Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Books
A byword for transformation, change and tradition - and even, on occasion,
“the Orient” itself - it's no surprise that Tokyo is so well represented on the
literary scene. In addition, the overseas popularity of Japanese fiction has
ballooned in recent decades, with certain writers now household names
abroad. The following publishers specialize in English-language books
on Japan, as well as translations of Japanese works: Kodansha (
W
kodansha
-intl.com); Charles E. Tuttle (
W
tuttlepublishing.com); Stonebridge Press
(
W
stonebridge.com); and Vertical (
W
vertical-inc.com). Note that Japanese
authors listed below follow the Japanese convention of placing the family
name first. Titles marked with the
Ì
symbol are particularly recommended.
HISTORY
Ì
Ian Buruma
Inventing Japan
. Focuses on the period
1853-1964, during which Japan went from a feudal,
isolated state to a powerhouse of the modern world
economy. Buruma's
The Wages of Guilt
also skilfully explains
how and why Germany and Japan have come to terms so
differently with their roles in World War II.
John Dower
Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Aftermath
of World War II
. This Pulitzer Prize winner offers an erudite
and clear appraisal of the impact of the American occu-
pation on Japan. First-person accounts and snappy writing
bring the topic alive.
Edward Seidensticker
Tokyo Central: A Memoir
. The
memoirs of this leading translator of ancient and modern
Japanese literature make for fascinating reading. His
out-of-print works
Low City, High City
and
Tokyo Rising:
The City Since the Great Earthquake
tackle Tokyo's history:
the first book covers the city's humble beginnings to the
Great Kantō quake of 1923; the second looks at the capital's
postwar experiences.
Richard Storry
A History of Modern Japan
. Ideal primer
for the basics and themes of Japanese history.
Richard Tames
A Traveller's History of Japan
. This clearly
written and succinct volume romps through Japan's history
and provides useful cultural descriptions and essays.
Ì
Paul Waley
Tokyo: City of Stories
. An intimate,
anecdotal history of the capital, delving into Tokyo's
neighbourhoods and uncovering some fascinating stories
in the process.
ARTS, CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Ì
Jake Adelstein
Tokyo Vice
. With forensic thorough-
ness and gallows humour Adelstein documents his
unsentimental education in crime reporting for the
Yomiuri
Shimbun
, Japan's top-selling newspaper. His main scoop
is about three
yakuza
heavyweights who sneaked into
the US, with FBI approval, to get liver transplants. A true
crime classic.
Ian Buruma
A Japanese Mirror
and
The Missionary and the
Libertine
. The first book is an intelligent, erudite examin-
ation of Japan's popular culture, while
The Missionary and
JAPAN THROUGH AN AMERICAN'S EYES
Donald Richie
has been writing intelligently about Japanese culture ever since he first arrived
in the country back in 1947 to work as a typist for the US occupying forces. Richie is best
known as a scholar of Japanese cinema, but among his forty-odd books it's his
essay
collections
-
Public People, Private People, A Lateral View
and
Partial Views
- that set a standard
other expat commentators can only aspire to.
Public People
is a series of sketches of famous
and unknown Japanese, including profiles of novelist Mishima and the actor Mifune Toshirō. In
A Lateral View
and
Partial Views
, Richie tackles Tokyo style, avant-garde theatre, pachinko, the
Japanese kiss and the Zen rock garden at Kyoto's Ryōan-ji temple, among many other things.
In
Tok yo
, Richie captures the essence of the city he has lived in for more than fifty years. For an
overview of the immense Ritchie oeuvre dip into
The Donald Richie Reader: 50 Years of Writing
on Japan
or his
Japan Journals 1947-2004.
