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There is so much beauty, mystery, and excitement to Japanese history and culture. The best books on Japan explore the art, theology, architecture, theatre, and food of Japan. To really understand Japan, it’s vital to get a rounded view of the Land of the Rising Sun by reading the best books on Japanese culture and …

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The full title of Matt Alt’s book is Pure Invention: How Japan’s Pop Culture Conquered the World. And this ambitious title is right on the money in ways that will surprise and delight you, no matter how prepared you feel going in, or how much you already think you know about Pokemon, Gundam, or Hello …

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Whilst reading Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, the elephant in the room was the British education system. In school, Brits are taught about the following areas of British history: 1066, the Tudors, the Black Death, the industrial revolution, World War II. No Black British history books to be seen. British …

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If you love Japanese history, landscape or simply just in love with Tokyo then The Bells of Old Tokyo is a must-read. A lot of us who devour media like things to be put in brackets: as a music-lover, I need to know what sub-genre of heavy metal an album comfortably sits in before I …

Read More about The Bells of Old Tokyo by Anna Sherman BOOK REVIEW

These books about mental health are a great start if you’re looking to learn more about yourself or hear from someone who has experienced similar feelings. Mental health is very much a catch-all term in the same way that physical health is. Just as physical health issues range from cramps to cancer, mental health issues …

Read More about Mental Health: 9 Books that May Help

How do I know if my story is worth writing? This is a question I imagine must often pop into the minds of writers considering a memoir, be it about their career, their travels, or anything at all. What makes me stand out? What makes my story interesting? Well, as the only gaijin in the …

Read More about The Only Gaijin in the Village by Iain Maloney BOOK REVIEW

It’s difficult to know where to start with talking about trans rights, gender dysphoria, and the politics behind transgender stories, other than to simply say that trans people need all the help and support that they can get. That’s where transgender books and trans authors come in. Understanding your own dysphoria and deciding on the …

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At the age of 25, after the events of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution in China, Jung Chang moved to London. There, she wrote a biography which told an epic story of herself, her mother, and her grandmother. Three women of 20th century revolutionary China. That book, Wild Swans, was a global sensation and a book …

Read More about Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister by Jung Chang BOOK REVIEW

I love linguistics. I’ve studied (though never become fluent in) Japanese, Chinese, Korea, French, and German. I’m one of those people who becomes fascinated with ‘untranslatable’ words, etymology, and the evolution of languages. I love accents, dialects, and how language can be so malleable and ever in flux. I’ve had arguments with people who get …

Read More about Don’t Believe A Word by David Shariatmadari BOOK REVIEW