New Books
A Shameful Life
by Osamu Dazai, translated by Mark Gibeau
A new translation of one of the greatest works of postwar Japanese literature, acutely capturing modern anxiety and alienation.
Easy and Fun Hiragana
by Kiyomi Ogawa & Orrin Cummins
Learn the basic Japanese syllabary from every angle: reading, writing, and real-world examples.
My Year of Dirt and Water
by Tracy Franz
Married to a Zen monk in training, an American woman in Japan chronicles her own year of growth and discovery.
Amy’s Guide to Best Behavior in Japan
by Amy Chavez
Going to Japan? This unfussy modern guide guarantees you keep it polite and get it right!
Easy and Fun Katakana
by Kiyomi Ogawa & Orrin Cummins
Learn the second key Japanese syllabary from every angle: reading, writing, and real-world examples.
Oh, Tama!
by Mieko Kanai
A deeply eccentric novel about lives and connections—and a cat of course—in 1980s Tokyo: witty, offbeat, and strangely profound.
Bird Talk and Other Stories by Xu Xu
by Xu Xu, translated by Frederik H. Green
Works of a major Chinese writer--liberal, cosmopolitan, and lyrically exotic--once banned but now embraced...
Exploring Kyoto
by Judith Clancy
The Japan travel classic and cultural guide gets you wandering from downtown quarters to remote mountaintop temples....
Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man
by Steve Alpert
A unique behind-the-scenes look at Japanese business and how the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki were introduced to the world.
China Smart
by Larry and Qin Herzberg
Essential essays on all things Chinese that inform and entertain travelers, students, and anyone working or living in China.
Forty-Seven Samurai
by Hiroaki Sato
One of the most spectacular vendettas ever: the history and haiku behind the mass-suicide featured in the 2013 film 47 Ronin.
The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross
by T.K. Nakagaki
A remarkable cross-cultural history that rescues the swastika, an ancient Buddhist symbol, from its deployment by the forces of hate.
