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Anthology of Japanese Literature from the Earliest Era to the Mid-Nineteenth Century


by Donald Keene

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 442 PAGES

A classic first published in 1955, this book presents great Japanese literature over the ages. (JPN12, $16.95)

Architecture and Authority in Japan


by William H. Coaldrake

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1996
  • HARD COVER

Japanese architecture and its relationship to political and religious power structures. (JPN112, $64.95)

An Artist in the Floating World


by Kazuo Ishiguro

  • LITERATURE
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 206 PAGES

His second novel, Ishiguro weaves a tale of an aging artist in postwar Japan. (JPN58, $14.00)

Black Arrow

Black Arrow


by I. J. Parker

  • MYSTERY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

Detective Akitada must solve a series of brutal slayings in the northern city of Echigo. (JPN201, $15.00)

The Blue-Eyed Tarokaja, A Donald Keene Anthology

The Blue-Eyed Tarokaja, A Donald Keene Anthology


by Donald Keene

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • HARD COVER
  • 290 PAGES

Keene tackles Japanese music, language, society and literature in these insightful pieces. (JPN15, $45.00)

Buddhist Art and Architecture

Buddhist Art and Architecture


by Robert Fisher

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

A wide-ranging, illustrated survey of Buddhist art, architecture and iconography in the excellent World of Art series. It includes examples from throughout Asia. (ASA30, $19.95)

Cha-No-Yu, The Japanese Tea Ceremony


by Arthur L. Sadler | A.L. Sadler

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 265 PAGES

A classic guide to the disciplined, enduring art of the Japanese tea ceremony. (JPN59, $14.95)

The China Lover

The China Lover


by Ian Buruma

  • LITERATURE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

Buruma turns to fiction in this intricately plotted novel based on the life of WWII-era movie-star and personality Shirley Yamaguchi. (CHN528, $16.00)

Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Patterns of Japanese Culture

Chrysanthemum and the Sword, Patterns of Japanese Culture


by Ruth Benedict | Ian Buruma

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 324 PAGES

Published in the aftermath of World War II, this brilliant exploration of the Japanese psyche and culture retains its interest today, as much for its perspective on the West as for insights about the Japanese character. (JPN23, $15.00)

Confessions of a Mask

Confessions of a Mask


by Meredith Weatherby | Yukio Mishima

  • LITERATURE
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 254 PAGES

An unsettling portrait of society in Post War Japan that tells of the coming of age of a complex, tragic figure who, among other things, struggles with his homosexuality. (JPN18, $12.95)

Crossfire


by Miyuki Miyabe

  • MYSTERY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 414 PAGES

This taut crime novel (with some paranormal activity tossed it), Miyabe's break-through in English, illuminates the Tokyo underworld. (JPN342, $11.95)

Explorer Tokyo, The Complete Residents' Guide


by Explorer Publishing

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 510 PAGES

A comprehensive practical guide to the region. It also includes a healthy amount of historical, natural and cultural information. (JPN328, $24.95)

Eyewitness Top 10 Tokyo

Eyewitness Top 10 Tokyo


by Stephen Mansfield

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A compact, illustrated guide in the popular series, featuring favorite attractions. (JPN379, $14.00)

The Floating World


by James Michener | Howard A. Link

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 453 PAGES

Michener delves into the history of Japanese printmaking. (JPN57, $27.95)

Fodor's Exploring Japan

Fodor's Exploring Japan


by David Scott

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A compact guide to the history, culture and attractions of Japan. Includes walking tours and good neighborhood maps, and features color photographs. (JPN33, $22.00)

Fodor's Tokyo

Fodor's Tokyo


by Alex Kelly

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 388 PAGES

A practical guide in the popular series, filled with valuable information on accommodation, shopping, sights, and dining. (JPN358, $19.99)

Frommer's Tokyo


by Beth Reiber

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER

A comprehensive, practical guide to the region with excellent recommendations for hotels, restaurants and excursions. With two-color maps throughout. (JPN369, $17.99)

The Gardens of Japan

The Gardens of Japan


by Teiji Itoh

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1998
  • HARD COVER
  • 244 PAGES

This beautifully illustrated overview of the history and tradition of gardens features 75 color photographs and astute essays. (JPN38, $60.00)

