The Japan Society Review
The Japan Society Review is an digital publication covering Japan-related books and films, as well as theatre and stage productions, tv series and exhibitions. Published since 2006, it is released now on a quarterly basis and is available online on our website and printed for members. Its purpose is to inform, entertain and encourage readers to explore the works for themselves.
The Japan Society Review is possible thanks to the work of volunteers who dedicated their time and expertise to help us to promote the learning and understanding of Japanese culture and society.
To become a reviewer, please fill the form here and let us know a little about you, your professional or academic background, your interest, passion or expertise regarding Japan and the type of works you would like to review.
If you have any questions, please contact reviews@japansociety.org.uk.
Books
Art and Nature: Healing - Design for health in the UK and JapanBy Graham Cooper, Edited by Dennis Sharp Ted Hughes said: "Art is in general the psychological component of the immune system. As the body tries to heal itself from any stress or shock or infection, the corresponding harmonic in consciousness is art." This book not only propounds this philosophy, it also recommends action to improve health architecture in both countries, and the underlying tenet is that a patient's surroundings should make him or her better rather than worse. Review by Sandra Lawman
Books
To The Kwai - And Back; War Drawings 1939-1945By Ronald Searle In 1939, as an art student, Ronald Searle volunteered for the army. Called up in September, he embarked for Singapore in 1941, where, within a month of his arrival, he was taken as a prisoner of the Japanese. After fourteen months in a prisoner-of-war camp Ronald Searle was sent north, to work camp on the Burma Star. In May 1944 he was sent to the notorious Changi Gaol in Singapore and was one of the few British soldiers to survive imprisonment there. Throughout his captivity, despite the risk, Ronald Searle made drawings, determinded to record his experiences. He drew his fellow prisoners, and their Japanese guards and he recorded historic moments. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi
Books
A Reader in Edo Period TravelBy Herbert Plutschow Largely ignored hitherto by Western scholars, Plutschow's Edo Period Travel provides the first in-depth study of the subject which is centred on fifteen of the period's most notable travellers, some of whom are well known in other fields - as intellectuals, artists, poets, folklorists and natural scientists , for example - but rarely, if at all, as travellers. This important research on how the Japanese discovered their own country and cultural identity has considerable interdisciplinary appeal. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi
Books
Culture and Power in Germany and Japan: The Spirit of RenewalBy Nils-Johan Jørgensen Based in part on the author's first-hand experience during his diplomatic postings to Tokyo and Bonn (1984-93), and supported by significant primary research, this parallel study of the post-war "resurrection" of two defeated nations provides a striking new and insightful analysis into the nature of Germany and Japan's recovery, highlighting in particular the shared cultural, linguistic, moral and technological factors that were essential for this "phoenix" phenomenon to take place. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi
Books
Japan's Foreign Policy Maturation: A Quest for NormalcyBy Kevin J. Cooney The sudden end of the Cold War took the Japanese foreign policy community by surprise. The Yoshida Doctrine which served Japanese foreign policy so well during the Cold War is no longer a viable foreign policy option. This dissertation examines the restructuring of Japanese foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Through a series of 56 interviews with Japanese foregin policy elites, the changes in Japanese foreign policy are put into the context of the foreign policy literature. Review by J. Sean Curtin
Books
Britain and Japan in the Twentieth Century: One Hundred Years of Trade and PrejudiceEdited by Philip Towle and Nobuko Margaret Kosuge This ambitious examination of Anglo-Japanese relations over the course of the 20th century charts the fascinating history of how both nations overcame many years of prejudice and bitter conflict to form a bond fused by financial, political and military cooperation. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi
Books
Innovation and Business Partnering in Japan, Europe and the United StatesEdited by Ruth Taplin Innovation and Business Partnering in Japan, Europe and the United States (Taplin, 2007) is an edited volume that shows how innovation and economic growth are becoming less determined by silos of research funded and managed by governments or large corporations, and more influenced by multiple actors of different types. Review by Christopher Williams
Books
Culture, Community and Change in a Sapporo Neighborhood, 1925-1988: HanayamaBy John Mock Less than half a century ago, a powerful sense of local identity was an integral part of Japanese life. Today, the basic composition of most communities has been significantly altered by seismic population shifts, relentless urban expansion and vastly improved transportation networks. By blending contemporary ethnography with accounts of local history, John Mock's new book attempts to convey some of the massive social changes which occurred in local Japanese living patterns over a period of six decades. The mighty northern island of Hokkaido forms the dramatic backdrop for Mock's research. Review by Sean Curtin
Books
That Last Glorious Summer 1939: Shanghai - JapanBy Rena Krasno The author's unusual talent brings the readers back to Setonaikai (Seto Inland Sea) and Karatsu (in Saga Prefecture), in the short summer of 1939, letting them see what she saw, smell what she smelled, and feel the way that she felt toward a handsome young Japanese student she spent time with on the beach. Readers will find themselves seeing pre-war Japan through the eyes of a 16-year old Jewish girl. If traversing history is part of the joy of reading, then this small book is a shining jewel. Review by Tomohiko Taniguchi
Books
Jomon Reflections: Forager life and culture in the prehistoric Japanese archipelagoBy Tatsuo Kobayashi This is an introduction to the archaeology of the Jomon period in Japan which explores the complex relationships between Jomon people and their rich natural environment. From the end of the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago to the appearance of rice agriculture around 400 BC, Jomon people subsisted by hunting, fishing and gathering; but abundant and predictable sources of wild food enabled Jomon people to live in large, relatively permanent settlements, and to develop an elaborate material culture. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi