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The philosopher Kiyoshi Miki said, “the best books are those that constantly ask us questions.” We’ve put together the following list for just that reason. Fiction and nonfiction alike can help us…
By Shane Healy
The immensity of Japanese history is enough to intimidate most of us, with its multiple eras and sprawling cast of major players. But learning about the country’s incredible past need not be…
By Ciaran Lawler
In April 2020, Edo Oliver, a creative director at Japanese Creative Studio Reing, was scrolling through Instagram for inspiration for a new project to take on. Oliver stumbled upon Kotetsu Nakazato’s Instagram…
By Angelyn Labadan
Tokyo is undoubtedly a novelist’s city. Its patent eccentricity demands it play a role closer to a character than a setting, while its diverse neighborhoods – and the clerks, chefs, teens, salarymen,…
By David McElhinney
My copy of The Housekeeper and The Professor lies on my coffee table. Just moments ago, I turned its last page and said goodbye to a beautiful cast of characters, each funny,…
By Samantha Low
Inspired by a thread in the TW Book Club Goodreads page, we decided to embark on an adventure into the world of Japanese bookish lingo. Whether you’re brushing up your Japanese skills…
By Lisa Wallin
All of my friends know I’m a book addict. When I’m not making trips across Tokyo to visit new and exciting libraries, I’m crawling the back streets of Jimbocho looking for a…
Umoja, (stylized as UMOJA), is Tokyo Poetry Journal‘s latest publication and Japan’s first anthology in English of art, poetry and prose by artists of the Black diaspora. Meaning “unity” in Swahili, Umoja is a testament…
By Michael Frazier
Japanese female authors have only recently been gaining recognition worldwide. It’s long overdue. The rising number of translated titles have flung names such as Mieko Kawakami and Sayaka Murata into the spotlight.…
By Narumi Imayuki
There is no end to the number of perspectives when looking at Japan’s history, politics, economics, art and culture. Everyone who has known and loved Japan has their take. Here is a…
By Will Heath
They say that you have to walk a mile in someone’s shoes to truly understand them. But New Yorker Norman England went beyond footwear, getting to wear Mizuho Yoshida’s full Godzilla suit…
By Cezary Jan Strusiewicz
Regular readers of TW will be more than familiar with the name Kodo Nishimura. Our June 2020 cover star, the gender-fluid Buddhist monk and makeup artist has burst into the spotlight over…
By Paul McInnes
There has never been a better time to get into Japanese books. 2022 is ripe with newly translated gems of both contemporary and classic authors, as well as works originally written in…
What makes contemporary Japanese literature so cool? A stylish magazine, which prides itself on the quality of its translation and an irresistible urge towards literary play, offers more than a few answers.…
By Eric Margolis
“Kobayashi Sensei spoke no English, I spoke very little Japanese. Yet we connected immediately through facial expressions, hand gestures, smiles and my simply trying to copy what Sensei showed me.” That was…
By Lisandra Moor
Zaido, a Japanese festival dating back 1,300 years, is the title and subject of a stunning new photographic tome filled with striking images by Steidl Book Award winner Yukari Chikura. Beautifully bound…
By Renae Lucas-Hall
There are almost too many choices. From Peppa Pig to Goodnight Moon, to the more kid-friendly renditions of Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers, a parent might have to sift through…
By Taylor Stewart
A wonderful resource for struggling students and bookworms, libraries are usually free and open to everyone. In addition to national and university libraries, your ward or city surely has one too. Foreign residents…
By Paula Chiarino
