The Japan Society
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The Japan Society Review

The Japan Society Review is published on a quartely basis, both online and printed (members are entitled to receive a copy by post). Since the starting of the publication in 2006, each issue covers a selection of Japan-related books and films, as well as theatre and stage productions, tv series and exhibitions. Its purpose is to inform, entertain and encourage readers to explore the works for themselves.

The Japan Society Review is possible thanks to the work of volunteers who dedicated their time and expertise to help us to promote the learning and understanding of Japanese culture and society.

Origami Soundscapes / The Crane

Theatre & Stage

Origami Soundscapes / The Crane

Music and Libretto by Verity Lane Origami Soundscapes/ The Crane brings music traditions from various parts of the world and combines them with other art forms. Review by Alice Baldock

British Royal and Japanese Imperial Relations, 1868-2018

Books

British Royal and Japanese Imperial Relations, 1868-2018

Edited by Peter Kornicki, Antony Best and Sir Hugh Cortazzi Complemented by a significant plate section, with many rarely seen historical photographs and illustrations, together with supporting chronologies, this book will become a benchmark reference on [...] Review by Ian Nish

Scored in Silence

Theatre & Stage

Scored in Silence

Directed and performed by Chisato Minamimura Scored in Silence was a mixture of performance, lecture, history lesson, and an experiment with new technology shedding light on the deaf experience of the Hiroshima bombing. Review by Alice Baldock

Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan

Books

Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan

By Philip Hu, Rhiannon Paget, Sebastian Dobson, Maki Kaneko, Sonja Hotwagner and Andreas Marks This publication showcases the Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection of Japanese military prints and related materials-one of the largest collections of such works in the world. This body of visual works [...] Review by Laurence Green

‘Cherry’ Ingram: The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms

Books

‘Cherry’ Ingram: The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms

By Abe Naoko At once both a cracking story and a serious work of scholarly ambition, Naoko Abe’s account of Ingram’s life succeeds through virtue of being more than simple biography. It is a love letter to the joys that life [...] Review by Laurence Green

The Citi Exhibition Manga マンガ

Events

The Citi Exhibition Manga マンガ

At the British Museum Manga is a visual narrative art form that has become a multimedia global phenomenon, telling stories with themes from gender to adventure, in real or imagined worlds. Review by Malene Wagner

Oh, Tama!

Books

Oh, Tama!

By Kanai Mieko Oh, Tama! takes the reader deep into the haphazard lives of Natsuyuki, the protagonist, and his loosely connected circle of dysfunctional acquaintances and family. Review by Poppy Cosyns

Electrified Voices: How the Telephone, Phonograph, and Radio Shaped Modern Japan, 1868-1945

Books

Electrified Voices: How the Telephone, Phonograph, and Radio Shaped Modern Japan, 1868-1945

By Yasar Kerim In Electrified Voices, Kerim Yasar traces the origins of the modern soundscape, showing how the revolutionary nature of sound technology and the rise of a new auditory culture played an essential role in the [...] Review by Francesco Cioffo

The Little House

Books

The Little House

By Nakajima Kyoko The Little House is set in the early years of the Showa era (1926-89), when Japan’s situation is becoming increasingly tense but has not yet fully immersed in a wartime footing. Review by Robert Paul Weston

The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories

Books

The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories

Edited by Jay Rubin A varied collection celebrating the great Japanese short story, from its modern origins in the nineteenth century to the remarkable examples being written today. Review by Jill Dobson