The Japan Society Review

Deceptively simple in appearance yet heavy in content, the Sphinxing Rabbit series of books starting with Her Sovereign Majesty aims to communicate tenets of freedom in an entertaining manner. Review by John O'Sullivan

By Shibasaki Tomoka Recently divorced after a short-lived marriage and still reeling from the death of his father, Taro lives on his own in a one-bed flat in a condemned apartment block. The story follows him and his two [...] Review by Eluned Gramich

Edited by Sir Hugh Cortazzi, James McMullen and Mary-Grace Browning Carmen Blacker was an outstanding scholar of Japanese culture, known internationally for her writings on religion, myth and folklore. A third of the volume comprises significant extracts from the author's diaries [...] Review by Jim E Hoare

By Kawakami Hiromi The book incorporates three short stories of an abstract and surreal nature.The stories are distinctly different from one another but follow a unifying theme of yearning, desire and longing in the minds of young [...] Review by Harry Martin

By Kittredge Cherry Three decades after its original publication, the book remains a rare resource for Japanese learners and those who wish better to understand how the Japanese language expresses womanhood. Review by Charlotte Goff

By Kumagai Naoko Kumagai Naoko goes on to discuss the facts that can be firmly established. She asks ‘how much free will did the comfort women have’ and the extent of coercion exercised by the Japanese military [...] Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Mari Ono Mindfulness has come into popular culture in recent years but it is a concept which is centuries old. Mari’s beautiful book is a joy for the senses and a perfect companion to practice mindfulness. Review by Margaret Russo

By Gordon Daniels In this piece of detailed research, Dr Daniels has brought into focus the role of the Japanese Red Cross Relief Mission to Britain during the 1914-1918 war. For most of 1915, a team of highly qualified nurses and [...] Review by Gill Goddard

Edited by Suzanne Perrin and Jeremy Hoare This handy book comprises dialogues with ten distinguished personalities in the UK-Japan world who have made considerable contributions to the understanding of Japan in the UK. Review by Susan Meehan

By Donald Keene Takuboku Ishikawa (1886-1912), the subject of this study, is little known outside Japan and according to Keene increasingly overlooked in Japan. For a time he was ‘Japan’s most popular poet. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi