The Ten Loves of Nishino (or The Ten Loves of Mr Nishino in the UK) is a novel that is, much like Kawakami’s other works, at once frolicking fun and darkly mournful. The out-of-order biography of an enigmatic frustration of a man tortured and strange, told through the intimate first-person perspectives of ten of his …
Japan
The ethos and approach to publishing of Red Circle Authors Limited is everything that we at Books and Bao cherish. As someone who howls from the mountaintops about the importance of Anglophones reading more translated literature from across the globe, it is thrilling to see a small publishing house release a selection of Japanese stories …
Born into a wealthy Osaka family in 1899, Yasunari Kawabata lived through a tragic childhood, becoming orphaned at the age of four after which he was raised by his grandparents who themselves both passed away by the time he reached his fifteenth year. Yasunari Kawabata endured the sorrow of his early years and went on …
As the capital of Japan, Tokyo is steeped in a deep history of vibrant arts and culture which are still alive and popular today. In the city, visitors can find everything from sumo matches and kabuki shows to see, a samurai museum and a variety of traditional art galleries to explore. Not to mention Disneyland …
It’s no secret that Japan is far behind other developed countries when it comes to LGBTQ rights. While some local governments issue same-sex union certificates, gay marriage still isn’t recognized by the Japanese government, and the Supreme Court recently ruled that transgendered people must be sterilized before they can legally change their gender. And yet, …
The Tale of Genji, a Japanese story written in the 11th century, is important for several reasons: it’s thought to be the world’s first true ‘novel’, it’s an historically vital peek into the world of Japanese aristocracy during the Heian period, and most importantly it was written by a woman, the lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu. The …
Translated from the Japanese by Morgan Giles Here is a Japanese novel about social outcasts and the struggling and underappreciated working class, written by a social outcast, and translated by a proud socialist. Tokyo Ueno Station provides a harsh and honest look at the ways in which twentieth-century Japan has treated its people. Yu Miri …
Getting lost in Shibuya station at some point or other is fairly inevitable, no matter how much time you’ve spent in Tokyo, but this March (5-11th) you can get lost in a different way: in the paintings that are going to be displayed there for visitors to admire. One of the artists involved is Lida …
When it was first announced that the epic book series Legends of the Condor Heroes known as the ‘Chinese Lord of the Rings’ was to be translated for the first time into English, I waited with bated breath for the first book to be released, translated by the impeccably talented Anna Holmwood. The book was …
Tokyo is not only the largest and most exciting city in Japan to visit, but there are also a rich and exciting amount of varied and beautiful day trips from Tokyo that you can take. Just a short train ride from Tokyo, other exciting cities like Yokohama are conveniently accessible, and smaller Edo-syle towns are …