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BOA Podcast 50: Sally Burdon Talks Asia Bookroom and Rare Books

October 14, 2025

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Today I sit down with Sally Burdon, a bookseller at Asia Bookroom in Canberra, Australia, which specializes in rare and secondhand books. From Japanese woodblock prints to Chinese classics and Taiwanese travelogues, Asia Bookroom is a treasure trove for readers and collectors alike.

Asia Bookroom exhibits their most precious items at rare and antiquarian book fairs in Melbourne, Sydney, and Hong Kong. They’ll next be the Sydney Rare Book Fair from Oct. 23-25.

In this podcast we discuss some of the items on offer at the Sydney Rare Book Fair:

• The Disputed Islands Controversial Japanese Map by Hayashi Shihei from around 1790. This is a manuscript copy (written by hand), and includes the Takeshima/Dokdo islands indicating they belong to Korea.

• A silk sample book from the 1950s

• A Japanese policeman’s notebook from shortly after Japan took over Taiwan. It details experiences with indigenous people of Taiwan.

• Materials from Communist China

Books:

• The Tokyo Higher Normal School: Life of the Japanese Women of Today (from 1937)

• Samurai Tales: Manuscript Writing’s on Revenge Killings and Loyalty (with illustrations)

Books mentioned in the podcast:

The Shortest History of Japan, by Lesley Downer, China Running Dog by Mark Kitto, Samurai and Silk, by Haru Matsukata Reischauer.

Books recommended by Sally Burdon:

Myself a Mandarin by Austin Coates, about Hong Kong,

Country Driving by Peter Hessler

Ghosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry

You can visit Asia Bookroom online at https://www.asiabookroom.com/ and be sure to sign up for their E-lists while you’re there!

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service or the BOA newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 49: Jake Adelstein—The Devil Takes Bitcoin

October 7, 2025

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Jake Adelstein is the author of The Last Yakuza, and Tokyo Noir, but most listeners will know him from his book and Netflix series Tokyo Vice. Today he talks with Books on Asia about his upcoming book The Devil Takes Bitcoin: Cryptocurrency Crimes and the Japanese Connection to be released next week (Scribe, Oct. 14, 2025).

Show Notes

Adelstein introduces the colorful characters behind Mt. Gox, one of the world’s largest Bitcoin exchanges, based in Tokyo and run by Frenchman Mark Karpeles. As a reporter for The Daily Beast, Japan-based Adelstein starts researching Mt. Gox, to figure out how it got hacked, and how it collapsed in 2014 with over 650,000 Bitcoins gone missing. He covers the laws, customs and quirks of Japan’s “hostage-justice system” and how the entire investigation into Karpeles and Mt. Gox played out. And yes, it includes cats!

Be sure to pick up a copy of The Devil Takes Bitcoin: Cryptocurrency Crimes and the Japanese Connection online or at your favorite bookstore.

Jake is a self-described “book junkie” who reads across a variety of genres. He is currently reading:

The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto by Benjamin Wallace about the founder of Bitcoin.
The Sweet Spot by Paul Bloom about the meaning of suffering.
大阪府警暴力団担当刑事
Yellow Face by R.F. Kuang

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 48: Stephen Mansfield—The Modern Japanese Garden

September 30, 2025

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Stephen Mansfield is a British writer, photographer and longtime Japan resident. His work has appeared in over 70 magazines, newspapers and journals worldwide and he’s a regular contributor to Nikkei Asia. Mansfield has published 20 books and is the author and photographer of four texts on Japanese gardens. BOA Podcast listeners may remember the author from episode 29, when we talked about his book Tokyo: A Biography. This time, in episode 48, Mansfield introduces his just-released book The Modern Japanese Garden (Thames & Hudson, Sept. 2025; American release Oct. 7, 2025)

Book cover — *Front cover of book: Osaka Rinshō-ji*

back cover — *Back cover: Kyushu Sangyo University*

Show Notes

Before focusing on contemporary landscape designs, Mansfield provides an introduction to traditional gardens and how these ancient designs were related to nature, geomancy, literature and the Japanese concepts of wabi-sabi, yugen, and mono no aware. As time went on, garden design shifted from symbolism and representation to a more naturalistic style as seen in Kyoto’s Murin-an. Guest essays on garden design included in the book are written by Ogawa Jihei (1860-1933), Kengo Kuma, Mira Locher, Japanese Buddhist priest & garden designer Masuno Shunmyo, and garden historian, critic, and author Tim Richardson.

