Japan Books

This children's book covers a wide range of topics from the Jomon period of ancient Japan to modern Japan. Best digested in small chunks (particularly for younger children), this extremely informative book is filled -- but not cluttered with photographs, drawings, and tidbits which make reading nonfiction work more palatable for young children. The book is a chronological journey through Japan, but also has a few sprinklings of culture...touching briefly on the tea ceremony, poetry, and the arts. We are stationed in Japan and we have all learned a tremendous amount of history about our host country's history with this book as the main "text". The target age is likely middle school, but younger readers with an interest will enjoy it as well (mine are 6 and 8 so we just cover one of the 6 sections a week). I recommend the following nonfiction books to accompany this one, especially if you want to add more culture: Ancient Japan unit (e-book by Teacher Created Resources) Teacher Created THEMATIC UNIT ANCIENT JAPAN CHALLENGING - 1 book which uses Tames' book; The Japanese (Ancient World); Step Into... Ancient Japan (The Step Into Series) (and other books) by Fiona MacDonald; Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy;and Japan (Make it Work! History).

Past and present gave a westerner view of culture and their characteristic vertues. Having Japanese friends and co-workers I wanted to understand their unfathomable virtue and how civil the makeup. I find that Mr. Tames not only covered the world they came from but how they are contributing to our culture in America 2000. Past and Present :-)

You are lucky if you can get your hands on a copy of this book. I've been to Japan many times with my daughter who lived there for three years and speaks fluent Japanese. For us, it is a breeze to travel there. For most people who are not Japanese or don't speak or read it it is very difficult to see anything off the beaten track. It's even difficult on the beaten track. With this book I could travel by myself throughout the Tohoku region with minimum difficulty. My copy is the first edition, 3rd printing from the early 80's. It's old, but it's still accurate for most things. In easy to read detail it gives driving directions and train and bus routes. I would not recommend driving in Japan under any circumstances until you've been there awhile. You have to contend with driving on the other side of the road (if you are American) and signs that are usually not in English once you get away from the large cities. Trains and buses are the much easier way to go. You will see much more.

Most Japan travel books cover only the most well known travel sites. There are so many interesting places to see in Japan that aren't in those books. This book covers Tohoku only, but there are many, many places that you won't find in any book written in English. Most travel books don't cover much in Tohoku at all, but concentrate on the bigger cities and the most famous cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Those are wonderful places to visit, but if you want to see more of the real Japan you should try something different after you have been to the places the other books cover.

My wife and I were stationed at Misawa Air Base, Japan in the early 80s and this book made our travels fantastic! It not only pointed out "must see" places, shrines, castles, etc., it gave you directions such as "turn right just before the railroad tracks at the school...." to help you get there. In addition, the back of the book has a section which translates road signs to help you get where you are going. The book not only gets you there but gives great details as to what you are looking at, its significance, etc. We once stopped at a (very hard to find) shrine which the book said had a museum focusing on 18th/19th century Japanese sailors inside. We didn't see a museum but found the priest and in our "best" sign language asked him where the museum was. He was shocked (and delighted) we even knew about it. He then opened the "private collection" and gave us a two hour private tour. "What an experience!" We have dozens of photo albums and experiences like this from our 3 years in Tohoku, and even people who lived at Misawa AB used to ask how in the world we found such neat "off the beaten path" places to see. We'd show them the book. Our copy, which is "extremely" well worn and has earned a special place in our library and I recommend it to anyone who travels throughout Northern Japan. If you get stationed there, congratulations, now BUY THE BOOK!

If you thought why spend a significant price for a book concentrating on a private collection of Japanese painting, take into account the following: 1) the collection is superb, covering a number of styles and cultural backgrounds, from Zen to nanga, from tea to Rimpa. 2) The scholarship, research, reading and traslation that went into the text is exemplary, I'd say even touching. Every piece of art is complemented with an interesting analysis of its form and content, the cultural influence that it sprang from, the poetic or religious sources that it connects to, or the social and political significance of the work and its authors. The book is a treasure trove of knowledge about Japanese art and culture in the Early Modern Era, and I find the price exceptionally well justified by hours of pleasure and learning that this book provides. If you are a dealer, collector or just seriously interested in Japanese painting, make sure you own this book before it becomes a collector's item.

This three-volume set is a must for anyone seriously interested in Japanese painting. There are entries on 235 works in the Powers Collection by Japanese artists of many different schools, including Zen Masters, haiku poets, literati, ukiyo-e masters, and eccentrics. These mini-essays are well written, thorough, and fascinating. Professor Rosenfield consistently includes valuable information on the artist and subject, plus analysis of the style, for each painting. In addition, the third volume contains longer biographies of the artists and other helpful infomation such as seal photographs, a useful index, and a full bibliogfraphy. Most of all, however, this set of books makes the art come alive within the context of an early modern Japan that welcomed individualism, leading to some of the most poetic, dramatic and evocative painting in East Asian history. This set of books can be read for pleasure, as well as serving as a vital resource in the field of East Asian art.