Getting Wet, Adventures in the Japanese Bath

Getting Wet, Adventures in the Japanese Bath


by Eric Talmadge

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

Tokyo-based Talmadge journeys from seaside resorts to mountain retreats and megaplexes in this cultural history of Japan through the tradition of the bath. (JPN197, $22.00)

Good Morning


by Yasujiro Ozu

  • 1953
  • DVD

This satirical portrait of family life tells the humorous story of two young boys in the suburbs to Tokyo who take a vow of silence when their father refuses to buy them a television. Originally released in 1953. In Japanese with English subtitles. (JPN394, $29.95)

Hitching Rides with Buddha

Hitching Rides with Buddha


by Will Ferguson

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

As irreverent as ever, Will Ferguson tracks cherry blossoms from Kagoshima to Rishiri Island in this rollicking report from the cultural frontlines in Japan. (JPN188, $14.00)

Insight City Guide Tokyo

Insight City Guide Tokyo


by Fran Doral

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

This eyecatching guide features hundreds of color photographs, illuminating area maps, a separate pullout map, street atlas and practical information. (JPN339, $15.95)

Insight Guide Japan

Insight Guide Japan


by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

A comprehensive, illustrated guide to Japan. Half the book is devoted to a survey of attractions throughout the archipelago. Features full color maps. (JPN74, $23.99)

The Japan Journals, 1947-2004

The Japan Journals, 1947-2004


by Donald Richie | Leza Lowitz

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 494 PAGES

A collection of essays from the eminent film historian and observer of Japan. (JPN141, $18.95)

Japan Map

Japan Map


by Periplus Maps

  • 2009
  • MAP

This convenient map covers the island nation at a scale of 1:2,000,000, with insets of the major cities. (JPN06, $8.95)

Japan, A Traveler's Literary Companion

Japan, A Traveler's Literary Companion


by Jeffrey Angles

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

This geographically-organized anthology introduces both Japan and its best contemporary writers. (JPN187, $14.95)

Japanese Buddhism, A Cultural History

Japanese Buddhism, A Cultural History


by Yoshiro Tamura

  • RELIGION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 232 PAGES

A succinct history of Buddhism as it interacts with Japanese culture. From one of Japan's leading scholars of Buddhism. (JPN237, $14.95)

Japanese Culture

Japanese Culture


by Paul Varley

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 383 PAGES

Valery traces cultural trends from the emergence of Japanese civilization through the present age, touching on religion, gardens, tea ceremony, the visual arts, theatre, literature and cinema. (JPN84, $24.00)

Japanese Garden Design

Japanese Garden Design


by Marc P. Keane | Haruzo Ohashi

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 184 PAGES

An illustrated introduction to the aesthetics and meanings of Japanese gardens. It relates the social, religious and historical contexts to landscape and garden design. (JPN52, $30.00)

The Japanese Today, Continuity and Change

The Japanese Today, Continuity and Change


by Edwin O. Reischauer | Marius Jansen

  • HISTORY
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 459 PAGES

A wide-ranging, engaging survey of Japanese culture and society by two prominent historians. (JPN83, $29.00)

Knopf Mapguide Tokyo


by Knopf Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 48 PAGES

A practical pocket guide to the city, featuring fold-out maps with restaurants, shops and attractions. (JPN314, $10.95)

Lafcadio Hearn's Japan

Lafcadio Hearn's Japan


by Lafcadio Hearn | Donald Richie

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

An astute sampling of the 19th-century teacher and translator's stories, letters and reflections on Japan and it people as selected by Donal Richie, who provides the preface and introduction. Heard died in Tokyo in 1904. (JPN50, $16.95)

Lonely Planet Japan

Lonely Planet Japan


by Chris Rowthorn

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 880 PAGES

A comprehensive, practical guide. (JPN109, $28.99)

Lonely Planet Tokyo Encounter


by Wendy Yanagihara

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 216 PAGES

This lively shirt pocket guide to the city, jammed with personal recommendations and photographs, also includes a pull-out map. (JPN263, $12.99)

The Making of Modern Japan


by Marius Jansen

  • HISTORY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 871 PAGES

An epic account of Japan and its transformation from feudal society to modern superpower. (JPN88, $28.50)

The Makioka Sisters

The Makioka Sisters


by Tanizaki Junichiro

  • LITERATURE
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 530 PAGES

The story of a merchant family in prewar Osaka and the struggle of four beautiful sisters to maintain their position in society after the death of their parents, also made into a delightful film by Ichikawa. (JPN41, $16.00)

