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The Japan Society Review

The Japan Society Review is an digital publication covering Japan-related books and films, as well as theatre and stage productions, tv series and exhibitions. Published since 2006, it is released now on a quarterly basis and is available online on our website. 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.

To become a reviewer, please fill the form here and let us know a little about you, your professional or academic background, your interest, passion or expertise regarding Japan and the type of works you would like to review.

If you have any questions, please contact reviews@japansociety.org.uk.

My Deepest Desire

Books

My Deepest Desire

By Hara Tamiki The final work of Japanese poet, novelist, and Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor Hara Tamiki, paired with full-page ink drawings by American artist Sandy Walker. Review by Thomas Caffrey

This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart England

Books

This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart England

By Nandini Das Drawing on extensive archival research, attentive to the textures of daily life, yet alive to the sweep of history, This Little World offers a new, globally resonant vision of England's past and what it meant to be English Review by Thomas Lockley

Japanese Spy Gear & Special Weapons

Books

Japanese Spy Gear & Special Weapons

By Stephen C. Mercado This book provides this first account in English on an intelligence organization little known outside Japan, the Noborito Research Institute, and how Noborito's scientists and technicians served in the Second World War and the Cold War. Review by David Rodenko

Murder at Mt. Fuji

Books

Murder at Mt. Fuji

By Natsuki Shizuko Packed full of atmosphere and nostalgia, and with a dark, gritty mystery at its heart, Murder at Mt Fuji presents a rediscovered classic novel for fans of Japanese crime fiction. Review by Rio Julian

Hiroshima, 8:15

Books

Hiroshima, 8:15

By Tanimoto Kiyoshi A newly discovered firsthand account of the Hiroshima bombing and its aftermath from one of the survivors. Review by Isabel Mermagen

Encounters with Kazuo Shinohara's Umbrella House

Books

Encounters with Kazuo Shinohara's Umbrella House

By Michaela Nettell et al. This book documents a research project by London-based artist filmmaker Michaela Nettell, bringing together contemporary responses specially commissioned from 20 international contributors on the Umbrella House, designed by the Japanese architect Shinohara Kazuo in 1961. Review by Andrew Nishiyama Taylor

Osozai: Everyday Japanese home cooking

Books

Osozai: Everyday Japanese home cooking

By Meg Tanaka Featuring 80 accessible recipes made for sharing, this is modern Japanese cooking at its best: thoughtful, nourishing and full of joy. Review by Laurence Green

The Frozen Sun

Books

The Frozen Sun

By Kohjo Koh Translated for the first time into English there are ten stories of night club hostesses, yakuza, pan-pan girls and private-eyes, which reveal a post-war Japan still reeling from defeat, told in a deadpan style echoing Hemingway and Hammett. Review by Irina Karpukova

Sympathy Tower Tokyo

Books

Sympathy Tower Tokyo

By Qudan Rie Partly inspired by conversations with an artificial intelligence, it offers an extraordinary defence of the power of language written by humans, and an often hilarious send up of our modern world's unrelenting conformity. Review by Rio Julian

The Traitor

Books

The Traitor

By Abe Kobo Part historical fiction, part detective story, ​this novel is a remarkable work about navigating changing political landscapes. Review by Tyriq Baker