Japan: The Reader's Guide
Maybe you're craving the frenetic energy of a scramble crossing in Shibuya, or dying to find a dimly lit jazz bar in Shinjuku, or perhaps you're looking to bypass Tokyo altogether and head to the snowy peaks of Hokkaido. Visiting Shinto shrines, experiencing tea ceremonies or doing a sake tasting can only scratch the surface of such an intoxicating place to visit. But to really understand Japan, why not stock up on the histories, classics and new novels that tap into its intellectual and spiritual heart.
24 books
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Haruki MurakamiThis surreal and haunting exploration of memory, loss, and identity is one of the lit superstar’s most popular novels. Plus, for you foodies, The Atlantic's Adrienne LaFrance, says it "contains some of the most memorable meals in all of literature. In a novel that is all surreality, darkness, and rabbit holes, Murakami’s simple descriptions of sustenance have an almost metronomic quality—the only thing anchoring the story to reality."
Christopher Harris & Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman ⛵🛵Paperback, 1998
$19.00$9.50 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia
Gary J. BassThis monumental work of history, provides the ultimate context about the significance of Japan's surrender to the Allies to end World War II. Named one of the ten best books of 2023 by The Washington Post, it provides deep historical analysis of the courtroom battles and competing motivations of the international community, plus a grizzly recording of the atrocities carried out by the Japanese military. Writing for the Post, Robert D. Kaplan called it "comprehensive, landmark and riveting..."
Hardcover, 2023
$46.00$23.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book
A Beginner's Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations
Pico IyerNo matter how much research or how many months you plan, Japan can be an engima to new travelers. Who better to guide you along than the world's greatest living travel writer, Pico Iyer, who has called Japan home for decades. This highly readable book is a collection of brief, incisive glimpses into Japanese culture that recount his own experiences over the years from settings as diverse as Kyoto station, a meditation hall and a love hotel -- guaranteed to feed your fascination with the country.
PW Reviews & Bay Area Book FestivalPaperback, 2020
$17.00$8.50 + Free shipping50% off your first book
The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture
Roger J. DaviesThis comprehensive guide to Japanese culture covers everything from the history of Japan to the social customs of contemporary Japanese society. The book provides a fascinating insight into the Japanese way of life and is an essential read for anyone interested in Japanese culture.
RBmediaTopAuthorsPaperback, 2002
$16.95$8.48 + Free shipping50% off your first book
The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories
Jay RubinA collection of short stories by some of Japan’s most celebrated writers, including Haruki Murakami, Yukio Mishima, and Banana Yoshimoto, among others. The book is a fantastic tool for travelers looking to dip their toes in Japanese literature and familiarize themselves with some of the scene's key historic and contemporary figures and themes.
Paperback, 2020
$20.00$10.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Snow Country
Yasunari KawabataA masterpiece of modern Japanese literature set in a hot spring town in northern Japan. The novel explores the relationship between a wealthy Tokyo businessman and a geisha and is a poignant portrayal of the clash between traditional and modern Japan. The book was among the three works the selection committee noted while awarding Kawabata with the 1968 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Penguin Books UK & The Japan TimesPaperback, 1996
$17.00$8.50 + Free shipping50% off your first book
All the Lovers in the Night
Mieko KawakamiThis finalist for the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction follows a mid-thirties freelance copy editor who is determined to make a great change in her life after years of stagnation. Jo Hamya wrote in The New York Times, "Kawakami's novel is uncompromisingly candid in its appraisal of the harm women inflict on one another, while never losing sight of the overarching structures that lead them to do so in the first place. Compact and supple, it’s a strikingly intelligent feat."
Alina Stefanescu & National Book Critics CirclePaperback, 2023
$17.95$8.98 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Tokyo Ueno Station (National Book Award Winner)
Yu MiriWinner of the 2020 National Book Award in Translation, this story follows Kazu, a ghost who now haunts the Tokyo park where he spent his final years living in a makeshift shelter. As the bustle of modern Tokyo drifts past his eyes, Kazu recounts the sad story of his life and the circumstances that led him to this moment. It's a heart-wrenching and eye-opening depiction of Japan's underclass which provides a counterbalance to the glittering image of Tokyo so often projected to the world.
Motoko Rich & Anton HurPaperback, 2021
$18.00$9.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
Jake AdelsteinImmerse yourself in the underbelly of Tokyo's crime world through the eyes of an American journalist. Adelstein's gripping memoir unfolds the layers of the city, blending investigative journalism with personal anecdotes, making it a captivating read for those intrigued by Tokyo's darker secrets.
Steven Sinofsky & S Sebag MontefiorePaperback, 2010
$18.00$9.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book
Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now
Doryun ChongHopefully the town of Matsumoto is a stop on your trip to Japan so that you can visit the art museum that showcases the work of international superstar known for her use of polka dots and infinity installations. No matter what, getting to know the work of Yayoi Kusama is a delight, and this comprehensive survey of her work to date is one of the most impressive contemporary art books to come out as of late.
Hardcover, 2023
$65.00$40.00 + Free shipping50% off your first book(max discount $25)