Japan Books

A successful businessman who once committed a crime with a partner now wants to keeps tabs on him...

A rising movie actor who is very cautious about his newfound success due to his secret murder of his lover - to which a single person was witness, and who is now his worst nightmare come to life...

A bar hostess so desperate for real love that she would arrange for pretenders to be murdered with other women as bogus love suicides...

A bank clerk hell-bent on revenge from a former co-worker who seduced his sister and left her for dead to cover up their affair...

A terminal-cancer stricken haiku poet who is tricked to be used as a pawn in the murder of another woman...

All these are examples of the short stories you'll find in this great book. Matsumoto's short stories really dazzle you as the criminals' motives are explained slowly and carefully. Adam Kabat does a terrific job in his translation. Mesmerizing... not to be missed!

Having two mystery novels of Seicho Matsumoto I had to get this book of short stories and I am very happy I did. Set in Japan, during the 50s and 60s, the stories are about unsolved crimes, 6 crimes which we, as the readers, follow along with the main characters, be they murders, bystanders or police. I really enjoy the feel of Matsumoto's Japan, a Japan still trying to find itself in a Post-World War Two/Cold War world, a mixture of train schedules, rare if modern phones, old fashion kimonos and tea.
I also enjoy the details he pours into each story. He gives you all the facts - he doesn't cheat and rarely tosses in come clue in the last sentence. I wish more of his work was in English!

I have to give Joseph King's book "Waiting to Serve" the highest rating for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was such an uplifting and delightful surprise to come across, (completely by chance), a book written by an old friend, an old Army buddy that I had served with more than sixty years ago. But even better than that was the reading, along with photos, and recalling our experiences together. It is a very well done and a thoroughly enjoyable read.I (Lou Trapasso) would like to get in touch with Joe to congratulate him personally so, if he, or others reading this review who can reach him, will type my name into an internet search, my name and connecting link will come up in the listing.

This book provides a touching and personal perspective of the latter days of WW2 seen through the eyes of a young man and a few of his friends from the "greatest generation" and how the war affected his life and the lives of his family and friends. This is not your traditional "historical war story" and provides an interesting slant on some of the way the military works "well off of the front lines." The author also provides some unique insights into some of the private sector industrial machine that supported our troops during this critical period of our history.

I read the book on a recent plane flight. Once I opened the book, I could not put it down until I finished it. It is a great one session read. The book is dotted with many interesting and unique photos and illustrations from this young soldiers collection of memorabilia which adds to the interest created by the book. Very recommended.

Written by Yokohama City University creative writing teacher Holly Thompson and illustrated by Tokyo-born artist Kazumi Wilds, The Wakame Gatherers is a children's picturebook about a young girl, Nanami, who has two grandmothers on opposite sides of the ocean: Gram in Maine and Baachan in Japan. When Gram visits Japan for the first time, Gram, Baachan, and Nanami go on a seaside trip to gather Wakame, a long, curvy seaweed that floats near the shore. Gram and Baachan share stories about how seaweeds are used in Maine and Japan, and Nanami translates for both. Enthusiastic color paintings illustrate this wonderful tale about family togetherness and forming connections between cultures.

This book is spot on when it comes to comparing and contrasting the cultures of two grandmothers from Japan and Maine (USA) as they harvest seaweed together with their Japanese granddaughter. The attention to details by the artist is a welcome treat as anyone who has actually been to this part of Japan will attest. The sweet twist at the end doesn't come as a surprise but begs for a sequel.

The first two chapters were a warm up for the real guts and glory! I have never met the author but just reading his book made me proud to be an American. Using the genious approach to cannibalizing parts to fly planes that had no chance of surviving against such great odds is overwhelming.

My advise is to buy the book and read, start to finish!

In any story one reads about Wake Island, Lt. Kinney is always mentioned as a key player. It is interesting to piece the Wake saga together with the individual stories and anecdotes of the men like Kinney who were there.
The story Kinney tells is a humble one, considering the events he has seen and endured. He is the original "MacGuyver," fixing equipment not only at Wake, but also throughout his career.
Kinney's story is like walking through nearly every chapter of military aviation history. Few can ever say they flew in everything from Curtiss Jennys to early Vietnam era jets.
A great read for Wake Island, WWII, aviation and Korean War enthusiasts alike.

America defense forces has become weak. We cannot put our troups in Iraq and Korea at the same time. We have cut our defenses back to far. There are so many potential hot spots in the Middle East and Central Asia in the next decade that we must return to strength. A must to read. Lets Wake Up America!

The book keeps you going and you will find that you will not lay it down. A side to WW-II I have never read before. There is a lesson in the book as to why America should wake up and keep our military strong. I never realized the extent of suffering we asked our men(boys) to suffer, fighting a ruthless enemy without supplies and equipment. The book has made me aware of how gratefull we need to be of our fighting men. A must to read. Kenneth Gatzke

The Japanese artistic sense continues incorporating the old with new sensibilities to produce new forms. The old culture impregnates the new artistic expression and women artists are having their say finally. There is something that is always intriguing about Japanese arts and crafts for it is hard to identify. The intensity of subtleness, the effort put into producing the beautiful and yet the faint hint of the ugly need for strength to survive one's environment all meld in Japan's current art. This book will intrigue, puzzle and make you think about art and its relevance today.

