The Japan Society Review

By Yagisawa Satoshi Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and its sequel, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, are combined in this publication creating a richer, more profound appreciation of its characters and plot. Review by Renae Lucas-Hall

Edited by Yano Akiko This book was published in summer 2024 to accompany the special display of a selection of works from the British Museum’s collection of Japanese art, Review by Arichi Meri

By Eleanor Burkett This unique book offers an important record of a bygone era of Japanese papermaking in the Fukushima province of Japan, in particular the work of families in the village of Kamikawasaki. Review by Philip Meredith

By Lesley Downer In The Shortest History of Japan, Lesley Downer brings an expert storyteller’s eye to the sweep of Japanese history. Here are the emperors and warlords, the samurai and women warriors, the merchants and geisha who shaped this extraordinary modern society. Review by Laurence Green

By Kanai Mieko Mild Vertigo is a short, slim novel containing both multitudes, and a whole lot of nothing. The paradoxical fascination of the everyday mundane - the busy-body clutter and utter banal domesticity of a very particular kind of middle-class hum-drum existence. Review by Laurence Green

By Susan Kiyo Ito An account of love and one writer’s quest for the missing pieces that might make her feel whole, I Would Meet You Anywhere is the stirring culmination of Ito’s decision to embrace her right to know and tell her own story. Review by Shehrazade Zafar-Arif

By Natalie Leon This treasure trove of folktales, recipes and activities is an invitation to celebrate each day, for increased creativity, harmony and happiness. Review by Renae Lucas-Hall

By Shibusawa Tatsuhiko A fantasy set in the ninth century, Takaoka's Travels recounts the adventures of a Japanese prince-turned-monk on a pilgrimage to India passing through faraway lands and finding curiosities and miracles wherever he goes. Review by Chris Corker

By Catherine Butler In this book, Catherine Butler explore the multifaceted relationship between British children’s literature and Japan considering its many manifestations in print, on the screen, in tourist locations and throughout Japanese popular culture. Review by Kimberley Reynolds

By Frederick Cryns This new biography of William Adams places his life in a wider geopolitical context exploring the political intrigues of the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and English, the Western nations trading with Japan at the time. Review by Trevor Skingle