The Japan Society Review

By Christopher Roberts In this meticulously researched book, Dr Roberts presents a detailed account of the work of the British courts operating in Japan under the terms of the 1858 Treaty. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

Edited by Gregory Irvine This book is much more than another book on Japonisme in late ninetenth century Europe. Gregory Irvine describes the way in which Japanese art objects reached the west in a chapter headed [...] Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Dazai Osamu This collection of short stories, released recently through the still relatively young Kurodhahan Press, can be seen as a quaint but pleasant divergence from the narrative and themes that fans of Dazai will [...] Review by Chris Corker

Directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura The movie begins with a newsreel about the ‘Projects,’ a housing estate where people can live, work, shop and go to school without ever leaving the local area. Happy families and housewives are shown living and [...] Review by Mike Sullivan

On Monday 7 October 2013, YoKOYA restaurant staged a launch party to announce to London that a new kind of Japanese restaurant had arrived. It is located near Camden and Mornington Crescent tube [...] Review by Mike Sullivan

Mike Sullivan interviews Haruka Abe on her life and work Interview by Mike Sullivan

The 2013 Japan Matsuri was held in Trafalgar Square, its second year at the world famous venue. The annual event brings the Japanese community and Londoners together to enjoy [...] Review by Sean Curtin

By Barak Kushner In delving into the history of ramen Kushner throws light on many interesting aspects of Japanese social and political history as well as on Japan’s lengthy and complex relationship with China. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Susan Tomes Out of Silence traces a year in the life of a classical pianist in the form of a blog. Each entry develops a theme that has inspired the author's interpretation of [...] Review by Lisa Ueda

Directed and written by Shuichi Okita In The Woodsman and the Rain the interaction of a film crew and the inhabitants of a small village are shown through the eyes of a widowed lumberjack and a young director. Review by Mike Sullivan