The Japan Society Review

Professor Ian Nish kicks off our last issue of 2009 with an article on Roger Dingman’s fascinating new book on how the US Navy & Marine Corps trained its interpreters and translators during the Second World War. Staying in the immediate postwar years, Sir Hugh Cortazzi reviews a book on British and American policy towards China,Korea and Japan in the period up to the outbreak of the Korean War. [...]

Our lead review in this issue takes us back to late Victorian London when fascination with Japan was reaching its zenith. In this issue Susan looks at three films, Shindo Kaneto’s touching Teacher and Three Children, Hiroki Ryuichi’s sentimental and naturalistic Your Friends and Kumakiri Kazuyoshi’s emotional rollercoaster Nonko. Roger Buckley delves into a substantive new work on the Iwakura Embassy to America and Europe [...]

In this issue we focus on various aspects of changing Japan. September 2009 itself heralded in seismic political change with the first non-Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Prime Minister since Tomiichi Murayama back in 1996, and more significantly the first unified opposite party to take power since the formation of the LDP in 1955. To mark such a pivotal moment Fumiko Halloran reviews several recent Japanese language books about the new Democratic Party of Japan government [...]

As we zoom towards the July heat, this issue is packed full of interesting books and films to catch up with during the summer holiday period. Susan Meehan looks at the highly readable “Japan through writers’ eyes,” which reminds us what fantastic prose Japan has inspired from the pens of both foreign and indigenous authors. For those who love to discuss such writers we launched “Japan Society Book Club” in June which meets regularly (for more information see the Society website or e-mail: events@japansociety.org.uk).

Our bimonthly eclectic mix of stimulating Japan- related book, film and stage reviews kicks off with Sir Hugh Cortazzi’s look at the centennial book of the Tokyo-based Japan-British Society. Susan Meehan looks at the mesmerising 2009 Oscar winner Okuribito (Departures), while Fumiko Halloran explores the insightful and best-selling Japanese language book “Saraba Zaimusho!”. We then explore [...]

We kick off our first issue of 2009 with a look at a fascinating new historical book, Kyushu, Gateway to Japan. As usual, we also offer a selection of some of the best new Japanese film and DVD releases. You will also find [...]

In our final issue of 2008, you will find a selection of book and film reviews. We also offer our first Japanese language DVD review, which we hope will become a regular feature. Simon Cotterill looks at the cult 2004 film “Kamikaze Girls” (下妻物語) which is due to be released on DVD in January 2009.

Amongst our line-up in this issue we feature two new biographical-related books, one about John Milne and the other on Charles Holme. As usual, we also offer a selection of prominent new Japanese language books including Fumiko Halloran’s examination of the turbulent relationship between Japanese film legend Kurosawa Akira and Hollywood.

It seems that in Japan changing prime minister every September is rapidly becoming a seasonal fixture, a trend no doubt Gordon Brown is hoping doesn’t spread to the UK. To mark the beginning of Taro Aso’s premiership we are reviewing his recent book (Totetsu Mo Nai Nippon) along with those of four of his rivals and potential future prime ministers.

During August it was just about impossible for anyone on planet earth (and possibly beyond) not to have known that the Beijing Olympics were being held. Offering the perfect antidote to the 2008 Olympic media-onslaught, Professor Ben-Ami Shillony, one of our regular review team, has produced a fascinating review of a new book on the Olympics that never were, the forgotten 1940 Tokyo Olympics.