Vintage Japanese crime fiction, by a master of the genre, first published in 1950: the head of a clan leaves a very peculiar will, and its reading is followed by a series of unusual murders.
Published in February of this year to accompany the V&A's splendid exhibition - delayed, like so much else, to the late summer. Very good mix of exquisite antique pieces and contemporary fli... read more
There is no clear distinction between art, craft and design in Japan. This fascinating book focuses on 25 artisans whose work is intended for every day life.. and is it art?
A remarkable work of research and skill, which brings to life Tsunemo, a country priest's daughter who defied conventions when her world was radically changing.
Beauty and utility: all aspects of Japanese modern design - designers, artisans, manufacturers and technologies. The Kikkoman soy sauce bottle that never falls over, the Sony Walkman...
Takes the reader from the earliest written accounts to the present in vivid portraits. The empress Masako is there, and presumably princess Murasaki Shikibu, whose diary is not only fascina... read more
A fascinating introduction to one of the most important Buddhis texts, balanced by Kerr's experiences in Kyoto, Tibet, Mongolia, Korea and India. Kerr has spent most of his adult life living... read more
The author's father was an American soldier who fell in love with a Japanese girl on the devastated island. This affecting book probes her own complex feeling and the attitudes among which s... read more
The author moved to Japan aged 21, immersing herself in language and culture with such success that she is now a literary translator. Her route there was by no means straightforward; this bo... read more
Set in post-war Japan, this is a Chandleresque tale of murder, political corruption and black marketeering, with a heavy-drinking investigator out on a limb. Familiar tropes perhaps, but in... read more
What distinguished 'art' from 'Art' ? Types of display, collecting, certain kinds of knowledge becoming matters of profession, etc. A specialised and fascinating study that puts the subject ... read more
A young woman in Tokyo takes a few tentative steps outward after years of isolation. Kawakami's unsettling lyricism and candour about ordinary modern lives have made her one of Japan's most ... read more
Pushkin Press have been having fun with these classic Japanese thrillers from the mid C20th - and so have we. A locked room mystery that deliciously echoes Christie's And Then There Were Non... read more
The catalogue to accompany an exhibition at Museo delle Culture di Lugano in the Villa Malpensata, home to the Montgomery Collection. Textiles, paintings, objects of quotidian use, etc.
A splendid guide to over a hundred museums not only in Tokyo but far beyond - in Kyoto, Hokkaido, Okinawa, Shikoku, Kyushu, etc. Includes museums of traditional arts and artist's houses, as... read more
These tales of cats in a Tokyo suburb weave a beguiling portrait of the local human inhabitants. What is it with cats and the Japanese literary scene? Murakami, Hiraide, Kawamura...
The Japanese sculptor is the fourth generation of a family of bamboo masters: this is a gorgeous book on his work - some of which is huge. Delightfully, his family name means "master of the... read more
Bold building with timber, even in tall structures: Ban, the Japanese architect who won the Pritzker prize in 2014, also uses paper, adobe and other sustainable materials in innovative ways.... read more
Strange and serene novel from the great Hungarian writer: for centuries the grandson of Prince Genji has been searching for a mythical garden and now wanders the grounds of an ancient Kyoto ... read more
Shinichi Suzuki was a violinist who became more famous as an educator and philosopher; his ideas of language acquisition revolutionised musical training. He also did much to erode occidental... read more
Like all well-loved nursery creatures, Teddy has lost one of his button eyes. Surely it's somewhere in the garden? A charming picture book from Japan for ages 4-6.
This anthology of Japanese poetry dates from the C10th and became the basis of all later vernacular poetry including haiku. The early literary authors Shikibu and Shonagon drew from it too, ... read more