The Japan Society Review

The autumn season offers an excellent opportunity to spend more time reading books or watching films at home. The October issue of The Japan Society Review is here with some suggestions for you to enjoy in the warmest spot of the house watching the rain from the window.

By Fukuda Haruko Told with the crisp, breezy matter-of-factness of a historian, the emotion nevertheless comes through strongest in the remarkable vividity in which Fukuda’s family story is conveyed in the text. Review by Laurence Green

Whole Hog Theatre in association with Park Theatre Based on the stereotype-defying anime and novel from world-renowned filmmaker Shinkai Makoto, The Garden of Words presents a refreshing and original take on the story of the serendipitous encounter between two social misfits. Review by Laurence Green

Directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke Based on a Murakami Haruki’s story, Oscar winning film Drive My Car explores issues related to individual, national and international trauma through a curated film style and aesthetics. Review by Michael Tsang

By Onda Riku Honeybees and Distant Thunder is an intriguing story about an international piano competition and its wide variety of competitors. Review by George Mullins

By Chris Board Abroad in Japan charts a decade of living in a foreign land and the chaos and culture clash that came with it. Review by Cameron Bassindale

By Okabe Mimi An academic tome to its core, Manga, Murder and Mystery is nevertheless a thrillingly accessible read that will delight fans of its subject matter, as well as those coming to it through a passing interest in Japan in general, or detective fiction as a wider oeuvre. Review by Laurence Green

The Japan Society Review is Back! After a hiatus of one year since our celebration of the 100th issue of the publication, The Japan Society Review returns full of energy and great content, featuring books on Japanese design, gardens and traditions, as well as literary fiction and contemporary music made in Japan.

By Nakanishi Susumu In The Country Where Turtles Cry: Climate and Poetry of Japan, Nakanishi focuses on different aspects and forms of Japanese traditional poetry, from waka (the original word for Japanese poem) to tanka (short poems) and haiku, sharing insights about its history and cultural influence in Japan and beyond. Review by Renae Lucas-Hall

By Kawakami Hiromi Dragon Palace is a collection of eight short stories, set in wildly different times and settings, by the celebrated author of Strange Weather in Tokyo. Review by Cameron Bassindale