Japan Books

I found this book by accident while waiting for someone, and I was enthralled by it. Ross uses the sensational circumstances of Mishima's very public and gruesome suicide to explore Japanese martial culture in general and tries to explain his own fascination with it along the way.
While he keeps tracking Mishima's life and death as a guide to his narrative, it becomes clearer and clearer that Mishima is conceivably of no importance outside his role as a popular author of nationalist appeal, and that his very theatrical life and death actually stand for very little. His careful reconstruction of himself and his image is not so uncommon, and in the end there is just another guy coming to terms with the very big chips on his shoulder, although he does so in a spectacular way.
But along this way Ross manages by description of his travels and interviews to highlight and clarify Japanese history and fascination with death in a highly insightful way.
Sometimes this book is just about Christopher Ross: For instance there is a whole section, where he describes feeling unwell and having to interrupt his stay in Japan to return to the UK. One can't help wondering if his editor slept through that part, since it seems to have very little to do with the rest of the story.
Fortunately these deviations are relatively brief, as is the whole book, and you have basically read past them before they really trouble you. The rest of the ride is wonderful for people who share Ross' fascination with the martial aspects of Japan.

Christopher Ross goes on a quest for the sword used to assist in the suicide of Yushio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous authors. Along the way, the reader is treated to a history of Japan, lessons on Kendo, and insight into Mishima himself, and icon (or iconoclast?) of Japanese literature. In essence, the quest for the physical sword takes secondary importance, behind Ross's quest to understand the man, the times, and the context of his suicide.

For those that read Twigger's Angry White Pajamas, this book is a more serious, and more culturally detailed view of the same genre. Perhaps the connection comes as Christopher Ross was the uber-guru that Twigger wrote about...

If there's one issue I have with the book, it's that the writer at times talks down to the reader. For example, most anyone reading this has experienced international travel - the audience is a cosmopolitan set. Explaining the details of an inflight entertainment system detracts from the overall story.

That said, the book is still concise and well written, and worthy of a read from any afficianado of Japan. It certainly earns a prominent place on my bookshelf!

This is a great cook book! Very readable with an excellent introduction on miso and its medicinal qualities. For the miso beginner, this book is a must. I particularly enjoyed the authors's introductory paragraphs that proceed each recipe. They offer a personal touch and often set the stage for the recipe to follow. Good stuff. I've used miso to treat my high cholesterol with great success, and I'm always looking for new recipes. Other miso cook books I've seen are full of complicated recipes with exotic ingredients not found on the average person's shelf. The Miso Book is refreshingly diferent. Most of the ingredients can be found in any cook's pantry. I've tried a few recipes, and so far, my favorites are Brother Steve's Zesty Crimson Dressing (pg 66), and Broiled Catch of the Day with Salsa Verde (pg 166). The Salsa Verde is a knock-out punch. Excellent, with a variety of flavors that assault your taste buds in rapid succession. But, don't limit the sauce to fish. We tried it on pasta. It was yummy. The Belleme's have done it again. You gotta to get this book.

Great book! Explains all the different kinds of miso, how each is used in cooking. A good book for anyone.
Thanks

I love this book and Mistress Oriku as well. A perusal of Misrress Oriku as well as much of Twentieth Century Japanese Literature of the period reveals that the lives of the Avant Garde artists of the Left Bank of the Sumidagawa make the Bohemians of the Left Bank of the Seine look like a convention of fogbound Baptist nymphs. Notice the preeminance of the high regard for art among these, the Japanese, the most completely aesthetic culture our human race has ever produced. Notice also the seductive charms of Mistress Oriku, utterly desirable as she ages into her forties and early fifties. Those who have had the privilege of knowing middle aged Japanese women, know that this is not a fantasy, but a simple reflection of reality. The ending of Mistress Oriku accurately describes the Japanese reaction to the death of the Emporer Meiji, their overwhelming sense that the times were-a-changing, and not for the better. The impermanance of all good things lies at the heart of the Japanese artistic sensibility that tracks back to the Heian Jidai, and the coming of Buddhism to the islands. This book is so good!

"Mistress Oriku: Stories from a Tokyo Teahouse" is simply a fantastic book. A pure pleasure to read, author Matsutaro Kawaguchi has opened a window to a time in Japan's past when delight in arts and culture were refined and simplified, and when a simple bowl of chazuke, green tea over rice topped with fresh clams, could be considered a work of art.

Almost in the Jane Austen style, "Mistress Oriku" tells the story of a women from the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters who was raised from being a brothel-owner's mistress to being the proprietor of an elegant teahouse, whose customers were the leading artists and actors of the day. She falls in and out of love, experiences struggles and floods, but maintains her composure and enjoys herself along the way, taking from life the pleasures that it has to offer without guilt or complaint. Oriku's story is not one of the pathos of a prostitute, and there is no moral condemnation or political lesson to be had. There is just the joy in things beautiful and sensual, be they the warmth of a human body or a steaming cup of heated sake.

