Issue 69 (June 2017, Volume 12, Number 3)

Looking at the titles of Japanese books recently released in the UK, it is evident that the landscape of Japanese literature translated into English is becoming more and more rich and diverse. Now, together with the works of celebrated authors, lesser known stories from new Japanese writers are also reaching us thanks to the dedicated effort of publishers and translators.

The June issue of The Japan Society Review illustrates this trend by reviewing two different collections of short stories.

The first one is Men Without Women, the lastest work of Murakami Haruki to be translated into English. As Chris Corker points out, in this book Murakami deals not only with questions of isolated masculinity, but also with the problems of constructing heterosexual relationships in contemporary society.

The second is the so-called Keshiki series, a collection of eight short stories showcasing the work of some of the most exciting writers working in Japan today. In her review, Eluned Gramich explores how travel, migration and restlessness are at the heart of these stories.

Entering into the field of non-fiction, Charlotte Goff reviews Gitte Marianne Hansen’s Femininity, Self-harm and Eating Disorders in Japan. Through a careful evaluation of a wide-range of media including anime, manga, television drama and literature, this volume examines the construction and representation of normative femininity in contemporary Japanese culture and how these relate to self-harm and eating disorders in Japan.

Finally, this issue of the Japan Society Review also includes a review of Ainu. Pathways to Memory, a documentary directed by Marcos Centeno Martín in 2014, which ‘portrays the problems of identity and assimilation of the Ainu people in Japan and means of preserving and disseminating their culture’. Our reviewer Susan Meehan contextualises the film, examining the historical circumstances surrounding this issue and pointing out some of the contemporary questions and contradictions presented in the documentary.