Japan Books

When I read this book 10 years ago, I couldn't understand what Lomax was talking about when he described how he was held down by Japanese soldiers, a cloth placed over his face, and water poured over him.

It's now very topical.

It's a very honest and informative personal story, as well

I was standing in a college bookstore and saw this title as the text for a class on Asian history. I typically have no interest in this genre but this book was riveting. The detail and genuine quality of the author's words are unique. One expects a POW who was tortured to seek out the torturer for revenge not forgiveness. This story has a beautiful, eternal message to the rest of us who hold grudges over much smaller offenses.

What an incredible book I was not able to put down. I am a big military history buff and found the early pacific theater defeats very disturbing especially the battles in and around Malaya.

The treatment of Mr. Lomax was not surprising as the Japanese were ruthless. Putting this experience into such a personal and riveting ordeal makes this book a must read. Eric Lomax puts personal vivid perspective on the years after his ordeal that is often left out of most military history accounts of battle, defeat and capture.

This book is very cathartic and brought tears to my eyes. Forgiveness is a more powerful emotion and triumphs over anger and revenge.

i also read this when it first appeared, was deeply moved and presented it to my wife's father, a ww2 veteran. i write this review today because a man george bush proposed for attorney general is about to be approved while refusing to admit that waterboarding is torture.

as every reader of this book knows, this is precisely the torture that was used on the author eric lomax, which terrified and impacted him for his entire life, and made it so hard for him to forgive even the interrogator present during it.

several reviewers have said this book documents how brutal was the japanese treatment of prisoners, and i agree.. how can we allow ourselves to become the same as those wartime enemies we have characterized as monsters? god help us if we do not object..

I read this book when it was first published about ten years ago and the moving experience has remained with me since I finished the final sentence. It is an incredibly vivid book that you will not be able to put down.
What Eric Lomax went through as a POW, and his eventual reconciliation with one of his torturers 50 years later displays a depth of humanity that is deeply moving.

I purchased this book thinking that it would include detailed sketches and concepts for the creation of Spirited Away. While, the book did have these elements it had far fewer than one might suspect from the cover. In fact most of the art work were stills from the movie.


Which, to me came as a great disappointment. If I wanted to see the final art of the movie I would watch the movie. Buy this book if you really love the quality of the animated scenes. Don't buy this if you feel you can gain great insight into how it was made.

This book is beyond amazing! I love the "Spirited Away" movie and the art in this book is gorgeous and the screen clips are beautiful. Once I decided to purchase this I also picked up the "Spirited Away" soundtrack. This is a must have if you are a true Miyazaki film fan or even just a big fan of the movie itself!

It's Hayao Miyazaki again. What can I say. One of the most amazing animated film ever. And book explores so much of the movie. Amazing learning and reference book. Every animation/comic lover must have it.

The reson why I purchased this book is because of the art inside. It brought me back to the movie Spirited Away.. I ordered the book with a hardcover.. That's nice to have. The product is such fine quality. I am proud to have it and share the Art of Miyazaki with others. I know more about Miyazaki after purchasing this book.

i dont know what to say aside from the fact that miyazakisan is an incredible artist/storyboard creator. and bravo to everyone at studio ghibli

This is a WONDERFUL Book!!!!
Thanks SO much!!
It arrived just in time!!

this is a great book! it has so many wonderful pictures. it's perfect for anyone studying fashion or costume related interests.

Many costume history books emphasize the historic aspects, or the costume aspects, of a collection's garments but "Fashion" presents the garments, as the title implies, as fashion. It is easy to envision these garments being worn by real people living real lives (the period accessories -shoes, hats, gloves, reticules, fans, stockings etc. - don't exactly hurt) and the presentation, right down to showing the garments on mannequins of the contemporary fashionable body shape help make the clothing `real'. The book definitely lets the garments speak for themselves; each century has a brief introduction, but besides those few pages, text is restricted to garment description and short `blurbs' here and there.

Costume historians tend to get really excited about books that bore other people to tears. This is not one of those books. Every one of my friends who has seen this tome has found in it something fascinating. The beautiful presentation of the garments, the large images and clear colors make this an ideal coffee-table book and an ideal gift for anyone interested in fashion, history, or the art of clothing. I saw the "Fashion in Colors" exhibit at the National Design Museum in New York (check out the book!) which featured many garments from the KCI, and I was happy to find they are as beautiful in the book as they are in person.