Mixing fact with fiction, Kawaguchi has populated Oriku's teahouse with the greatest figures of kabuki, rakugo, gidayu chanting and other refined entertainments from the era. Although they will probably not be familiar to the reader, the depth of information lends a air of authenticity to the story. Like an Austen novel, it makes one want to go back to that half-fantasy time, and experience the love and sensation forever lost in the modern vulgar era. To help guide you, a glossary is included in the back of the book that gives the background on several of the figures that drift in and out of the story, both real and imaginary.

Royall Tyler's translation is flawless, as one has come to expect from him, and one can even sense the underlying Japanese phrases in his English. The rhythm and flavor of the language has been maintained, as has been the subtlety and beauty. His translation is as much a work of art as the novel itself.

The only slight complaint about "Mistress Oriku" is the ending. The entire book is one of beauty and pleasure, and only at the end does the harsh reality of the encroaching modern world rear its ugly head. While this may be honest historically, it represents a sharp departure from the tone of the rest of the novel, and seems to be included only because of the rule that Japanese novels are not allowed happy endings.

As Friedman points out, Japan's rise from postwar devastation to the first ranks of industrial nations has stimulated two rival explanations. One, the "market regulation hypothesis," claims Japan actually owes its success to playing the development game by the book. The other, "bureaucrat regulation hypothesis," claims that Japan's civil service applied a brilliant industrial policy to achieve the desired results. Friedman briefly but cogently outlines the implications of either theory, including logical problems with both. He then proceeds to deduce another hypothesis yet.

His method is exciting because it demonstrates how statistical analysis and historical research can come together to make a rigorous, compelling case. Friedman's approach is highly scientific and deductive, and yet very easy for non-specialists to follow. Focusing on the specific case of Japan's machine-tool industry, he demonstrates the gradual evolution of industrial policy methods from 1925 to the mid-70's. For decades Japan's famous MITI sought to make the country's industries competitive by consolidating the huge number of tiny, regional machine shops into one big "modern" firm. Instead, MITI was thwarted; often its policies achieved the opposite of what was intended.

Friedman introduces the politics of industrial relations, and how the "political" relationships between categories of producers, and towards the Japanese state, helped shape Japanese industry into its contemporary mix of strengths and weaknesses. The amazing resilience and aptitude of the small Japanese firm is shown to be a source of strength and flexibility.

This is actually a fairly short book, and yet it is packed with very creative, enlightening ideas. I was especially impressed with his detailed accounts of wartime Japan and the role of *zaibatsu* in the rise of militarism.

The startling conclusion drawn by Friedman is that there is no one path to development. Japan's was not the result of universal economic laws that apply the same way everywhere; nor was it the result of an infallible MITI. The country might have reached industrial preeminence in several different ways, and those ways would have been specific to Japan's peculiar circumstances.

Friedman was one of the first to capture the essence of the Japanese business model that took the world by storm in the 1980s. Vividly written and wisely analyzed, this is a must read for historical context on the whole of Japanese business.

This book is the definitive text on the connection between the United States and Japan. Readable not just for the historian, but the layman as well, the writing is superb. Snippets of information in side boxes offer amusing and informative anecdotes. One major strength of this work is that fact that the reader comes away with an idea of the Japanese perspective on the West, specifically the United States. Often either demonized or put on a pedestal by Westerners, this book provides insight into both the strengths and weaknesses of Japan as well as the West. The only drawback is that this book ends in the early 1990s, before the onset of deep recession in Japan. It would be of great value to get Dr. Boyle's perspective on the decade of the 90s and how the Japanese recession has affected Japan-US relations, as well as Japanese attitudes towards Japan itself.

The book is written in a way that will keep your eyes glued to the page. It is simply a pleasure to read. The little information tidbits in the grey boxes are an added bonus.

IMHO, this is the best book on home or garden design I've ever seen.

It contains one brilliant idea after another for adapting the ancient principles of the Japanese garden to the contemporary world. One of them I'm adapting for my a tiny space in NYC. My wife, who is a plant fanatic, cannot believe what a beautiful and haunting space can be created without any living plants at all.

The book forces you to see and to think and to move beyond the traditional Japanese garden as cliche and to think about what is timeless about thoughtful design.

I'm a garden designer and a big fan of exceptionally executed work. It is sometimes surprisingly hard to find good design work in design books, I often see one or two new ideas but almost never a whole book of inspiration like I found here.

This book is both a pleasure to look through and also to read. I find new inspiration every time I open it, it is the most diverse book on Japanese garden design I've seen. Many other books illustrate basic Japanese garden design principles, but their gardens usually look very similar. This book escapes that trap stunningly. Use it for information, inspiration, imagination.

You cannot go wrong here if design well done, exectued, maintained, and photographed is what you're looking for.

The book was in perfect condition. It was mailed to me in what I think must be record time.

"The Modern Murasaki" is one of those rare definitive anthologies, the kind that constitutes a cornerstone contribution to the field while being just in and of itself profoundly interesting and enjoyable to read cover to cover. Within its pages are translations of literary works written during the Meiji era (1868-1911) by Japanese women of various temperaments and backgrounds, all of whom though sought more out of life than the role of "good wife, wise mother" dictated to them. And it's a good thing they did, too, because modern Japanese literature would be much the poorer without the excellent stories, poems, plays, and essays found herein--highly thought-provoking or deeply moving, terribly heart-wrenching or wonderfully entertaining, but all noteworthy and significant.