Some of the many gardens we discuss are: Kagawa Prefectural Office in Takamatsu city, Kengo Kuma and Nezu Museum, Osaka Station Roof Garden, Hyakudanen on Awajishima Island in Hyogo (designed by Tadao Ando), the Carbon Fibre Garden in Tokyo, and the pop-art garden at Teshima Yokoo House (Benesse art islands).

Mansfield’s “interesting books” on Japan:

The Call of Japan A Continuing Story 1950 to the Present Day, by Dutch writer Hans Brinckmann. (Amazon.jp here)

The Japanese Garden by Sophie Walker

Fracture (2018), by Andres Newman (novel)

Mansfield’s published books on Japanese gardens:

Japanese Stone Gardens: Origins, Meaning and Form (Tuttle, 2009)

Japan’s Master Gardens: Lessons in Space and Environment (Tuttle, 2011)

100 Japanese Gardens: The Best Gardens to Visit in Japan (Tuttle, 2019)

The Modern Japanese Garden (Thames & Hudson (Oct 10, 2025) (link to Amazon.jp here)

***

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 47: Book Talk—Korea

September 24, 2025

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Episode Summary

John Ross and Chris Tharp banter about books on Korea.

Books discussed in this Episode:

Korean Wilds and Villages (1938) by Swedish zoologist Sten Bergman

The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why it Matters, (2011) by BR Meyers

Absurdistan (2006) by Gary Shteyngart

Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut

A Korean Odyssey by Michael Gibb

The Vegetarian (2016) by Han Kang

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada

The Cuttlefish (2005) by Chris Tharp

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 46: Héctor García

September 16, 2025

Today we talk with Héctor García. Born in Spain, García has lived in Japan for the past two decades. He is author of A Geek in Japan, The Magic of Japan and the bestselling Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, among other books. Today, he discuss his recent release Spirit of Shinto: Finding Nature and Harmony on Japan’s Sacred Path, translated by Russell Andrew Calver. At the end of the show, he reveals information about his first novel.

book cover

Available on Bookshop (US) or Amazon (world-wide)

Eternity in Kyoto is a techno thriller with a love story. Cross a barrier, enter a parallel world.

Show Notes

Amy Chavez and Héctor García discuss his recently released book, The Spirit of Shinto, and how Shinto’s worldview permeates pop culture—anime, manga, films—where good and evil often blur, echoing the idea that kegare (dirt, corruption) must be cleansed rather than destroyed. Unlike Western religions where God is above, Shinto gods exist among people, as seen in Makoto Shinkai’s films or games like Ghost in the Shell and Nintendo’s video games. Hector, a Tokyoite himself, urges people to seek the Shinto “awe” in their daily lives since Shinto should not be explained but lived. At the very end of the episode, Garcia talks about his just-released novel Eternity in Kyoto a techno thriller with a love story that employs the Shinto concept of crossing through a gate and entering a parallel world.

Movies and media discussed in this episode:

Lord of the Rings, Makoto Shinkai movies, Ghost in the Shell, Totoro

Places Mentioned

Kanami Ojin shrine, Nintendo HQ

Japanese concepts explained

kami, satoyama

García’s Favorite Books

Something like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa

The Housekeeper and the Professor, by Yoko Ogawa

Pure Invention by Matt Alt

You can find Héctor García on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan.

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 45: Guitarist Marty Friedman and Dreaming Japanese

September 9, 2025

Marty Friedman is a multi-platinum recording artist and government-appointed Ambassador to Japan Heritage. He has written three books in Japanese and had long running columns in the Asahi Weekly, Nikkei Entertainment, Cyzo, Big Comic, Young Guitar, Guitar World and Burrn.

Album cover for Drama

Show Notes:

The show opens with a moving tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, formerly of Black Sabbath, who passed away on July 25, 2025. Friedman then turns to the reason for writing his book, co-authored with Jon Wiederhorn. He talks about the co-writing process and describes it as “putting his musical abilities into words.” His latest solo release, Drama, he calls his best and most romantic work to date — a largely orchestral album that stretches beyond his usual style.

Book Cover

Friedman explains, referencing Rick Beato, that J-Pop often features “Japanese motif-laden guitar acrobatics.” He shares how he came to appreciate the genre and highlights artists such as Kohmi Hirose. Much of J-Pop, he notes, is built on simple jazz concepts and draws inspiration from a wide range of influences, including Western pop like The Carpenters, The Partridge Family, The Osmonds.

