The Japan Society Review

By Kawamura Genki In If Cats Disappeared From The World, Kawamura tells the story of a postman in his thirties who discovers that his days are numbered because of a brain tumour which will cause his imminent death. Review by Morgane Chinal-Dargent

By Abe Kobo The parabolic tale centres on Niki Jumpei, a disillusioned school teacher come amateur entomologist, and chronicles his deceptive imprisonment in a house surrounded by a wall of constantly flowing sand, whose [...] Review by George Mullins

By Silla Bjerrum The underlying premise of Bjerrum’s cookbook is to encourage the reader to adapt a new style of cooking, which has traditionally been the preserve of restaurants, at home using good quality seasonal [...] Review by Niraja Singh

By Ian Buruma A Tokyo Romance serves to explain the beginning of a life-long love and fascination with Japanese culture (be it low or high) and, more importantly, how this culture is manifested through art and design. Review by Beau Waycott

By Horie Toshiyuki The Bear and the Paving Stone (translated by Geraint Howells) is a collection of three works by award-winning author Horie Toshiyuki. The titular story, winner of the Akutagawa Prize in 2000, consumes most [...] Review by Harry Martin

By Kameda Naoki, Sangu Yuko and Catherine Nakamichi A book which should be considered a living national treasure for its importance in the preservation of Japan’s rich cultural heritage. Here each craft, shrine, and custom is explained in both Japanese and English. Review by Holly Helt

The scholarly essays in this catalogue include ‘The beginnings of the “Japanese Dream”: Van Gogh’s acquaintance with Japan’, ‘In the light of Japan: Van Gogh’s quest for happiness and a modern identity’, [...] Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Oguma Eiji This is the story of a Japanese man who has no particular claim to fame. He had a tough time before, during and after the war. Its interest lies primarily in the light it throws on how ordinary Japanese coped in war. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Murata Sayaka Convenience Store Woman is a book of deftly crafted paradoxes that hold a haunting mirror up to both Japanese and Western societies. The protagonist, Furukura Keiko, is a numb character depicted in bare [...] Review by Beau Waycott

By Simon Kerry For those interested in Japan the 5th Marquess of Lansdowne is best known as the Foreign Secretary who negotiated for Britain in talks that led to the Anglo-Japanese alliance. In this volume Simon Kerry has [...] Review by Antony Best