The Japan Society Review

Edited by David Desser and Earl Jackson This collection of essays is the first book in English to discuss the work of JApanese filmmaker Kinoshita Keisuke, making it an important step into his wider recognition outside Japan. Review by Electra Pappa

By Pierre Loti The novel at the origin of Puccini's Madama Butterfly in a new English translation. Review by Miki Hosaka-Green

By Kunimoto Namiko This book explores how the legacy of the Japanese Empire continues to shape the modern world, how after echoes of Japanese colonialism have perhaps never truly died away. Review by Laurence Green

By Noda Hideki Noda Map’s -320°F is a fast-paced, raucous rollercoaster of wild characters, quick wit, and comedy, charging forward through challenging themes in a colourful explosion of creativity. Review by Rachel Pratt

By Emily Midorikawa This book is a mystery set in Osaka, where Anna, a naïve English teacher searching for her half-Japanese heritage, is drawn deeper into a world whose very real dangers she does not fully understand after her enigmatic friend Loll disappears. Review by Isabel Mermagen

By Ogawa Ito Set in the quiet town of Kamakura, The Tsubaki Stationery Store follows Poppo and rewards pensiveness with vibrant characters and a homely setting. Review by Rio Julian

Kyotographie presents a layered dialogue between post-war photographer Kawada Kikuji and contemporary artist Iwane Ai, an exhibition that questions how memory, history, and lived experience shape our perception of reality. Review by Vittorio Cimino

Directed by Sang-il Lee Kokuho is a raw and visually stunning drama that traces a young man’s rise through the demanding world of post‑war kabuki, revealing the beauty and brutality. Review by Rachel Pratt

Torikaebaya Monogatari is a boundlessly entertaining and surprisingly forward‑thinking Heian‑period novel, remarkable for its intense psychological complexity. Review by Thomas Caffrey

Threads of Life presents an immersive environment by Chiharu Shiota, an exhibition that explores the shifting, fragile networks of memory and human experience. Review by Vittorio Cimino