I am often disappointed. Not with Richie. Detailed, poetic, observant and honest--he makes me laugh and cry. Here is the shape of life--youth, sex, love, change, aging, death--as it is too rarely depicted--full of magic and awe even in the banal. Even if you have no interest in Japan, or in film, you will like this book because of what it shows us about life.

I have only known Donal Richie as a film scholar having admired his commentaries on Bresson and Ozu DVDs. Naturally, I bacame interested in the man himself who continues to live in Japan. In this journal, he meets such notables as Kawabata, Kurosawa, Takemitsu, but what is more interesting is his interaction and friendship with regular people. Mr. Richie goes to a park in Tokyo (his usual hang out) and talks to a homeless, gives him his hamburger. He also befriends local prostitutes while he is also a guest of honor at emperors's palace. What is unique about this journal is that he tells as it is. Unlike some autobiography, Mr. Richie does not try to convince readers, does not explain, does not try to defend his actions, or does not offer advice. He simply dscribes his observation both his own personal life and what he sees and happens to him living in Japan as it moves from war destruction to economic bubble, and to decay.

Writer Donald Ritchie, an expert on Japanese film and a keen observer of that interesting country, has distilled nearly sixty years of life as an expatriate into these fascinating journals. Ritchie emerges as a deep thinker and lover of high culture who derives equal satisfaction from indulging his "taste for the mud" (it sounds much more poetic in French), which takes him to sex clubs, prostitutes, and other similarly disreputable places for which he holds a healthy admiration. His endless curiosity about matters and people both high and low is a strong point of this book, providing a well-rounded portrait of both a society and a man's life.

I enjoyed seeing Japan through Ritchie's eyes from his first days in the country during the American occupation up through the years of reconstruction, the boom years of the 80s, and the bursting of the bubble. He notes the many changes in the people and is quite honest about his own feelings concerning his privileged position as a foreigner, never fully accepted but also not subject to the same severe social strictures to which Japanese hold each other. Among the many highlights of this fine book are the long train trip across the country that Ritchie takes during the days of the occupation, his friendship with Yukio Mishima as well as many other distinguished people, and his closely observed opinions on the evolution of Japan's stance toward the foreigner. A fine read, particularly recommended to those with an interest in Japan.

phenomenal book, it's a must to understand the ww2 conflict. in conjunction with the dvd it gives an inside out view of events that preceeded the end of the conflict.

This book does read like a novel. Although everyone knows the outcome, the writing style is wonderful. The men who supported
Emperor Hirohito's wishes actually could foresee a new Japan as it exists today. Quite amazing when viewed from the rubble and destruction of August 1945.

This is how all factual historical accounts should have been written. Written in narratives, exploring facts and minimizing analysis and interpretations. Its narratives is equal to the world's best novel, and its factual explorations indicated outstanding, continuous and honest hardworking. Analysis, which many times can barely be distinguished from the factual history itself and is therefore many times misleadingly seen as facts, has been successfully minimized without leaving the story tasteless.
The Pacific War Research Society has truly explored many never-read-before details, and amazingly, without assassinating "minor" characters. This is something very interesting in Japanese history. You will find many rebels in its history, but you will scarcely find traitors. This has for many decades avoided Japan from regime-written history, the tragedy that could not be avoided by most nations.

I truly enjoyed this book. The structure, sort of like an episode of '24', is innovative. I was surprised at how the book kept me in suspense even though I knew the ultimate ending of the story. For those interested in the Pacific War 1941-45, this is a must read.

