The Japan Society Review

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

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

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

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

By Yu Miri Tokyo Ueno Station follows the ghost of one unfortunate young man, Kazu, whose fate is tragically linked to Ueno Park. Through dialogues with himself and the reader, the protagonist reveals the widening [...] Review by Morgane Chinal-Dargent

By Motoya Yukiko This book is a collection of short stories examining the wide range of issues Japan faces in its continuing mission to remain amongst the world’s superpowers. Review by Beau Waycott

A collaboration between Damien Jalet and Nawa Kohei In a striking collaboration between the Olivier Award-winning Damien Jalet and Japanese experimental sculptor Kohei Nawa, Vessel blurs the lines between the human form and its environment. Review by Susan Meehan

By Anna Sherman This book by Anna Sherman, her debut travelogue, is conveniently broken down into chapters and almost all of them focus on particular city locales. The details which follow are explained in such a way [...] Review by Trevor Skingle

By Deborah Install In Install’s futuristic world, androids drive your car, wash your clothes, cook for you. Ben, however, refuses to have an android in the house, preferring for Amy to do most of the domestic chores. Amy is a [...] Review by Eluned Gramich

By Robert S.G. Fletcher In 1862 a British merchant was killed by samurai, in uncertain circumstances, at Namamugi – a quiet village near Yokohama. One year later, a British fleet bombarded the port of Kagoshima to extract [...] Review by Trevor Skingle