The Japan Society Review
The Japan Society Review is published on a quartely basis, both online and printed (members are entitled to receive a copy by post). Since the starting of the publication in 2006, each issue covers a selection of Japan-related books and films, as well as theatre and stage productions, tv series and exhibitions. Its purpose is to inform, entertain and encourage readers to explore the works for themselves.
The Japan Society Review is possible thanks to the work of volunteers who dedicated their time and expertise to help us to promote the learning and understanding of Japanese culture and society.
Books
All the Lovers in the NightBy Kawakami Mieko On the whole, All the Lovers in the Night is a novel which will draw you in with its poetry and prose, and make you dissect it line by line in much the same way as its protagonist does in her work. Review by Cameron Bassindale
Books
Terminal BoredomBy Suzuki Izumi Taken as a whole, Terminal Boredom comes on like a high-intensity cocktail of distinctly bizarre tales that invariably, through a particularly slanted, satire-driven look at issues of gender, sex and drug use, force us to see the familiar from new, compelling angles. Review by Laurence Green
Books
Woman Running in the MountainsBy Tsushima Yuko The New York Review of Books’ edition of Woman Running in the Mountains is simultaneously a novel that you could recommend to a first time reader of Japanese literature, and to a seasoned longtime lover who feels they’ve read everything there is to offer from those works available in English translation. Review by Laurence Green
Books
Fish Swimming In Dappled SunlightBy Onda Riku Time and again, Onda Riku forces us to confront the ugly truths behind the questions: Who are we really? What drives us to act the way we do? And can we ever know the inner thoughts of another? Review by Laurence Green
Books
Of Arcs and Circles: Insights from Japan on Gardens, Nature, and ArtBy Marc Peter Keane From his vantage point as a garden designer and writer based in Kyoto, Marc Peter Keane examines the world around him and delivers astonishing insights through an array of narratives. Review by Katie Croft
Books
The Wagamama Bride: A Jewish Family Saga Made in JapanBy Liane Grunberg Wakabayashi This compelling and insightful memoir reads like a classic love story full of trials and tribulations. Liane Grunberg Wakabayashi’s spiritual journey in Japan from secular to orthodox Judaism is a reflection on transformation, relationships, family values, finding happiness, and being true to oneself. Review by Renae Lucas-Hall
Books
Murakami T: The T-Shirts I LoveBy Murakami Haruki Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Love is an ode to that most humble item of clothing, as the author takes us through a selection of some of the favourites from his own personal wardrobe Review by Laurence Green
Books
An Affair with a VillageBy Joy Hendry This book is a heart-warming, funny, informative and highly personal love letter to Kurotsuchi, the small village in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu that anthropologist Joy Hendry first visited in 1975 to undertake a year of fieldwork whilst during her time as a PhD student at Oxford University. Review by Alice French
Books
NUNO: Visionary Japanese TextilesBy Sudo Reiko This luxurious large format book, bound in NUNO fabric, is encyclopaedic in both content and weight and is a fitting celebration of the work of one of Japan’s most innovative and respected textile design studios. Review by David Tonge
Books
Toward Creation of a New World HistoryBy Haneda Masashi Professor Haneda’s book is a very important addition to de-westernise World History as a subject, which so far is still too heavily western-centric despite all its good intentions. Review by Francesco Cioffo