Review—Heaven, by Mieko Kawakami

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book cover

A heartbreaking, yet uplifting, story of two outcasts who find and protect each other through a year of school bullying.

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A heartbreaking, yet uplifting, story of two outcasts who find and protect each other through a year of school bullying.

Excerpt—The Wedding Party, by Liu Xinwu

Set at a pivotal point after the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Liu Xinwu’s tale weaves together a rich tapestry of characters, intertwined lives, and stories within stories.

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Set at a pivotal point after the turmoil of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, Liu Xinwu’s tale weaves together a rich tapestry of characters, intertwined lives, and stories within stories

Review—Where the Wild Ladies Are

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book cover

Witty and exuberant feminist re-tellings of traditional Japanese folktales

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In Matsuda’s collection, familiar ghosts are treated as commonplace: They are neither surprising nor frightening as they comfortably situate themselves in the modern world

Review—Buddhism and Modernity: Sources from Nineteenth-Century Japan

A valuable source book for Buddhist scholars

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A valuable source book for Buddhist scholars

First Book—The Short Story Collective

A thirteen-part journey through contemporary Japan taking in themes as disparate as mental illness, Buddhism, the human drive for validation, workplace harassment, cults, tourist pollution, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A thirteen-part journey through contemporary Japan taking in themes as disparate as mental illness, Buddhism, the human drive for validation, workplace harassment, cults, tourist pollution, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Review—On Haiku, by Hiroaki Sato

Hiroaki Sato reveals how the radical brevity of the haiku genre contains worlds within worlds. This is a book to cherish, and which nurtures in return.

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Hiroaki Sato reveals how the radical brevity of the haiku genre contains worlds within worlds. This is a book to cherish, and which nurtures in return.

First Book—Can Machines Bring Peace?: Hope in a Post-Apocalyptic Age

A young diplomat builds a Thinking Machine to bring peace, but instead, it discovers a plot for war.

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“First Book” is a column where we ask first-time authors what inspired them to write their debut book/novel/translation. Books on Asia: What’s your book’s elevator pitch? Floor Kist: The novel is about a young diplomat who builds a Thinking Machine to bring peace, but instead, it discovers a plot for war. BOA: Can you explain More…

Review—Structures of Kyoto: Writers in Kyoto Anthology 4

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book cover

Judith Clancy and Alex Kerr book-end this remarkable publication offering insight into the physical, spiritual and artistic elements of Kyoto.

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Review by Renae Lucas-Hall Judith Clancy and Alex Kerr book-end this remarkable anthology (edited by Rebecca Otowa and Karen Lee Tawarayama), a publication offering incredible insight into the physical, spiritual and artistic elements of Kyoto. In the Foreword, Clancy reminisces on the past fifty years she has spent in Japan’s ancient capital, commenting on how More…

Review—Kokoro, by Natsume Sōseki

Kokoro (“Heart”) offers deep insight into the human psyche and investigates internal struggles and the darker sides of admiration, envy and temptation.

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Review by Tina deBellegarde First published in 1914, Natsume Soseki’s timeless classic Kokoro has been graced with three translations. My first exposure to this book was through Edwin McClellan’s lovely 1957 version. For my re-introduction to Kokoro, I had the pleasure of reading Meredith McKinney’s 2010 translation. Kokoro (which means heart) offers deep insight into More…