In many respects too this is an important anthology. Of course it vastly expands the horizons of what we think of as Meiji literature, but the works here are also key representative texts rather than the footnotes of literary history; I know for certain that I have come across countless references to Kishida Toshiko's speech/essay "Daughters in Boxes" in who knows how many historical studies and such, but now finally I got the chance to actually read the real thing for myself. The translations are of an exceptional quality, too, carefully accurate and scholarly and yet vibrant and accessibly literary. Furthermore, the selections seem carefully chosen so as to be equally relevant both in terms of literature and social history, making this book extremely useful to scholars and students in both areas of inquiry--not to mention Women's Studies in general. Finally, the handy format of this book makes it ideal for classroom use so it should hopefully find its way to many a syllabus, and yet it's the perfect book to just sit back with at a coffee shop and read for good old-fashioned enjoyment's sake.

Selections included in this book are:
1. Poems in various styles by Matsunoto Misako, Saisho Atsuko, Shimoda Utako, Nakajima Utako, Higuchi Ichiyo, Nakajima Shoen, Yosano Akiko, Yamakawa Tomiko, Chino Masako, Ishigami Tsuyuko, Okamoto Kanoko, Yazawa Koko, Otsuka Kusuoko, and Takeyama Hideko
2. "Daughters in Boxes" by Kishida Toshiko
3. "Warbler in the Grove" by Miyake Kaho
4. Journal Entries by Higuchi Ichiyo
5. "The Temple of Godai" by Tazawa Inabune
6. "Hiding the Gray" and "Wretched Sights" by Kitada Usurai
7. "How Determined Are Today's Women Students?", "The Broken Ring", and "School for Emigres" by Shimizu Shikin
8. "Wavering Traces" by Hasegawa Shigure
9. "Persimmon Sweets" by Nogami Yaeko
10. "For More than Forty Days" by Mizuno Senko
11. "Lifeblood" and "The Vow" by Tamura Toshiko

Moloka`i, An Island In Time is a gorgeously photographed and beautifully designed art book depicting the Hawaiian island of Molokai in a way that nothing before this ever has. The design is by Robin Rickabaugh, who some might remember as the guiding force behind the stunning "Oregon Rainbow" magazine of the 1970s.Photos from this book were excerpted by National Geographic Magazine for an article on Molokai in the 1980s.Precious little has been published about this amazing island, and travel magazine articles to this day do not even give readers a glimpse of what Richard Cooke reveals in this wonderful book.Indeed, Molokai, An Island In Time was the inspiration behind my own book, Driving & Discovering Maui and Molokai. Up until I found Richard's book, I had no idea that Molokai was such a beautiful destination.

Having had the opportunity to live on Molokai and experience its beauty and power first hand, this book is the only work that I've seen that captures so much of Molokai's essence. Rik's aloha and connectedness to this land and her people shines through each and every picture. And the words accompanying the pictures are genuine and heartfelt.

So many Molokai people and special places are immortalized in his pictures including slack key guitarist Kelii Mawae, fisherman extraordinaire and noni farmer. I read and gaze at this book over and over and never tire of it. It reconnects me with Molokai.

Enjoy! And if you are interested in ancient history of this powerful place, I suggest 'Tales from the Night Rainbow' by Pali Jae Lee and Koko Willis.

This is a wonderful story, beautifully illustrated. It has become my 3 year old daughter's favorite book. She never tires of hearing it!

What a wonderful book! I highly recommend it.

I have had the priviledge to meet the author and talk with her about her young life as conveyed in My Japan. I was touched in reading her story of how universal this story is and that this book could have been about my daughter's life or that of a million other children from around the world except for that devasting morning in August that changed her life and the world forever. This story is simply written but profoundly impactful and I would recommend it to young and old alike. It will make you stop and remember that we are more alike than we are different and that war would happen less if we remembered to see the faces of all our children before we took action.

My Japan 1930-1951 by Hiroko Nakamoto is an excelent book. Living in America we have certain prejudeces and bias towards other countries. Because we are Americans we think that the atomic bomb, although we do know it killed many people and displaced thousands more, we do not think about it from the the other point of view. The citizen of Hiroshima. The ones that were there that day living their innocent lives. The victims. Also because we are Americans we are forced to learn about only European culture. I am only thirteen years old, and I knew very little about Japanese Culture before I read this book. The author brought me into a Japanese home. She explaines the importance of family and makes several comparisons to American culture. Some things seem humorous at first. For instance she states in Japan when American soilders appeared at her door she was not sure what to offer them. She had heared somewhere that Americans like raw vegetable, Japanese people do not eat raw vegetables. So she gave them raw onions. Before reading this book I thought only bad things came out of World War II. I now learn that some good things came out of it. Because of it Hiroko Nakamoto could recieve a college education, when before women would never have even dreamed of that. I highly recomend this book to anybody intrested in Japanese and Western cultures coming together to form a new Japan.