He also reflects on the Japanese entertainment industry, the uniquely Japanese idea of heta-uma, idol music, and the role of “cuteness” in J-Pop. Producers such as Tsunku and Komuro Tetsuya play a key role in drawing out this unique appeal. J-Pop carries deeper cultural nuance than outsiders might assume. In addition, Friedman reflects on scandals, music managers ,and his first rehearsal with a J-Pop band.

Beyond music, Friedman reflects on being a “foreign talento” on Japanese TV, participating in variety shows, commercials, and how these experiences helped him become a more rounded person rather than “just a musician,” and “a human, not just a good guitar player.” He reveals his experience writing the anime theme “Kirei na Senritsu” (Beautiful Melody) for Kotoko.

Favorite Books

He shares his favorite Japanese book, Ai no Eigyō Hōshin (The Principles of Love Management) by Japanese producer Tsunku, advising young Japanese men on how to cultivate confidence. He also likes books on Japanese kotowaza (proverbs), which provide insight into the Japanese mindset and highlight cultural commonalities.

Favorite J-Pop Songs

One of his favorite J-Pop songs is AKB48’s “Heavy Rotation” which he recalls performing with at the Budokan. He praises Kahala Tomomi’s “I’m Proud” as an example of the Japanese concept of heta-uma which he explains at length in the podcast discussion. He points to Ikimonogakari as another recommendation for those interested in learning more about J-Pop.

He is currently touring the world for his solo album called Drama.

You’ll find Marty Friedman on Twitter and Instagram. You can subscribe to his official YouTube channel.

Read our book review of Dreaming Japanese as reviewed by Stephen Mansfield. Subscribe to the Books on Asia podcast, and the Books on Asia newsletter featuring new releases, book reviews and the latest podcast episodes.

The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan and The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 44: Ginny Takemori on Translating Cats

September 2, 2025

Ginny Tapley Takemori is a British translator residing in rural Japan. She has translated works by over a dozen Japanese authors including Izumi Kyoka, Okamoto Kido, Ryu Murakami and Miyuki Miyabe . Her translation of Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman was named in “The New Yorker” as one of the best books of 2018. It also won the Foyles Book of the Year 2018. Ginny has also translated She and her Cat by Shinkai Makoto and Naruki Nagakawa, and she co-translated with Ian MacDonald Things Remembered, Things Forgotten by Kyoko Nakajima.

Takemori’s latest translation, Mornings Without Mii is a literary memoir by Mayumi Inaba, originally published in 1999. The book chronicles Inaba’s two-decade bond with her rescued cat—Mii—intertwining themes of solitude, creativity, and companionship.

Book cover

Show Notes:

Takemori is also a founder of the collective “Strong Women, Soft Power.” You can read an article about the collective, written by Iain Maloney for The Japan Times. Ginny Tapley Takemori also talks about the collective in this episode of the BOA podcast.

photo of 3 translators — “Strong Women, Soft Power” founders: Lucy North, Allison Markin Powell, and Ginny Tapley Takemori (Photo credit Jon Armstrong)

Some of Takemori’s favorite books on Japan:

Hitomachi, a photo book by Araki Noboyoshi
Walking The Kiso Road by William Scott Wilson (See our podcast episode with the author)
The Catalpa Bow by Carmen Blacker

Takemori’s upcoming translations are Grave of the Fireflies by Akiyuki Nosaka (Penguin Modern Classics, Sept. 2025), Hollow Inside by Asako Otani (Pushkin Press UK: Feb. 2026, US: May 2026) and Family of the Wasteland by Atsushi Sato (Akoya, May 2027).

Read a book review of Mornings Without Mii (previous title Mornings With My Cat Mii) on the BOA website.

Subscribe to the Books on Asia podcast, and the Books on Asia newsletter featuring new releases, book reviews and the latest podcast episodes.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 43: Lina Terrell on Translating Okinawa

May 9, 2025

Lina Terrell is a translator of Japanese historical texts. Today we are going to talk about her recently released translation of The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawan History (JPIC, 2025) by Takara Kurayoshi. Before Okinawa, the unified and independent Ryukyu Kingdom existed for 400 years. What was this island nation like and what kind of world did it exist in? Author and Okinawa native, Takara Kurayoshi plumbs the depths of Okinawa’s distant and obscure past.

Book Cover

Show Notes:

Amy and Lina discuss the Ryukyu Kingdom before it became a part of Japan. Among topics they address are noro priestesses, sea pirates, and trade with China.