Revealing, personal account of a woman's life in prewar Japan

Must reading for anyone interested in feminism in Japan. I can't believe this is out of print.

This is a great book for anyone interested in organic farming, history, and different cultural perspectives.

A wonderful book, despite its having been originally written more than 100 years ago. Fresh and sobering look at what it takes to make a civilized society run on a daily basis without modern technology, from food production to how to make cotton mattresses by hand, to manufacturing coal based blocks for home heating and cooking - in a backyard; and how to build a k'ang, a raised heated platform used for sitting and sleeping.
'Farmers' also gives an idea of the human cost and effort needed to keep land fertile and productive, conserve scarce resources, and the ingenuity required daily to have a reasonably comfortable, sustainable lifestyle over many hundreds of generations - a workable world one can confidently pass on to one's descendents, something we DON'T have, for all our vaunted "quality of life" in the US.

A tremendous amount of information for such a small book...and consequently small price. Quite good on tactics. Organization and weapons are not so well done as are some other sources, but the other sources are commonly available and easily found. I'm glad I bought this book and hope that MBI will continue to expand this excellent series.

If you think al Qaeda is bad news, let me introduce you to Imperial Japan, a xenophobic society of death-worshipping nationalist religious fanatics. Leo Daugherty describes the Japanese soldier in 95 pages divided into six chapters:

--martial tradition

--induction and training

--military organization

--tactics

--individual weapons and equipment

--Japanese infantry division support weapons

Want to know what motivated the Imperial Japanese soldier to hunker down in a spider hole clutching an unexploded American aircraft bomb and a hammer? That soldier was going to blow up an American tank-and himself. The Kamikaze came about when military defeat and lack of war material meshed with the duty of the Japanese soldier to die in battle-if necessary, by killing himself. Daugherty wrote that the state religion of Shinto and the code of Bushido incorporated in 1867. Emperor Hirohito was considered a god, and anything done in service to that god was good. The national goal was unifying the world-under Japanese leadership. The soldier's code, Senjinkun, was pounded into already-prepared recruits. A military junta ruled Japan and this junta prepared the Japanese people for total war. On page 21 a table lists the year-long conscript training cycle-but this wasn't the beginning of military training. School children were indoctrinated early. "By 1934, more than one-third, or 915,000, of Japan's young men in the appropriate age bracket studied and drilled at these youth training centers."

No wonder part of the Japanese Imperial Guards rebelled when Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's capitulation!

Japan had no jungles to train in, yet the Japanese soldier was an excellent jungle fighter. This was the result of long, thorough training. The Japanese soldier was trained to fight at night as a means of overcoming enemy forces superior in numbers and firepower. The bayonet and hand grenade were preferred over the rifle-especially for close combat in the dark.

I found the descriptions of weapons and equipment brief but useful. Many criticize the Japanese for having poor small arms, for lacking a submachine gun, for "over reliance" on the bayonet. Actually, Japanese rifles and light machine guns were quite effective. Japanese pistols weren't, and the Type 100 submachine gun was a failure. The United States didn't really have a good submachine gun either, and its Browning Automatic Rifle was no match for a light machine gun. The famed knee mortar provided close-in 50mm shellfire on enemy positions. Oh, perhaps a semiautomatic rifle like America's M-1 Garand would have been nice-provided Japan's industry could keep her soldiers supplied with ammunition. Unrestricted air and submarine warfare by the United States went a long way towards insuring that there was never enough ammunition for the Japanese defenders.

At the division level (roughly 20,000 men-on paper), Japan shortchanged its soldiers on heavy weapons. No matter-there was a decided lack of motor transport in the Japanese armed forces. Couldn't haul artillery pieces and ammunition even if they had the hardware-a severe lack of petroleum was one reason Japan attacked the Western nations. Against lightly-equipped Chinese formations, Japanese units had ample firepower. When confronted by Soviet armored formations, Japan lost a chunk of Manchuria during 1939 in the Khalkyn Gol Incident. Initially, Japan crushed more-heavily armed British Commonwealth and American troops, but by 1943 the shoe was on the other foot. Eventually, islands such as Iwo Jima would bear the full brunt of American air power and naval gunfire unaided-it would just be the Japanese infantryman and a handful of artillery pieces buying time. Like the Vietnamese Communists of 40 years ago and al Qaeda today, the Japanese soldier believed it was just a matter of time before the soft Americans gave up and crawled back home. Given the disparity in divisional artillery and in tanks, this was quite the leap of faith!