My main interests lie in pre-WWII clothing, but the arrangement of many of the collection's contemporary Haute pieces had my nose to the page. I reference this book constantly for inspiration (I'm a fashion major), for education, and simply for my entertainment. The KCI's publications can go out of print pretty quickly so beware! There is also a new book out "Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century, Volume 1", I've been having trouble getting it but it is supposed to be as beautiful and detailed as "Fashion".

This is an exquisite book filled with highly detailed images of beautiful garments. It is a refreshing look at western fashion through the ages since the clothing featured hasn't been photographed in every other book out there. Of particular interest to me were some 18th & 19th century paintings showing a garment paired with a photograph of the actual piece (or of a similar piece) now in the collection of the museum.

The span of time the book covers is from the 18th century to the 20th century. This not-too-tight focus enables the reader to see a good selection of garments from different time periods without running the risk of becoming boring. It also makes it easy to see the progress of fashion during those years.

As other reviewers have mentioned, this book is a great value. Nearly every page contains large, brilliant photos. A must-have for any fashion student or costumer.

I have owned this book for a while now and would like to highly recommend it as one of the best picture books on costume history. The photographs of extant period costumes are stylish and detailed, with a strict attention to accuracy and art. Because one cannot trust later renditions of costumes, having a contemporary resource is crucial, and with such lovely examples as these, this is a fantastic book to use.

It captures the essence of each period, shows off details, and does so with taste and care. Every page is in full color, covered with pictures of groups of mannequins, posed to look like portraits with abstractions of hair in the shape of the period. Anyone can read its gorgeous images and find inspiration in its pages.

THANK YOU FOR THE PROMPT DELIVERY OF THE BOOK: HANA'S SUITCASE. IT WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE BOOK ITSELF WAS WONDERFUL, AND THE PICTURES ADDED SO VERY MUCH TO THE BOOK. I SHALL NEVER FORGET READING THIS LITTLE BOOK. I SENT IT ON TO MY GRANDCHILDREN. THANK YOU.

This was a wonderful book. Hana's Suitcase allowed children to connect the events of the Holocaust with the experiences of a person about their own age who actually was affected by these events. Although sad by definition, the tale ends on a high note, as Hana's older brother travels to Japan to meet with young visitors at a Holocaust Museum. He is able to tell of his young sister who actually carried the suitcase in one of the museum's exibits and who later died while imprisoned by the Nazis.

Hana's Suitcase, by Karen Levine, published in 2007, is the true story of a young girl named Hana Brady, who was taken away by the Nazis as a small child along with her older brother George, and her suitcase, which through a chain of events ended up in Japan. It is also the story of a Japanese woman's efforts to find out about Hana- who she was and what happened to her. The book is incredibly moving. Illustrated with photographs of Hana and her family as well as the Holocaust center in Japan where her suitcase is found, Levine tells Hana's story in parallel with the story of the efforts to learn about her. This structure sets up two crushing waves of emotion that left me in tears by the end. It's bittersweet tragedy, told with beauty and sensitivity.

I have read this book to my fourth grade class for the past two years. They are instantly drawn to Hana, Fumiko, and the story of the Holocaust. The minute they see the picture of Hana's Suitcase, they begin to ask all the questions that the children in Japan asked of Fumiko. They always want me to continue reading and they are so eager to find out about her story. This book has inspired so many deep and thoughtful discussions with my students. They really connect to Hana and her story and the book helps them understand what happened with the Jewish people in WW2 and why it got so out of control. The chapters switch between Hana's story and the story of the children in Japan who are learning about Hana, so it kind of breaks up some of the more difficult parts of the story with the more happier, hopeful parts. I highly recommend this book for anyone- kids and adults.

This is a very different account of the holocaust than I have ever read before. It is a living account of the holocaust and how it still affects our lives today. This book brings the holocaust into the present by telling the story of a Japanese woman searching for a girl who was lost nearly 60 years ago. I loved this story and wonder how many more stories of survival, hope and faith we can find if we just dig a little deeper to unbury a past that is not always pleasant but that we can always learn from.

A lovely book. Translations from another culture and time that we can still relate to. A pleasure to read and reread.

Wonderful poems showing the power and of two woman poets of the Heian Jidai. Exposes the "nature" poetry prejudice that derives from the unfortunately all male cutesy pie abbreviations of Westernized haiku. Waka yes, Haiku no.

The Heian period of Japan was artistically fertile time that produced numerous classic works of literature. It was even more remarkable in that most of the major literary figures of the time were women. Among those great women, Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu were two of the best. Their waka poetry (now called 'tanka') is some of the best literature ever written in Japan and the poetesses themselves have become the stuff of legend.

Doing justice in translating ancient Japanese into modern English is no easy task, but Hirshfield and Aratani have created translations that are as beautiful as the originals. Anyone who enjoys poetry, who loves love, or who is interested in other cultures and finding the universal passions of the human heart will enjoy this book.

--M. Kei, editor of Fire Pearls : Short Masterpieces of the Human Heart

Jane Hirshfield and Mariko Aratani have done a marvelous job with the translation of these lovely tanka-- manages to capture both their fragility and robust complexity. I had an acquaintance who was a scholar with a focus on Japanese literature. She explained to me a little bit about the complexity of translating waka. I have nothing but admiration for those who can do it well. Hirshfield actually has an essay at the back of this book called "On Japanese Poetry and the Process of Translation". I recommend it highly, even if you do not normally read this kind of essay.

I am a little bit afraid that the focus on the love poems and the emphasis on Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu as female writers may give the wrong idea about the strength and importance of the poetry. Shikibu is widely considered the greatest poet of her period and Ono no Komachi was one of the Rokkasen-- the six best waka poets of the early Heian period. The reason that I am not giving this volume five stars is because of this packaging and not because of the poetry itself.

These poems are a joy to read aside from any issues of scholarship. They are strong and sad and very affecting. There is actually no stronger recommendation to read this than the poems themselves, so I will close this review with one of the poems by Shikibu:

What is the use
of cherishing life in spring?
Its flowers
only shackle us
to this world.

Unlike other reviewers, I am not an aficionado of Japanese poetry or culture, nor have I ever studied this period in Japanese history. I found this book entirely by chance buried in an obscure corner in my college library. I read a couple of random pages and fell in love. I checked it out repeatedly throughout my academic career, then bought it.

These women so effectively communicate, in few words, universal feelings of love. While the poems are deceptively simple, they manage to be so beautiful that I am amazed every time I pick it up.

Even more impressive than the writing is how easy it is to relate to the emotions behind it. As I have grown older and experienced so much more of life, I am surprised to find my own feelings mirroring one poem after another. What once seemed pretty words are eerily my own thoughts. It's amazing, considering they were written one thousand years ago!

If you're thinking about buying this, I suggest using the preview to read the few sample pages. If you like what you see, just get it. You won't be disappointed.

This book is the best source on Japanese cruisers for any type of source wether its for the dedicateted historian or model enthunist. I myself am building a 4.2m model of the heavy/seaplane cruiser Mogami and by reading this book and using its exilent drawing I found out that the plan were total wrong parts copyed from other ships. Note for Modelers this is an exilent book for begining a model it includes hull profiles, profile drawings and brige cut away drawings. Put this togeather with Janusz Skulski's book Anatomy of Ships Book The Heavy Cruiser Takao and you have just about all the deatalis for an IJN cruiser.

Book is sooo HUGE that it should have been divided into 2 books. Everthing you would want to know about japanese cruisers and then some!!!!Highly recomemeded!!!

This book is easily the most complete book of it's type in the English language. Every picture, drawing and description as well as narrative fill in a huge void on this subject of Japanese Cruisers.

There is few stones left unturned by this work describing design philosophy, weapons and control systems, machinery and operational history of the designs and ships. Diagrams and photos are plentiful and are placed in the narrative extremely well.

This is the sort of work that needs time to delve in to all it has to offer the reader but the time is worth every second.

There are few adjectives that give this book it's proper due.

