The Japan Society Review

By Jannette Cheong and Richard Emmert Featuring breathtaking photographs of masks created by a renowned twenty-first-century craftsman, this book provides a unique perspective into Noh and Kyogen, two of the oldest surviving forms of theater in the world. Review by Margaret Coldiron

By Tsujimura Mizuki From the Japanese bestselling author of Lonely Castle in the Mirror, this book explores our relationship with the memories of deceased loved ones and what gives our lives meaning. Review by Laurence Green

By Yagisawa Satoshi Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and its sequel, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, are combined in this publication creating a richer, more profound appreciation of its characters and plot. Review by Renae Lucas-Hall

Edited by Yano Akiko This book was published in summer 2024 to accompany the special display of a selection of works from the British Museum’s collection of Japanese art, Review by Arichi Meri

Choreography by Kujirai Kentaro Snowstorms, isolation, and the icy bite of winter permeate the world of U-BU-SU-NA, a very old word meaning ‘the mystical divine power that protects the land and those who live there’, and the title of this piece presented by butoh dancer and choreographer Kujirai Kentaro. Review by Alice Baldock

Written and directed by Kato Takuya A sci-fi work set in near-future Japan exploring the ethics and gender politics of human colonisation in space. Review by Michael Tsang

The September issue of The Japan Society Review brings together a captivating selection of reviews that delve into diverse aspects of Japan’s cultural, historical, and literary tapestry.

By Eleanor Burkett This unique book offers an important record of a bygone era of Japanese papermaking in the Fukushima province of Japan, in particular the work of families in the village of Kamikawasaki. Review by Philip Meredith

By Lesley Downer In The Shortest History of Japan, Lesley Downer brings an expert storyteller’s eye to the sweep of Japanese history. Here are the emperors and warlords, the samurai and women warriors, the merchants and geisha who shaped this extraordinary modern society. Review by Laurence Green

By Kanai Mieko Mild Vertigo is a short, slim novel containing both multitudes, and a whole lot of nothing. The paradoxical fascination of the everyday mundane - the busy-body clutter and utter banal domesticity of a very particular kind of middle-class hum-drum existence. Review by Laurence Green