Michelin Guide Tokyo, Restaurants & Hotels

Michelin Guide Tokyo, Restaurants & Hotels


by Michelin Travel Publications

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 496 PAGES

The venerable Michelin Red Guide to dining and lodging in Tokyo, revised annually. With city maps, telephone numbers, addresses, and a complex series of categories. (JPN354, $16.99)

Minka, My Farmhouse in Japan


by John Roderick

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

In the 1960s, before everyone was restoring a Tuscan villa or a Spanish hacienda, John Roderick had his minka, a 250-year-old thatched and pegged farmhouse outside of Tokyo. (JPN268, $24.95)

Modern Japanese Literature


by Donald Keene

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 448 PAGES

A sampling of Japanese literature from the 19th to 2 (JPN72, $15.95)

National Geographic Japan

National Geographic Japan


by Nicholas Bornoff

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

A guide to Japan in National Geographic style. (JPN120, $27.95)

National Geographic's Living Treasures of Japan


by National Geographic Society

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1980
  • DVD

A documentary film by National Geographic portraying nine traditional Japanese artists, performers and craftspeople. (JPN121, $19.98)

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon


by Shonagon Sei | Ivan Morris

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

Exquisite short essays and vignettes of Japanese court life in the Heian period. (JPN76, $17.00)

Pimsleur Quick & Simple Japanese

Pimsleur Quick & Simple Japanese


by Pimsleur Language Method

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 2005
  • AUDIO CD

Four audio CDs with eight 30-minute lessons in basic Japanese, covering elementary vocabulary and phrases used in travel and everyday situations. (JPN175, $19.95)

The Roads to Sata, A 2000-Mile Walk Through Japan

The Roads to Sata, A 2000-Mile Walk Through Japan


by Alan Booth

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 281 PAGES

A revealing, humorous account of the author's 2,000-mile walk north to south from Hokkaido to Kyushu by a wonderfully eccentric British expatriate. (JPN11, $16.00)

Rough Guide Tokyo


by Jan Dodd

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 348 PAGES

A comprehensive guide in the hip, literate and very infomative Rough Guide style. It's divided cleanly between practical information and illuminating background on culture and history. (JPN315, $19.99)

The Sea and the Poison


by Shusaku Endo

  • LITERATURE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 167 PAGES

One of many novels by the 20th-century Japanese writer, a Roman Catholic whose many works explore chistianity and morals. This one set in Tokyo during WWII. (JPN161, $12.95)

Seeing Japan


by Charles Whipple | Morihiro Hosokawa

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER

A wide-ranging introduction to modern Japan. Charles Whipple covers the basic elements of Japanese family and society, as well as geography, art, theater and sports. (JPN179, $35.00)

Shogun

Shogun


by James Clavell

  • LITERATURE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 1152 PAGES

Clavell's immensely popular story of an English adventurer in 17th century Japan. (JPN47, $18.00)

The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido


by Hirosh Utagawa

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 160 PAGES

A dazzling portrait 19th-century Japan, this beautiful edition of Hiroshige and Eisen's classic prints, reproduced from the finest surviving manuscript, chronicle the landscapes, attractions and people along the famed highway between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. (JPN337, $80.00)

Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume 1


by Ry-Usaku Tsunoda | William Theodore de Bary

  • RELIGION
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 506 PAGES

A scholarly sourcebook of theological writings up through the 18th century. (JPN63, $21.00)

Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume 2


by William Theodore de Bary | Donald Keene

  • RELIGION
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 399 PAGES

A scholarly sourcebook of theological writings from the 18th to mid-20th century. (JPN64, $35.00)

The Tale of Genji


by Murasaki Shikibu | Edward G. Seidensticker

  • LITERATURE
  • 1983
  • PAPER
  • 1090 PAGES

The unabridged version of one of the most famous works of Japanese prose. This is the story of Genji, a romantic man in the Heian court, as written in the 11th-century by Lady Murasaki. (JPN73, $29.95)

Tale of the Heike


by Helen Craig McCullough

  • LITERATURE
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 489 PAGES

Japan's most famous war tale about the fall of the Taira (Heike) clan and the victory of the Minamoto (Genji) during the end of the 12th century. (JPN75, $29.95)