First thing I thought when recieving this book from our tame white van man was: that is very well packed. Till I discovered that about the whole package was the book itself.
I found it a very interesting read.
It gives a complete insight in the development history of these cruisers and show the choices made in designing these ships and the factors (technical or political) that influenced these choices.
The amount of detail is amazing. Where can you find drawings of the development of the bridge structures, even of individual ships within their classes ?
It must have been an incredible amount of work to sift through all the material that went into this book and write it up to a balanced and succesfull story about these ships.
Apart from my enthousiasm for this book it has a few small drawbacks.
Some of the drawings are printed on such a small scale that the keys are hardly readable. I would have liked some more photographs; but I very well understand the choices made, and they are certainly sufficient.
The operational histories are a bit dry and a bit to much of: and then we went there and then we went there.
What I missed was a reasoned discussion about the operational value of these ships in conflict with or in comparison with other relevant warships of their time.
But I consider them minor compared to the wealth of ordered information and relevant background as for instance the structure of the japanese navy, radar development and gun control systems. Illustrative for the quality is a nice detail as the description of the significance of the ships names.
A treat tot read, but reserve enough time to do it.

This book is EVERYTHING it is advertised to be. The term "definitive" is often overused, but not in this case.

I was hesitant to buy this book at first; war stories from the Japanese captain's eyes? He is just gonna bad mouth the Americans and say a bunch of non-sense as to why the war wasn't Japan's fault I suspected.

But it turns out he is acutally pretty fair in his descriptions and most of his opinions of the war. He appears to be highly competent and realistic; traits not often seen amoung his fellow commanders. Description of the actions are very good and his career through the war is very interesting.

I would certainly recommend this as an addition to your war book colection.

If you, like I, have an interest in WWII, this book is for you. I've read many books on submarine and destroyer actions from WWII and this is the first one from the Japanese point of view. It was riveting and hard to put down.

Hara gives an unusual and frank insight in the workings of the Japanese Navy during WWII. He describes in great detail how he fought many battles as a destroyer captain and what he, his colleagues and enemies did right or wrong: many battles were stacks of blunders and were won by who blundered the least or simply was the luckiest.

Couldn't put it down: had to keep reading which cost me some sleep....

This may be one of the best first person accounts of the Pacific theater of operations, that I have read from either side. Not only does Capt. Hara explain the individual battles in which he participated in vivid detail, he also gives his own perceptions of Japanese leadership (or lack thereof) during this incredibly demanding period. With his background in torpedo warfare, Hara shares his perception of both the abilities and short-comings within his own navy, but also those of the USN (praise and condemnation where he deemed appropriate, including himself). Overall a very good and fast paced oral history of the Pacific War, I would recommend to anyone.

Probably one of the two books anyone interested in the Pacific naval war simply MUST have in his libraray (the other the brilliant 'Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy' by the unfortunately named Paul S. Dull). True experts and affecionados should overlook the occasional mis-identification of ship types (undoubtedly a result of either negligent editing or translation problems), but otherwise a superb recollection of the Pacific war from the point of view of a famous Japanese destroyer captain.

Having studied this war and its naval campaigns, one thing that always struck me was the peculiar paradox of the near-deification of Admiral Yamamoto (engineer of the Pearl Harbor attack) by the Japanese at the time, and many foreign historians as well. Frankly, from any objective point of view, it was Yamamoto who almost single-handedly ensured the disasterous defeat of the Japanese navy, first, by not in fact taking out the most important targets at Pearl Harbor (the enormous fuel tank farm, and the even more important ship-repair facilities and machine shops), and secondly, by repeatedly committing vastly insufficient forces at the places of most importance, and invariably sending these elements through the most convoluted and tortuous separate routes to get there (each element could be easily defeated one at a time).

Further, it appears that at no time during the war did the Japanese have the slightest interest in obtaining or using intelligence, by either method or desire, and this led them into one catastrophe after another. Guadalcanal is probably the best exemplar of this failed strategy, where neither the Japanes Navy, nor the Japanese Army had any idea of the strength of the American presence there, apparently weren't even interested, and instead committed and lost battalions, regiments, whole divisions of troops and squadrons of ships again, and again, and again, until both the Army, and Navy were bled white.

The Japanese submarine fleet was even more useless, not because of any real defect in the subs themselves, but the ridiculous manner in which they were used. This is even more stunning when you consider that not only was the Japanese submarine fleet largely founded by German engineers and specialist after the First World War, but the Japanese maintained close communications with the Germans throughout the war, even sending submarines to Germany and back several times, as well as German U-Boats sailing to Japan and being used by the Japanese Navy. Yet despite the continued availability of the very finest in submarine expertise, the Japanese apparently never bothered to discuss the topic of strategy and/or tactics with the Germans. Incredible!

With all my various studies of this war, I never came across any real recognition of these fundamental flaws, until I read this book, and it is apparent that not only were these flaws as real as i thought, but that many members of the Japanese Navy itself were fully cognisant of these same mistakes, and yet, were unable to convince their own senior command of the need for changes, and so went down together. Starting to sound familiar?

My 7 year old daughter received the book and has not put it down. She loves Nona and hangs on to every word. I listen as she reads aloud and can hear the excitement in her voice. What a wonderful book. It took us a while to receive the book since it is now out of print but it was well worth the wait. Now, we are on the hunt for dolls.

This was one of the first "sophisticated" books I read as a child, and it turned me into a rabid and lifelong fan of Rumer Godden. Any child who feels different from her peers, owing to culture, experience, or merely personality and interests, will be able to identify with young Nona Fell, who after years in India is sent to the home of her English aunt and uncle for her education. Shy and lonely, Nona begins to make unusual friends when she and her cousin Belinda are sent a pair of Japanese dolls -- the Miss Happiness and Miss Flower of the title -- and she embarks on a plan to build them a proper Japanese dolls' house. (Plans and instructions included!)

Godden was a master at understanding and portraying the minds of children, particularly "misfits," and her prose was the first to teach me that there can be such a thing as a literary style, even in books for young people. Equally important, this book and others by Godden are excellent ways to introduce children to other cultures: as an American child, I was fascinated by both the Englishness of the book and its explorations of Japanese customs, via the dolls and Nona's research. Nona's difficult relationship with Belinda also suggests some useful talking points for parents.

A wonderful book for little girls. I read it and its sequel, "Little Plum," at 6, but it should appeal to children as old as 10 or 11. Boys who shy away from books about dolls might prefer Godden's "The Kitchen Madonna," which offers similar qualities but has a young male protagonist.

My 8 year old is a reading fanatic. She really liked this book, but it was a very fast read (about an hour and a half)....my point being that I think it is better for a "newer reader". Even for an 8 year old, however, it is interest catching. Just know that a less experienced reader (6 or certainly 7yr old) could also read this!

This book is still one of my favorites. I read it when I was 10 years old and in 5th grade. I fell in love with the idea of creating a home for my dolls, so I begged my dad to build me the same dollhouse, which he did. I spent many weeks searching for items to put in it, but I had some trouble finding things that looked Japanese. This book inspired me to learn more about other cultures and languages. I still have the dollhouse, and am planning to refurbish it this summer. I bought a copy of the book about 18 years ago, but it was very hard to find. I'm glad that it is more easily avaiable today. This would be a fun book to read with a child, and the house would be a fun project to make together.

The origami collected in the book is very interesing. Also the instruction is as detail as everyone-can-do. The only cons is the instruction is on the back of the paper you use for the origami, which means either you have to figure out a way to follow the instruction during the process, or you use other paper.

This is one of the best origami books ever written. My all-time favourite model John Montroll's Goose which I have made hundreds of times is included, along with the wonderful and now classic Rose by Kawahata, David Brill's lidded box and transparent bottle, a series of twist folded cubes and many other beautiful and stylish paperfolds too numerous to list here.

The models are not for the complete beginner but will for the most part require some experience at intermediate level and the book is a good graduation point if you wish to move on to more advanced work.

The book has stood the test of time - the original edition was first published in Japanese in 1985 and then in English in 1987 - and is as fresh and exciting to read today as it was then. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

I collect Origami books. Each book has something new. This one does too but I mostly buy it for some of the known folds such as Kawasaki Rose.

I recently got this book for my birthday, and months from now, I'm still doing much of it. I've made nearly all of the models, and even did one of the 300 sonobe units modulars. I've tried the stegosaurus, and I'm starting to be able to clean new ones. Everything I do astounds my classmates in various classes.

Even though I've been told I'm crazy, I started the 900 unit sphere with a couple friends, and we have over 150 units put together.

This book has some models for beginners, but I'd say it's more for intermediate-advanced folders. The rose is defintely one to try, although it took me a couple tries just to get it. This is my current favorites origami book out of at least 10. A definite must-buy.

I have been reading this book and folding models every night since I bought it! It serves as a great introduction into some more advanced folding techniques. The models are very interesting and the directions are easy to follow. The book is structured like a reference book and easy to use. The pictures inside are 2 tone, but high quality.

In the 1980s, Japan was seen as an unstoppable economic juggernaut, a tsunami that would wash over the entire world. Then, suddenly, everything went wrong. Japan went through a decade of correction for its sudden rise. China and India stepped up on the stage as Japan faded into the background. An entire sub-industry of knowledge - that of the so-called "Japan expert" - has mostly disappeared. The general consensus seems to be that Japan rose rapidly, stumbled, and is now quickly on its way back to global irrelevance.

But then Carl Kay and Tim Clark produced this small book. It essentially says, "wait a second, there's a lot of opportunity in Japan. In fact, now might be a better time than ever!" It is a message that is absolutely correct, and one that the outside world still seems to be ignoring. Outsiders seem to get caught up on the macro issues in Japan; the aging and shrinking population, the looming national debt, the general national malaise, the long and prestigious list of foreign multinationals that have gone to Japan and failed. What Carl and Tim's book advises us to do is to understand and embrace what is still there. Japan is still the world's second largest economy in nominal terms. Even after the "lost decade," Japan's economy is still larger than China's and India's combined. There is a shortage of workers, and a shortage of new ideas. Japan doesn't need foreign multinationals to come in and swallow up her domestic companies. Japan needs entrepreneurs! Japan needs thinkers and builders! And unlike China or India, foreign entrepreneurs won't face hundreds or thousands of domestic entrepreneurial competitors.

Carl Kay and Tim Clark interviewed dozens of entrepreneurs in Japan, many foreign born, some Japanese, all of whom succeeded because they "thought different." It is a testament to Carl and Tim's skills as writers that each story is clear, engrossing, and illustrative. It is the best book on Japanese business or economics I have read in at least two decades. Read this book, become inspired, then move to Japan and make your dream reality.

I have found most books concerning "foreigners" or "foreigners running businesses" in Japan to be either overly pedagogical, overly repetitive, or downright depressing. Kudos to Carl Kay, Tim Clark and the editors. They have done a marvelous job putting together a fast-paced book, rich with facts and unique insights on real "gaijin" success stories. And, it's not about the typical white, Anglo-Saxon corporate raider from New York City. We hear feel-good stories of Chinese and Indian entrepreneurs, too. I couldn't put the book down. Order it now and you'll end up recommending it to your friends, as I have.

The authors accurately portrayed how foreigners living in Japan can become successful entrepreneurs and address the country's unmet needs in financial, real estate, IT and health care services. Shortcomings in the market have been corrected by persistent foreigners who don't take "no" for an answer.

Although this 2005 book was intended for non-Japanese readers, it contained so much insight (which was not available in Japanese publications) that it had to be translated into Japanese.

As a layman who is neither well versed in Japanese business practices nor inordinately interested in Japanese culture, I found this book to provide fascinating insights into Japanese culture. The book is easily accessible for the non-MBA type and for those who are not intimately associated with the nuances of Japanese culture. Very interesting read and I would highly recommend it.

This book is good value for money. In accepting the end of Japan Inc, it shows how and where opportunities are opening up in a range of service related areas from healthcare to shopping malls. The economics behind the book is that Japan neglected services and frills when it was playing economic catch up with the West. The business potential stemming from that is immense; while the Japanese excelled at making electronic gadgets, they lagged in a range of other areas. Instead of clobbering us over the head with a dense academic treatise, the authors give us plenty of examples where huge gaps in the market are creating lucrative market niches for a range of foreign players. If you are interested in running a service business in Japan, this small book will give you quite a few hints and a lot of hope. Definitely worth a read: so much so that I gave my copy away to some fashion designers who are making headway here.