The Japan Society Review

By Mitani Hiroshi, translated by David Noble I-House Press, 2006, 356 pages including notes and index, ISBN 978-4-903452-06-7, 3000 Yen Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

Kokuryoku Kaigi (Conference on National Power: Group Discussion with Kaoru Yosano, Takeo Hiranuma, Taro Aso & Shigeru Ishiba) By Kazuyuki Hamada Shodensha, May 2008, 240 pages. Hardback ¥1600. ISBN-13: 978-4396613075 Reviews by Fumiko Halloran

By Ruth Taplin Routledge, 2009, 196 pages. Hardback, £35.00. ISBN 13: 978-0-415-46597-7 Review by Sean Curtin

By Michael Freeman Eightbooks Ltd, 2007, 240 pages. Hardback, £35.00. ISBN 13: 978-0-9554322-0-0 Review by Suzanne Perrin

By Mari Ono and Roshin Ono Cico books , 2008, 128 pages. Hardback, £14.99. ISBN 13: 978-1906094386 Review by Anna Davis

Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa As a result of company streamlining and outsourcing to China, Ryuhei Sasaki (Teruyuki Kagawa) loses his well-paid job. Pride prevents him from confiding in his wife or two sons, so Ryuhei carries on the pretence of commuting to work. Review by Susan Meehan

Directed by Yosuke Fujita “Fine, Totally, Fine” is a brilliantly subtle comedy which centres upon a quirky bunch of eccentric characters, the likes of which many UK viewers won’t have seen in a Japanese film before. Reviews by Simon Cotterill and Susan Meehan

Directed by Kenji Uchida After School starts off by introducing us to Kimura (Masato Sakai) and Miki (Takako Tokiwa), childhood sweethearts, and their good friend and neighbour, Jinno(Yo Oizumi), a former classmate and now a teacher at their alma mater. Review by Susan Meehan

By Taro Aso Shincho Shinsho, June 2007, 190 pages. Price: ¥ 680. ISBN-13: 978 – 4106102172 Review by Fumiko Halloran

By Takii Kazuhiro, translated by David Noble I-House Press, Tokyo, 2007, 196 pages (including index), hardcover £140.00, ISBN-13: 978-1435710009 Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi