Japan Books

I've been looking HIGH and LOW for the right book to explain how the pros CREATE manga. Not draw manga. I've got THAT down. It was creating the right story with all it's interconnected stories that had me at a standstill and the little leaves behind me in the wind making more progress than me.

The book actually flows in a manga format, and you follow the story of Kyoko and Alisa. Kyoko shows little Alisa through illustrated examples of how writing techniques are done for manga. The illustrations are drawn superbly by an actual japanese manga-ka. The book continues all the way to about thumbnail sketching your ideas out.

All the techniques are useful. It's a benefit to read them over and over and try all the "lessons" or "One Point Advice" with smaller ideas to get the hang of it. It's a contagious learning experience!

If you are wanting to learn how to draw manga figures, or how to actually draw pages with tone. This book is not what you're looking for. And the first page establishes this for you. If you are looking to help a wounded one legged story along and nurse it back to running status. THIS is what you need to get back on track!

A good introduction to storytelling, and drawing, for shoujo manga. I appreciated the teach-by-example nature of this book, which is written/drawn as a manga comic.

Although directed at those interested in created shoujo (girls') manga, the graphic and storytelling techniques described can be applied to many other genres.

How-to-do-manga books that I've read have a strong tendency to display a great deal of enthusiasm and relatively little useful content. I don't give five stars lightly, but "Shoujo Manga Techniques" deserves it as a useful, well-written book on manga techniques.

I really loved this book. I like how the book looks like a manga, and the characters are cute as well. This book is really helpful in telling you the do's and dont's in the approach of creating a unique story. It tells you step by step of the things that would benefit you as well. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. I truly recommend getting this book. I believe it will further advance you in writing better and more interesting stories.

There's a delicious color photo of each recipe, and even the typically Japanese ingredients needed are photographed and described at the end of the book. The method of preparation is clear and simple, and the book really makes you feel confident of spectacular results.

I LOVE Keiko Hayashi and have enjoyed her cookbooks for almost 20 years! In fact, I'd have to admit, she taught me how to cook Japanese (wa-shoku).

Simple & Delicious certainly lives up to its title and is a delight for the eyes and the palate. My only request, Ms. Hayashi, is to provide some sympathetic substitutes for those hard-to-find Japanese ingredients, so Westerners can still complete your wonderful recipes.

Thanks for spreading the joy of great Japanese cuisine.

This is a fabulous cookbook. It's the best I've found on Japanese cusine. Beautiful photos generously illustrate recipes as well as preparation techniques. An added delight is the illustrated index of ingredients and utensils. But the recipies are the best part of all. They are superb in taste yet not difficult to prepare. This wonderful book lives up to its title!

This book was puchased as a gift and I know my daughter in law will enjoy reading it since she is very interested in Papercrafts.

First, I browsed this book and was really amazed how simple these projects are and decided to buy it because I was interested in origami as a hobby and it may help me practice, and do some for gift giving during the holidays and special occassions.

After a few days, I read the book and really enjoyed doing the projects. It takes practice to perfect the illustrated projects shown in this book. I really recommend this book if you want to make something for friends, family for any occassion. This is very practical and fun.

This is a very nice book which gives the basics of paper folding in easy-to-follow instructions and photographs. The illustrations are vivid, and the projects are creative and inspiring. It has been a very enjoyable "crafts-weekend" for me and my son following the projects in the book!

A precious little children's story about two kids who care for birds, especially an injured swan, while their dad is away for the winter fishing. The supernatural "Snow Country Prince" is very grateful to them for their compassionate deeds; perhaps he's responsible for bringing Papa - who also becomes injured - back home safe and sound. This little book teaches the rewards of compassion and caring for others in need.

Renowned illustrator Brian Wildsmith's familiar hues, his beautiful creatures drawn against vivid impressionistic landscapes, is wonderfully showcased in this lovely little book.

"The Snow Country Prince" relates the story of a young boy and his sister in a fishing village in the snow country who care for an injured swan through the harsh winter, while their very ill father is being treated at a distant hospital. Through caring for the swan, the children awaken their compassionate spirit as well as a strong hope for their father's recovery. As the swan regains its strength, the children record its progress in drawings for their mother to take to their father in the hospital as encouragement.

