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 and printed for members. 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.
Books
Splendours of Japan: Highlights from the Bodleian LibraryBy various contributors The Bodleian Library’s Japanese rare books and manuscripts, among Europe’s oldest institutional collections, are explored by leading scholars in a celebration of five centuries of collecting. Review by Sanae Inagaki
Books
Embodied Performance: Warriors, Dancers, and the Origins of Noh TheaterBy Matsuoka Shinpei In this book renowned Noh scholar Matsuoka Shinpei reimagines the origins of Japan’s iconic theater tradition, not as an elite pastime, but as a vibrant fusion of popular culture, religious ritual, and bodily expression. Review by Laurence Green
Books
Tokyo SwindlersBy Shinjo Ko This contemporary Japanese crime thriller weaves a complex tale of deception and greed, drawing inspiration from recent land-fraud scandals. Review by Shaun English
Books
A Man of Resolve: Richard Henry BruntonBy Geoff Goolnik A detailed biography of Richard Henry Brunton (1841-1901) that traces his professional achievements and the transnational scope of his engineering career in Great Britain, Japan and Ireland. Review by Graham J. Ironside
Books
A Guide to Jazz in JapanBy Michael Pronko The book maps out the complex, pulsing scene of Japanese jazz with detailed entries on clubs, musicians, jam spots, and the culture that surrounds them. Review by Laurence Green
Books
The Night of Baba YagaBy Otani Akira In this no-holds-barred queer thriller, a fierce mixed-race fighter develops a powerful attachment to the yakuza princess she's been forced to kill. Review by Alex Russell
Books
A Hundred Years and a Day: 34 StoriesBy Shibasaki Tomoka This collection is a finely wrought tapestry of life in Japan and abroad, imbued with universal themes of family, memory, resilience, and change. Review by Renae Lucas-Hall
Books
What You Are Looking for is in the LibraryBy Aoyama Michiko This novel a quietly profound work that invites us to listen more closely — to others, to books, and to ourselves. Review by Vittorio Cimino
Books
MasksBy Enchi Fumiko Written by one of the greats of postwar Japanese literature, Enchi Fumiko, Masks is a masterfully layered dismantling of conventional ideas of female forgiveness and love. Review by Tara Jones
Books
Competition Law, Regulation, and Digital Platforms: Japan, China, UK, EU, and USAEdited by Ruth Taplin and Fuchikawa Kazuhiko This volume addresses the regulatory challenges posed by digital platforms, whose rapid rise has led to new forms of market dominance. Review by Kenneth S. Friedman