This is the second copy for me. This has to be one of the best thing written about what REALLY went on with Tojo, Hirohito and other cabinet members regarding the "proper" response to the Potsdam Declaration after the A-bombs had been dropped.
Turns out that most of the pap spouted today about Hirohito being stubborn, intent on winning at all costs, and so on is just that - pap. His primary interest was the welfare of his people and the preservation of the polity. It was Tojo and others who wanted to fight to the death. Astonishing to learn that the broadcast of the "Voice of the Crane" (expressing his unwarlike wish to surrender so minimize destruction and death) had to be done in secrecy and so on. Astonishing insights from Japanese Historians examining their own documents first published in Japanese in 1965, 20 years after the war ended, when they were able to interview most of the many surviving principals - only one refused to be interviewed.
Should be mandatory reading for anyone seriously interested in the last 24 hours before the Surrender of Japan. Information was actually being withheld from Hirohito about the progress of the war by generals but he still got the picture and understood. The best thing he could do to discharge his sacred obligation to secure the welfare and interest of His People was to surrender -with conditions about preservation of the position of Emperor - but not because he was warlke, rather because he understood that the role of Emperor embodied the spirit of the populace and Its preservation was in the best inerest of the country. To lose the Emperor would be to lose the heart and soul of Japan.
The book actually reads like a gripping historical novel even though it is wriitten with the dry unembellished style of academicians & scholars.

This book is one of my new favs. It's a great story, and it made me smile. It's a bit diffrent from the movie, (the ending) but it will make you laugh.

but with a few twists here and there and much more in the way of detail and character development. Lots of fun, humor and really allows you to understand more about the cultures involved.

The narrative by the precocious (and somewhat obnoxious) high school girl Momoko Ryugasaki begins with a lengthy tutorial on everything that you could possibly want to know (and perhaps a good deal more)about the sixteenth-century Rococo origins of the Lolita style. She doesn't particularly care about what the reader (or anyone else) thinks, but her candor and perspective on life is endearing enough to keep one reading.

She is a refined and fashionable young lady who circumstance has sadly stranded in a rural and distant suburb of Tokyo. But it also leads her to Ichigo Shirayuri, a tough, yanki biker chick who, at first, seems to be Momoko's exact opposite. Through this odd relationship, Takemoto crafts a story with remarkable subtlety and power. In spite of his incredibly detailed knowledge of the Lolita and yanki lifestyles, his real genius is his understanding and portrayal of human nature and relationships. Just as the bond that forms between Momoko and Ichigo grows to transcend their differences, the real meaning of the story deepens to expand beyond the bounds of culture and lifestyle. And from a reader who has little interest in fashion or motor scooters, Kamikaze Girls gets a five-star rating and a place among what I consider the masterpieces of modern Japanese fiction.

awesome book. one of those books u can finish in one sitting cos its just so entertaining! definitely a one of a kind story. i wish there were more books like this one.

okay probably not words you think of when you think of a Japanese novel about a Yanki and a Elegant Gothic Lolita. Probably few if anyone that reads manga would probably even think to pick up the book. Yet I say EVERY girl should read it.
Because, its about the bonds that are the very beginning of any life long friendship. The friendships that actually last and will stand the tests of what ever is thrown at one during life, and what you'll throw back at life to keep that friendship.

Its just a wonderful book, that every girl should read. Even if its about two wildly different Japanese girls and neither is really a 'mainstream underground' in America, everyone LUVS a E.G.L. and who doesn't want to be a big bad Yanki sometimes?

word of warning, there is some cussing. artfully and tastefully done. and yes I apply those types of words to cussing.

This book was verry intresting. It made me want for more knowledge on the war and that time period.

I had a nice time reading this book. What great insight to the workings of the military intelligence community.

Excellent historical fiction novel. This book is rivoting and found myself searching for more information about the war during this period. Highly recommend.

This ia a book that once you start it you cannot lay it down until the end. I found this book interesting, fast moving, and one I was sorry to reach the end. I enjoyed this book enough that I intend on re-read it. You really get picked up with the story. In that regard I would like to have a follow on book that continues the story. The authors style has various scenerios, at different locations which significantly added to the enjoyment I had in reading it. I have recommended this book to a number of my friends Russell W. Gorman, Rear Admiral U. S. Navy (ret)

The book "The Kochi Maru Affair" by Daniel C. Helix was a "Can't-Put-It-Down" bonanza. The story was very intriguing, well written and well sequenced. The author kept a steady flow of action. Ken Grainger, the hero, seemed to be faced with a never ending string of problems. Problems that he gave much thought to and came up with the most rational solutions. Just full of action. And about a man, a person and an Army officer who had his head screwed on properly.

James E. Tallman
Walnut Creek, CA