The Japan Society Review

By Andrew Thomson To the collection of published, and generally scholarly, books on Kyushu comes this welcome addition of Andrew Thomson’s non-academic 2018 memoir, Bridge to the Gods. Andrew, son of the Australian golfer [...] Review by Trevor Skingle

By Kishimi Ichiro and Koga Fumitake The Courage to Be Disliked promises to show readers ‘How to free yourself, change your life and achieve real happiness’. This book fits most neatly into the self-help genre. It would, however, not be out of [...] Review by Charlotte Goff

By Dazai Osamu The short novella follows the inner confessions of an outwardly jovial, but deeply troubled protagonist. Readers are transported behind the façade of young Oba Yozo, an alcoholic Tokyoite that fails to relate [...] Review by George Mullins

Edited by Anthony Gardner Much effort went into this book. Candidate towns were recommended by each of Japan’s 47 prefectures and also by a selection committee. Over 150 towns were visited and researched by a team of foreign [...] Review by Susan Meehan

Edited by Antony Best and Hugh Cortazzi The essays in this book, written by the two editors and by others including Ian Nish and Thomas Otte, show us how the Anglo-Japanese relationship played out in Whitehall through the careers of [...] Review by Peter Kornicki

By Stephen Turnbull Stephen Turnball’s recent factual work Ninja: Unmasking the Myth acts as an entertaining, yet informative, book that provides both ninja enthusiasts and novices with a clear and thought-provoking [...] Review by George Mullins

By Uehashi Nahoko Already widely popular in its native Japan, the story has been adapted into a successful anime and manga series as well as a multi-series publication. Largely unknown in the international market, this new [...] Review by Harry Martin

Edited by Axel Rüger and Marije Vellekoop Published by the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, to accompany their 2018 exhibition Van Gogh & Japan, this catalogue is a collection of enriching essays detailing Van Gogh’s relationship with Japanese [...] Review by Beau Waycott

By Murakami Haruki Murakami Haruki’s Killing Commendatore is an epic novel that fails to capture the wry poignance and fully immersive settings of his earlier works. Whilst there are passages of charming and warm prose, as [...] Review by Beau Waycott

Edited by Irene González-López and Michael Smith Working in the film industry from 1929 to the mid-1970s, Tanaka made films with all the great directors of the era including Ozu Yasujiro, Mizoguchi Kenji, Naruse Mikio, Kinoshita Keisuke, Kurosawa [...] Review by Kate Taylor-Jones