"The Snow Country Prince" relates the story of a young boy and his sister in a fishing village in the snow country who care for an injured swan through the harsh winter, while their very ill father is being treated at a distant hospital.

Through caring for the swan, the children awaken their compassionate spirit as well as a strong hope for their father's recovery. As the swan regains its strength, the children record its progress in drawings for their mother to take to their father in the hospital as encouragement.

Oral histories from the men who where actually at places like Okinawa will soon be a thing of the past. Ms. Lacey has done a supurb job in tracking down and getting their histories from forth men of the Sixth Marine Division. And in the picture section of the book she shows pictures of several of the men, as they were during the war and as they are now. A surprising number of them then say something like 'Died in 2001.'

The Sixth was a division that came about as a result of the tremendous expansion of the Marines during the war. They were formed late in 1944, they were disbanded in 1946. They only had one big battle, but it was Okinawa where virtually all of the original front line riflemen, machine gunners, or anything else was killed or wounded, just about a hundred men per day.

Ms. Lacey is the official historian of the Sixth, and she has indeed done her job well with the publication of this book.

Stay Off The Skyline: The Sixth Marine Division On Okinawa is an oral history collecting the testimonies of the Sixth Marine Division in their own words. The Sixth Marine Division was formed of battle-tested veterans and fought its only action on the island of Okinawa from April to June 1945, capturing most of the ground in some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. A gripping compilation that immerses the reader in the experiences of those who laid their lives on the line for their country, Stay Off The Skyline is a primary source enthusiastically recommended for lay readers and military historians alike.

Although as a participant I have a built-in prejudice, I feel compelled to comment on this notable example of the effectiveness of oral history. Ms. Lacey has combined her talent for conducting oral interviews with her ability to weave a most absorbing tale of the 6th Marine Division and its significant contribution to the Battle of Okinawa. She expertly and objectively explains the significance of the Battle of Okinawa and its influence on the decision to drop "the bomb." Her credentials are most impressive and she has gotten into the trenches for this endeavor. It's a MUST read, not only for military historians and history buffs, but those who want to learn what war is really like upfront and personal, with all the glory and hurrahs cast aside.

This book introduces the aspects of Oriental Medicine in a way that is clear, concise and avoids any grandiose language or complicated philosophy. It is accessible through the author`s wish for anyone to be able to read this book, anyone who is interested in learning about health and the importance of our effort to improve ourselves for the benefit of the earth and of all beings.

It is not just for people who know something about Oriental Medicine. It speaks to the reader in a simple tone. It includes some case histories which are very interesting. There are photos of the form which are easy to follow.

There is a website also about this practice www.taoshiatsu.com and a website for the Tao Sangha Community www.taosangha.net. It is a very beautiful website.

I hope others will enjoy this a lot.

This is not really a "how to" book, but more of a philosophic treatise (with a decent amount of the "how to"). More of an experience than a lesson. It provokes thought as well as practice. This will open your mind and practice.

Master Ryokyu Endo is describing the world of Ki (Japanese for energy) in plain language suited for westerners. This book clarifies beyond doubt that Shiatsu (and specifically TAO Shiatsu) is NOT a form of Massage but a real medical system that is successful in healing physical and psychological medical problems, many of which western medicine is unable to deal with. The book describes the medical system while providing the necessary background about eastern medicine and eastern philosophy. It was very interesting for me to realize that Shiatsu is not just a technic of applying pressure on specific points in the body, but it is a heart developed for 5,000 years and transferred from Master to student. Without this heart the technic is meaningless and becomes just another form of massage therapy or physical therapy, with this heart TAO Shiatsu is a very effective method for healing many different types of medical problems. The heart of TAO Shiatsu (and of TAO in general) is discussed in more detail in the newer book published by Master Ryokyu Endo titled "The new shiatsu methid - helping the body to heal itself" (the term "new shiatsu method" in this title is referring to Tao Shiatsu). Together these books cover both the medical system (this is the focus of the first book - "Tao Shiatsu - life medicine for the twenty-first century") and the Author's personal journey into the world of Ki in his 25 years of clinical work (this is the focus of the new book, "the new shiatsu method - helping the body to heal itself").
Any Shiatsu enthusiast or even a person with some interest in eastern medicine MUST own both books. It is also highly recommended to those in search of the real spiritual work done by great masters at the far east.

Really good selection of artists. Good quality printing.

This book contains many pictures from featured tattoo artists, including the work of Ed Hardy, Bob Roberts, Chris Garver, Horyoshi III, and many other well known artists. The book also has interviews and articles with and about each artist mentioned. It has a mix of styles of tattooing from the traditional Japanese hand tattooing to the western tattoo machine. The tattoos shown are also in a wide variety: traditional, new school, japanese, portraits, etc. I recommend this book.

This book is excellent for finding artists or getting to know more about your favourite tattoo-artists. The book is full of beautiful artwork (tattoos and paintings)

Allthough there is a lot of text (interviews). This book has been a great inspiration to me and i guess it will be for everybody who loves tattoo-art.

Glenn Gould lived the "hermit lifestyle" after his retreat from the concert stage in 1964. Just a little later the English translation of Soseki's book appeared, and the "Oracle from Toronto" considered it a great inspiration for his life as an artist. He used it as a subject in one of his radio programs and kept referring to it until the end of his life.

The subject of the three-cornered world (TCW) is the relationship between the artist and his environment. While the book's Japanese title can be best translated as "Grass Pillow", a symbol for a journey, the translator chose the current title based on the book's statement that the artist inhabits a three-cornered world from which the one corner that is part of all non-artists' life, the rationality, has been removed. Apart from the obvious interest that a Gould devotee may get out of reading the book that inspired the world's greatest recording artist, this book is a remarkable bridge between the traditional Japanese literature and it's modern counterparts.

The TCW describes a symbolic trip of the painting/writing protagonist up a mountain and his stay at a deserted inn, where he "interacts" with the innkeeper's daughter. Soseki wrote in a very precise and poetic style and this book has been properly characterized as a word-painting. The initial trip up the mountain greatly reminded me of a similar trip in Murakami's "Norwegian Wood". During the ascent the artist reflects upon life, society and the artist. He puts forward the notion that an artist interacts with the "real world" as if it were a two-dimensional picture, that he himself is not really part of. Through interaction with characters he encounters during his trip and subsequent stay this notion is worked out in more detail and receives comments from the outsiders. In the second part of the book the artist is mesmerized by the innkeeper's daughter, who is a favorite subject of local gossip. While I am not quite sure that the author intended to give the ensuing "distant interaction" humorous overtones, I thought that the lack of action following the lady's sharing of the steamy hot tub downright funny. Yet, the girl becomes the symbol of the artist's subject and the book ends in a beautiful finale stressing the importance of compassion in art.

In all this is a short, very worthwhile read. The story flows seemingly effortless in a way that reminds one of the famous liner notes that Bill Evans wrote for Miles' Davis "Kind of Blue" album. All characters are truly three-dimensional and the writing style is fluent and evocative. I addition, this book gives a unique Eastern perspective on the relationship between art(ists) and society.

Just after finishing this book, I received Kevin Bazzana's superb new Gould biography from Amazon Canada, which mentions this book on several occasions. Let's hope that the TCW may get a revival, both for it's own great merits and the effect the writer continues to have on contemporary Japanese literature.

There are many themes examined in The Three Cornered world, the most predominant being the interior thoughts of the painter-poet on his vision quest. Much mush has been written of the Japanese poets' concern with nature, but here, for all its landscapes and mountains and moons and spring airs, we see what that nature poetry is truly all about. Nature in Soseki (For, among other things, Soseki is creating, not only a novel, but expressing a theory of aesthetics) is not an object apart from the artist (Who is different from most people) it is a sense object, and nature is not the thing, but the source of sensual awareness. Japan is a sensual country, and the Japanese are a sensual people. The Japanese, for all their supposed rigidity and formality, are deeply emotional and intense, and are the most avowedly aesthetic (Not rational, not formal, but artistic) culture that our species has produced. The Three Cornered World examines this theme of the artist in the world and connects this theme to a more general concept of the artist as a person aware of the world's artists--at least the asthetics of China and England--in a manner that suggests the importance and value and uncertainty of the life of the artist. While Soseki longs for a Buddhist escape from the "Real" world, at the same time, his artist is at his most absurd, even silly, when he acheives that escape from the real world. No matter what, the man is never more alive, more real, than when he is with the incredible O-Nami, and he is never more in the world than when thinking of her. As with many real Japanese women, no man worthy of living would fail to fall in love with her, as Soseki's protagonist certainly does. I did.

This book is not just a wonderful introduction to the differences between Western and Eastern views of art. It is a lovely exploration of art in general -- the need for art, the demands made on an artist, and especially the place of artists and their work in the world.

When getting around Tokyo, this is *the* map book to use. It has detailed street maps of Tokyo, with special extra high detail pages for a number of popular areas. You can find your way to a specific address with these maps - down the block number or sometimes building number. The exits of subway stations are labeled. And the maps contain both Kanji and Roman type, so you can easily show it to Japanese people to help find your destination.

The typography of these maps is very clear and the layout of the book is very nicely organized. I haven't found anything better for getting around Tokyo.

The larger Tokyo Metropolitan Atlas by Shobunsha is also quite useful, covers more areas west and south of Tokyo proper , but is somewhat larger to carry, and doesn't have the detail in the "blow up" maps of popular areas in the city.

I first ran into this book in 1990, when I made my first trip to Japan on business. Since then, I have had 3 editions, and, as I now live in Tokyo, my dog-earred copy travels in my briefcase or backpack everywhere I go.

MOST of Tokyo has signs using Roman characters (romaji), but, there are still some train stations, or street signs that are in kanji characters only.

Lost? You can use this map to "match" the characters, even if you cannot read the kanji! Every station, street, river, ward, neighborhood is printed both in romaji and kanji. There are train maps and subway maps, with banks, hotels, and other places well marked.

I invest in each new edition right away, and I give this book as a gift to each of my friends who come visit me in Tokyo, as well as each new ex-patriot who arrives in my office!

This Tokyo (and Yokohama) atlas is a highly focussed explorer's guide to what is surely the most difficult-to-navigate metropolis on earth.

Tokyo's system of three hyphenated numbers signifying the location of an address will strike the westerner as highly irrational, and is often an alientating concept for even the regular visitor.

The Tokyo City Atlas, a comprehensively bilingual city guide, features a foolproof system of detail and large-scale maps with every city block clearly marked. Japanese address-finding could not be made easier -- this is the one book I wish I had taken with me on my first visits to Tokyo, and it is the one that will travel with me on every future visit to this most exciting of cities.

I recently went to a Tokyo with this and a Rough Guide to Japan. While the Rough Guide was good for giving general travel info and information on the major sights and museums etc, the Tokyo Q guide was what gave me access to a Tokyo which otherwise would have been a hidden to me as a tourist. The book has great sections on restaurants and neigborhoods which you can tell are written by people who live there and have a good sense of the city. However, its strongest point is its list of bars and clubs. I cannot fathom how you would find these places without this book. As a tourist who has no desire to hang at the Hard Rock with other tourists the book gave me access to a number of really cool little bars and clubs which made me love Tokyo.

The best thing to do would be to buy this in conjunction with a regular guide book like Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide because while it is a great guide,it is pretty idiosyncratic and does not give you all the mundane details on sights and practical travel tips.

Props to Tokyo Q. Hope they have a new edition by the time I visit Tokyo again.

The ONLY Tokyo Guide Book worth buying. I live here and couldn`t put it down. It only lists what is really worth seeing and is written by those who live here - apparently over 30 contributors with a total of 265 years of living in Tokyo between them. Buy it.

Tokyo is big and rich and important and complex. While it's not unfriendly, it doesn't go out of its way to present itself conveniently and easily to outsiders.

That's why you need to know insiders. This book is the product of an army of insiders. Cool, hip, switched-on, diverse, interesting, funny and well-conneted insiders. Led by the erudite and witty Rick Kennedy. (The credits say Rick worked for Sony for 20 years. How did he keep his sense of humour?)

The book is great for visitors, but I think much more useful for residents who have the time to search out the restaurants, theatres, galleries and shops. (I had my first familiarisation visit from the cop at the local koban--and thanks to TQ I knew what to do!)

I look forward to the next edition. But guys...I tried to visit the TQ website and kept turning up a 404. What gives?