The Japan Society Review

By Simon May Each chapter of this title focuses on some everyday human matter, such as love, death, bureaucracy, hygiene, food, toilets, commuting, education, marriage and memory. Japanese attitudes to such issues are explored through a mixture of light-hearted anecdote and trenchant analysis. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Simon May British readers will find Simon May's "Atomic Sushi" interesting and very amusing, any Japanese reader will find it insulting. It is stated on a preliminary page, "This is a work of fiction," so what is fiction and what is fact? Reader's Comments by Ann Dent

By Tatsu Kambara and Christopher Howe China's emergence as an energy importer has given rise to concerns that it is a major contributor to recent turmoil in energy markets. This book examines China's record of oil and gas development, its refining capacity, and energy prospects. The authors conclude that there are no fundamental reasons for anxiety about China's demands on the world energy economy, but they emphasize that its energy future will depend critically on a continuation of reform and internationalization. China and the Global Energy Crisis is a concise but detailed study of these issues. Review by J. Sean Curtin

Edited by Sir Hugh Cortazzi At one end, we have scholarly studies, such as Peter O'Connor's piece on the journalist Hugh Fulton Byass, which actually manages to cram an account of the fortunes of the entire English language press before World War II in Japan into 12 pages; at the other extreme, there is Roger Buckley's elegant meditation of under five pages on the difficulty of knowing just what experiences the cult British novelist, Angela Carter, actually had in Japan. Some pieces are based on research; others are personal memoirs - including no less than three accounts written by relatives or descendants of the subjects - containing much information not available elsewhere. Review by Adrian Pinnington

Directed by Yukio Ninagawa, produced by Horipro Inc and the Saitama Arts Foundation in association with Thelma Holt As part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's the Complete Works Festival, legendary director Yukio Ninagawa's Japanese language production of Shakespeare's bloodiest play was transported around the globe to Stratford-upon-Avon for just ten performances. Although Titus Andronicus is not so frequently performed, it's a strangely compelling tale of intense violence and horrific retribution. Ninagawa masterfully utilizes these extremes to create a brilliant new interpretation which creates the illusion that Japanese is Shakespeare's original language. Review by Sean Curtin

By Shinzo Abe Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at 53 the youngest to hold that office in the post-war period, has written a revealing book about his life, political philosophy, and vision for a good society. The timing of its publication was impeccable as the book hit the stores just before he was elected to the premiership. The book, "Toward A Beautiful Country," swiftly rose on the bestseller lists. Review by Fumiko Halloran

By Yoshiko Sakurai Because of her seemingly nationalistic and anti-Chinese stance, Ms. Sakurai has become a very popular figure in Japan, especially among conservative Japanese, both young and old. Having read all the chapters of this book, however, one might wonder if she is a real nationalist as a Japanese (like Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, who is well known for his book "The Japan That Can Say No") or a hard-core anti-communist conservative as an opinion leader regardless of her nationality. Actually, she is relatively optimistic about American intentions to support Japan (for example, she denies a change in American stance toward North Korea), whereas she is overly critical of almost any move on the part of China. Review by Takahiro Miyao

By Brij Tankha This important new study of Kita Ikki, one of Japan’s influential pre-war idealogues, focuses on the twin poles of nationalism and socialism that inform his three principal works, located always in the context of the dominance of Western imperialism at that time. Review by Ben-Ami Shillony

By Joshua Hotaka Roth The interactions between Nikkeijin and natives, says Joshua Hotaka Roth, play a significant role in the emergence of an increasingly multicultural Japan. He uses the experiences of Japanese Brazilians in Japan to illuminate the racial, cultural, linguistic, and other criteria groups use to distinguish themselves from one another. Roth's analysis is enriched by on-site observations at festivals, in factories, and in community centers, as well as by interviews with workers, managers, employment brokers, and government officials. Review by Takahiro Miyao

By James Bradley James Bradley's #1 bestseller Flags of Our Fathers made real the humanity and legacy of war as few books had before. Now, in Flyboys, Bradley returns to World War II and an extraordinary-and totally unknown-true story of courage.Over the remote Pacific island of Chichi Jima, nine American flyers-Navy and Marine pilots sent to bomb Japanese communications towers there-were shot down. One of those nine was miraculously rescued by a U.S. Navy submarine. The others were captured by Japanese soldiers on Chichi Jima and held prisoner. Flyboys reveals for the first time ever the extraordinary story of those men. Review by Tomohiko Taniguchi