Lina’s favorite books on Japan are:

The Roads to Sata: A 2000-Mile Walk Through Japan by Alan Booth

The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan by Ivan Morris

Subscribe to the Books on Asia podcast.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 42: Igor Prusa “Scandal in Japan”

April 2, 2025

Igor Prusa, Ph.D. and Czech scholar in Japanese and media studies, is currently affiliated with Ambis University Prague and Metropolitan University Prague. Prusa received PhDs in media studies at Prague’s Charles University and his second at the University of Tokyo. His research interests include media scandals in Japan and anti-heroism in popular fiction. Today we’re going to talk about his new book, Scandal in Japan: Transgression, Performance and Ritual (Routledge, 2024). He recently started teaching a course at the University of Vienna on the subject.

Author Igor Prusa and BOA podcast host Amy Chavez talk about some Japanese scandals that have gone global, and why: the Unification Church scandal (2022) that brought to the forefront the assassination of former PM Abe Shinzo; the Olympus scandal (2011) triggered by the British CEO Michael Woodford; and the Nissan scandal (2019) involving CEO Carlos Ghosn. So get ready to join the wild and crazy ride with Igor Prusa in this episode of the Books on Asia Podcast.

Show Notes

Prusa explains his definition of a scandal, emphasizing its public revelation and media framing. He highlights the Unification Church scandal involving former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, noting its unique trigger by a tragedy and the role of foreign media in revealing information. Prusa also discusses narrative aspects and media event characteristics of Japanese scandals, concluding that while contorversies often serve as rituals, they rarely lead to fundamental societal improvements.

They then mull over two major Japanese scandals. The first is the Olympus scandal of 2011, exposed by CEO Michael Woodford, involved hiding company losses for over 20 years through creative accounting and mergers. The scandal was initially covered by outside media, with the Financial Times playing a crucial role. The Nissan scandal, involving CEO Carlos Ghosn, revealed millions in personal financial gains and a conflict between Japanese and French governance. Ghosn’s extravagant lifestyle and a planned merger with Renault, further fueled public outrage. This conversation also highlights the role of media in scandal coverage and the cultural nuances of whistleblowing in Japan.

Lastly, Prusa tells what his 3 favorite books on Japan are:

1. Shimbun Kisha (新聞記者) by Isoko Mochizuki (望月衣塑子)- Written in Japanese, this book provides insights into the role of journalists in Japan and how they have helped expose various scandals, including the Moritomo Gakuen and Shiori Ito rape cases. The book inspired a 2019 Japanese film by the same name.

2. Media and Politics in Japan edited by Susan Pharr and Ellis Krauss -With a chapter on political scandals by Maggie Farley. This is a classic introduction to understanding the relationship between media and politics in Japan.

3. Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture edited by Patrick Galbraith and Jason Karlin – Offers valuable insights into the role of idols and celebrities in Japanese media and culture, and how scandals can emerge in this context.

Be sure to check out Igor Prusa’s book Scandal in Japan: Transgression, Performance and Ritual.

Visit him on social media at the following links:

Academic website: https://mup.academia.edu/IgorPrusa
LinkedIn (follow here for the latest Japanese scandals and Prusa’s analysis)
Facebook

The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press, publisher of quality books on Japan and Asia for over 30 years. Go to their website at www.stonebridge.com. Subscribe to the Books on Asia podcast.

Podcasts

BOA Podcast 41: Baye McNeil talks about his New Book and Racism in Japan

February 20, 2025

As a writer, columnist, and activist, Baye McNeil writes about diversity and inclusiveness. McNeil is a columnist for The Japan Times (English) where he writes the monthly column called “Black Eye” about the African American experience living in Japan and also writes for Toyokeizai Online (Japanese) where he shares reflections on life and race, as well as profiling people of color who are reshaping Japan’s cultural landscape. He is author of two previous books: Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist and Loco in Yokohama, both of which offer accounts of life as a visible minority in Japan. Today he’s going to talk about his just-released book Words By Baye, Art By Miki: Crafting a Life Together with Affection, Creativity, and Resilience.

Ep 41 Show Notes:

In this episode of the Books on Asia podcast, Amy Chavez talks with Baye McNeil talk about being a black minority in Japan, Japanese views of black people, the “African Samurai,” the arrival of Commodore Perry in 1854 (who brought a minstrel show with him who performed “black face,”), and some of the media’s portrayals of black people in both the US and Japan. He also discusses his latest book: Words By Baye, Art By Miki: Crafting a Life Together with Affection, Creativity, and Resilience.

Visit Baye on social media at the following links:

Website www.bayemcneil.com

Amazon

Goodreads

Facebook

Instagram @bayemcneil

The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press, publisher of quality books on Japan and Asia for over 30 years. Go to their website at https://www.stonebridge.com/ Subscribe to the Books on Asia podcast.