The Japan Society Review

By EnJoe Toh Akutagawa Prize-winning novel Harlequin Butterfly takes us on a Möbius strip-shaped journey about language, creation, writing and imagination. Review by Conor Hodges

By Miyamoto Teru Phantom Lights is a short story collection comprised of eight stories linked thematically by personal hardship, all employing a nonlinear narrative structure to describe how these hardships affect characters on a lifelong timescale. Review by Lachlan Evans

Directed by Clair Titley The Contestant is a documentary film that revisits a reality TV programme that aired in Japan in 1998, blending original footage with recent interviews with those involved. Review by Mayumi Donovan

By Hirano Keiichiro Part historical odyssey, part philosophical meditation, Eclipse immerses readers in the mysticism of medieval Europe while asking probing questions that still haunt us today. Review by Laurence Green

By Fern Jean-Joseph Life in 3 Lines presents a deeply reflective exploration of life, love, loss, and resilience through the prism of haiku poetry. Review by Annabelle Bouji

By Ringo Gomez and Rob Walbers In this book, journalist Ringo Gomez and photographer Rob Walbers portray 12 Japanese makers from different regions. From a bamboo weaver to a tatami mat maker, from a ceramist to a Zen monk. Review by Azmina Sohail

From Kushida Yoshimitsu and Dance Company Lasta Naraku is a visceral journey into a man’s psyche, where desire, ego, and obsession clash with electrifying intensity. Review by Alice Baldock

Directed by Neo Sora A dystopian drama that touches on issues we’re facing today all seen through the eyes of a group of high school friends in Tokyo. Review by Mayumi Donovan

By various contributors The Bodleian Library’s Japanese rare books and manuscripts, among Europe’s oldest institutional collections, are explored by leading scholars in a celebration of five centuries of collecting. Review by Sanae Inagaki

By Matsuoka Shinpei In this book renowned Noh scholar Matsuoka Shinpei reimagines the origins of Japan’s iconic theater tradition, not as an elite pastime, but as a vibrant fusion of popular culture, religious ritual, and bodily expression. Review by Laurence Green