Japan declared war on the whole world and her infantrymen did more than humanly possible. "Fighting Techniques of a Japanese Infantryman" describes in general terms how the Japanese infantry achieved this, and the tools that Japan gave its soldiers.

Hai, I'm Noni, I'm Indonesian, I wrote this letter from Jakarta, Indonesia. I believe this book is extra good, I've read another book of her: Finding Your guardian Spirit, Indonesian translated. I'd like to know Mrs. Gibo. Is there anybody could help me how to find her? May be from the Amazon? This is very important to me, cause I want to know more about Guardian Spirit. Please help me... Thank you.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read in my life. Credit must be given to the translator, who did a superb job of translating it into simple English. Regardless of religion, the spiritual realm is one and the same and this book transcends all spiritual paths. I can only wish that more of Aiko Gibo's books can be translated. It is really a must-read for those who seeks the spiritual path.

This underdog title deserves more love!! It's not a mainstream hit like Bleach or Naruto, but it's worth the read. A rookie firefighter with that uncanny knack of being the one everyone is leary of, especially with the way he is.

The story is good and the art is quite good. I just wish I didn't have to hunt it down like a rare and priceless treasure. Finding the manga means either ordering it online, special ordering it from the local bookstore, or managing to snag some of the newest volumes at a convention.

So bring this one some more love so they'll bring it back to the shelves....:D

I recently got into mangas. Like a year ago. I have enjoyed the Initial D series, Naruto, One Piece, and quite a few others.

This manga is exceptional but what I dont understand is why they dont carry it in the stores. I live near a comic book store and they have everything you can imagine. Yet, they dont carry Daigo. So I order them online.

The story follows a young fellow that works as a firefighter. His name is Daigo and he works for Company M.

That explains the title. But the illustrations are top notch and story telling is a real page turner.

If you havent gotten into this series, I urge you to. It will be worth it. At least get the first one and if you dont like it, then just let it collect dust. But I assure you, you will like it if you like the other mangas mentioned above.

yoshi

Robert Allen has produced an amazing work on the oft-reported saga of the Marine Corps and Iwo Jima, that terrible island. As an amateur military historian (and former Marine who has attempted to reconstruct certain campaigns), I found myself asking over and over again: where and how did he get this information? how long did it take to accurately compile, for instance, the daily "muster rolls" of an entire battalion in the field? The picture that emerges of the Iwo Jima assault is even more horrifying from this perspective of dry military "diaries" and the daily recounting of casualties and replacements. This was island warfare against Japan at its worst, and Allen's microscopic treatment helps to bring it all into focus at the fighting man's level. With the United States Government itself doing little to advance in-depth WWII analysis, writers like Allen are doing a great service for those who do care.

Bob Allen's work represents the best kind of historical narrative-a first hand narrative from the perspective of one who was in motion on Iwo Jima's bloodied sands, and the thoughtful and detailed analysis provided by his focus on the overall picture of the events. Bob's devotion is to telling the story and painting as much of the canvas as he can, while there is time to do so. The memories are 50+ years out there, but they are as clear as though they were this morning. You must read this, and treasure it as a family heirloom of American history. Bob Allen, and his fellow Marines and Sailors, put it all on the line for us, and this is the story of what that really means. Thanks, Bob. Semper fi.

This is a must book for anyone seeking an understanding of POW life as well as a better understanding of events inside Japan during WWII. Edward Hale takes us on a journey from a carefree life in Guam to Japan as a POW for most of WWII. Helen Gordon, Hale's neice, does a good job of editing Hale's memoirs. After reading the book, I had a much better understanding of how war and POW status impacts human behavior. Gordon is to be commended for making Hale's wonderful memoirs available to the world. This is one of the best books about POW's I have read. For this reason, I gave this book 5 stars.

Beaten, starved and constantly terrorized, Hale's story renews your faith in America and its fighting men. Hale's story of his Navy life in Guam just before the war is a prelude to his poignant experience as a POW. As a reader, you will feel the thunder of bombs, the palpable fear as shot and shell destroy your world... and the gut wrenching fear to know your life is at the mercy of murderous Japanese soldiers.

Hale's is a story or bravery and courage that bears retelling until the end of time. Unknown to the men and women of Guam, they were forfeited to the Japanese months before the war by the decisions of Roosevelt and Churchill, intent upon defeating Hitler. Transported to Japan, the men suffered as slaves to the Japanese war efforts and ultimately saved by the dropping of the atom bombs. Hale's story belongs on the shelf of any student of World War II.