Thousand Cranes

Thousand Cranes


by Yasunari Kawabata | Edward G. Seidensticker

  • LITERATURE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 147 PAGES

This novella by the great Kawabata may be Japan's best-known literary work, a story of love, grief and redemption. Kawabata's prose is as economical as the tea ceremony itself, and very beautiful. (JPN34, $13.95)

Through Japanese Eyes

Through Japanese Eyes


by Richard H. Minear

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 360 PAGES

A survey of Japanese culture, society and people. (JPN92, $21.95)

Time Out Tokyo

Time Out Tokyo


by Time Out

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

This practical guide to the city, its history and surroundings is jam-packed with listings of hotels, bars and restaurants, shops and services. (JPN401, $19.99)

Tokyo Story


by Yasujiro Ozu

  • 1953
  • DVD

An aging couple travels from their rural village to Tokyo to visit their adult children in this quintessentially Japanese film that deals with generational conflict. Originally released in 1953. In Japanese with English subtitles. (JPN393, $39.95)

Turning Japanese, Memoirs of a Sansei

Turning Japanese, Memoirs of a Sansei


by David Mura

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 376 PAGES

The riveting, wonderfully observed tale of a thoroughly American Sansei (i.e. Japanese-American), born and raised in California, who heads to Japan with his American wife. (JPN44, $14.00)

Unbeaten Tracks in Japan

Unbeaten Tracks in Japan


by Isabella Bird

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

Bird's narrative of her travels in Japan in 1878, just after the country re-opened its doors to the world. She spent little time on the cities, heading straight out to meet the peasants in their fields. (JPN94, $12.95)

The Unknown Craftsman, A Japanese Insight into Beauty

The Unknown Craftsman, A Japanese Insight into Beauty


by Soetsu Yanagi | Shoji Hamada | Bernard Leach

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 230 PAGES

Soetsu Yanagi (1889-1961) presents Japanese crafts, their integral place in Japanese society, and the role of the craftsman in this an excellent overview of the foundations of the Mingei (folk-craft) movement. With 76 illustrations. (JPN116, $35.00)

Untangling My Chopsticks, A Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto

Untangling My Chopsticks, A Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto


by Victoria Abbott Riccardi

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

In this beguiling memoir, Riccardi writes with verve of cultural encounters, bewilderment and discovery in Kyoto. If you've ever parted the drapes of a Japanese restaurant to face a room full of people and blank stares, you'll really appreciate the book. With 25 recipes for traditional and less traditional Japanese dishes. (JPN135, $19.00)

Wallpaper City Guide Tokyo

Wallpaper City Guide Tokyo


by Wallpaper Magazine

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2012
  • PAPER

A stylish, thin (it fits in your back pocket) city guide compiled by the design magazine Wallpaper's local reporters. Well-organized, with chapter tabs, many photographs and of-the-moment recommendations. (JPN204, $9.95)

What is Japanese Architecture? A Survey of Traditional Japanese Architecture

What is Japanese Architecture? A Survey of Traditional Japanese Architecture


by Kazuo Nishi | Kazuo Hozomi

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A concise introduction to traditional Japanese buildings, from prehistory to the mid-19th century. (JPN69, $32.00)

A Woman's Asia

A Woman's Asia


by Marybeth Bond

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 310 PAGES

These thirty-five personal, often hilarious accounts of women's adventures from China to Sri Lanka to Turkey to Bhutan, not only illuminating the everyday, oft-overlooked cultural practices of Asia, but also giving a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the female traveller. (ASA49, $17.95)

The World of the Shining Prince, Court Life in Ancient Japan

The World of the Shining Prince, Court Life in Ancient Japan


by Ivan Morris | Barbara Ruch

  • HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A recreation of life in eleventh-century Japan. (JPN70, $17.00)

You Gotta Have Wa


by Robert Whiting

  • SPORT
  • 1990
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES

A history of Japanese baseball, which has been played since the 1850s (professionally since 1935). (JPN236, $14.95)

Zen Buddhism, A History, Japan

Zen Buddhism, A History, Japan


by Heinrich Dumoulin

  • RELIGION
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 520 PAGES

A history of Zen Buddhism as practiced in Japan, with focus on the melding of the Chinese import with indigenous Shinto practices. (JPN235, $28.95)

 

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