Grass is a starkly beautiful graphic novel which reveals the true-life story of a Korean ‘comfort woman’ during the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. The occupation ended after the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II, following the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Grass is a timely and gravely …
Willow Heath
Osaka is a wonderful city; full of seemingly endless things to fascinate the foodie, the nerd, the history buff, and the culture-seeker. I’ve never experienced a vibe quite like the one I did in Osaka. With so many things to do in Osaka, it’s almost easy to get overwhelmed. Being a short hop from both …
Copenhagen is a special kind of capital city. It’s a bright, colourful place, bursting with vibrancy and life. Walking the streets, passing by wide-open cafes with tables full of laughing people, you fall in love with the very atmosphere of the city. It’s addictive, inspiring, and beautiful. But beyond the capital, there are some incredible …
Suzhou is one of China’s most friendly, explorable, and unique cities. It blends classical streets and architecture with the excited hustle and bustle of modern Chinese life. Suzhou is also a stone’s throw from Shanghai and, if you happen to be based in Shanghai for a few days or a few years, it’s quick and …
Denmark is often celebrated as the happiest place on Earth today, and in our experience that is honestly true. What makes Denmark so exciting as a country is the contrast between its happy, positive, and friendly modern world and the thrilling history of seafaring Vikings the land was once known for a thousand years ago. …
Odense is one of the idyllic, fairytale towns that defines that sweet, charming, and friendly atmosphere of beloved Denmark. It’s only ninety minutes from Copenhagen on the train, and is most famous as the birthplace of literary genius Hans Christian Andersen. Odense is also the capital of Denmark’s third-largest island: Funen. The largest is Zealand, …
History. A Mess. is a wonderful novel. Its ambition is met with resounding success every step of the way. Everything that it sets out to achieve – every theme explored, every emotion captured – it does so with pomp and flourish. And the translation by Lytton Smith is nothing short of astounding, capturing the oppressive …
What can the Dark Souls video game franchise really teach us about our purpose in life? How can it help those of us struggling with depression, when it presents to us a world so dark and cold? Well, combining Dark Souls with the concept of finding your ikigai may just help dissipate the fog of depression, fear, and anxiety that …
Why should we read more translated literature? To answer this, we quickly need to discuss why we read literature at all. For those of us who only ‘read for pleasure’, asking this question can take some of the fun out of it but it’s worth taking a step back once in a while. In fact, …
Translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder The state of the world as it stands today, with regressive government bodies, the existence of oligarchies, state-controlled media, and a frightening amount more, all makes it both easier and harder to create new dystopian fiction. Easier in the sense that you can throw a dart at a …