Written by Tokyo-based art critic Yumi Yamaguchi, Warriors of Art: A Guide to Contemporary Japanese Artists is a jaw-dropping showcase of contemporary Japanese art, from sculptures to drawings to photography to unorthodox media. Though some pieces are clearly influenced by manga or anime, many others are of a unique and refreshingly original style. Full-color photographs on every page immerse the reader in a grand visual spectacle, while the text introduces the reader to the basic concepts and message of individual artistic talents. A small number of pieces show nudity or even graphically sexual images; Warriors of Art is not for young children, though the majority of artworks presented are not erotic. Highly recommended.

In 'The Way of Liberation', Alan Watts offers a "rich selection of literay works and transcribed lectures", according to his son Mark Watts. Chapter 1, The Way of Liberation in Zen Buddhism, is an essay written in 1955 which was prior to his extensive work, The Way of Zen. Following this is Play and Survival: Are they in Necessary Contradiction? Watts offers much playful synthesis of philosophical insight and gives us some idea of how his 'thought evolved through all that followed.' With Chapter 3, The Relevance of Oriental Philosophy, Watts discusses the fundamental questions posed by Eastern Religions to Westerners of Christian background. After 'Suspension of Judgement', we get an interesting section on Chuang-tzu, a Chinese philosopher who Watts states is "one of the only philosophers from the whole of antiquity who has any real humour, and therefore, he is an immensely encouraging person to read." The book ends with 'The Practice of Meditation' which is delightfully written in his own calligraphy and stands as a fantastic essay for beginners. Quotes from mindful individuals like Bodhidharma, Mumonkan, Rinzai Roku, and Zenrin Ruiju give this book high markings. Much talk on Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and the essence of liberation within those faiths. Mark Watts gives a special thanks to Rebecca Shrophire George Ingles. Dedicated 'to our fathers and our mothers.'

In 'The Way of Liberation', Alan Watts offers a "rich selection of literay works and transcribed lectures", according to his son Mark Watts. Chapter 1, The Way of Liberation in Zen Buddhism, is an essay written in 1955 which was prior to his extensive work, The Way of Zen. Following this is Play and Survival: Are they in Necessary Contradiction? Watts offers much playful synthesis of philosophical insight and gives us some idea of how his 'thought evolved through all that followed.' With Chapter 3, The Relevance of Oriental Philosophy, Watts discusses the fundamental questions posed by Eastern Religions to Westerners of Christian background. After 'Suspension of Judgement', we get an interesting section on Chuang-tzu, a Chinese philosopher who Watts states is "one of the only philosophers from the whole of antiquity who has any real humour, and therefore, he is an immensely encouraging person to read." The book ends with 'The Practice of Meditation' which is delightfully written in his own calligraphy and stands as a fantastic essay for beginners. Quotes from mindful individuals like Bodhidharma, Mumonkan, Rinzai Roku, and Zenrin Ruiju give this book high markings. Much talk on Buddhism, Christianity, and the essence of liberation in the faiths. Mark Watts gives a special thanks to Rebecca Shrophire George Ingles. Dedicated 'to our fathers and our mothers.'

From the the start to the end of the Art of Advantage it is the Way of the Longsword and the Side Arm.
For those men/women at Arms this is the cycle.

Minimalist, simple and direct. If you know the japanese culture, these three words are complements for this book. As the yagyu shinkage ryu, the book is the essence of a fantastic and very effective art. If you practice Yagyu ryu as we do or you're a martial artist, this book is just as mandatory as Inato Nitobe's Bushido, Tsunetomo's Hagakure or even Musashi's GoRi no Sho

Richard Storry makes his way thru the myth and presents the realities of samurai life. This lifestyle though complex, was able to maintain a powerful and refined culture. Of course the book is also greatly enhanced by the fantastics photos of Werner Forman.

The book takes us on a trip through an alien world. Out of it emerges an austere life drawn from Zen and Confucain ethics, which lead to the devlopment of Bushido.

Richard Storry makes his way thru the myth and presents the realities of samurai life. This lifestyle though complex, was able to maintain a powerful and refined culture. Of course the book is also greatly enhanced by the fantastics photos of Werner Forman. The book takes us on a trip through an alien world. Out of it emerges an austere life drawn from Zen and Confucain ethics, which lead to the devlopment of Bushido.

A very detailed book about uniforms in Japan, with major focus on school uniforms, but the book also deals with post-school uniforms in the work place and even in the home. Lots of examples and a solid foundation set on past studies, books and surveys. The author also shows the anti-uniform culture, which sometimes ends up being just as uniform. Formal uniforms vs. the cult of playful kawaisa (cuteness).
Really interesting, seeming to follow the changes within the life of the Japanese, from school uniforms, to the college rest period (where you wear whatever you want), to the uniform (and job)they will be wearing the rest of their life.

McVeigh examines how clothing in Japan, specifically the uniform, acts both as social control and socializing mechanism, and also functions as a site for protest and differentiation. Along with the first part, which deals mainly with uniforms, there's also fascinating discussion of Japan's "cult of cuteness", an aesthetic which is fundamentally Japanese and which ranges from Hello Kitty to hardcore .... Did you know that some Japanese schoolgirls actually choose their schools based on how "cute" the school uniform is? Too much. Cool book.