This is the translation of a book published in 2014. Except for a three page epilogue written in 2019, it has not been otherwise updated...
“Miyazaki and I… were first shown clips from Fantasia 2000, which was then in production. Asked what he thought of the film so far, Miyazaki...
A Quiet Hope The Japan-U.S. alliance is arguably the most important bilateral alliance in the world. It is also arguably the least well understood....
Suga’s China Challenge The new prime minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, takes office at a time of extraordinary geopolitical change. Although Suga has reiterated...
Part 5 of a series marking the artist’s 260th anniversary Other parts of the series: Introduction to a series on one of Japan’s artistic icons, Hokusai...
The best science fiction is never about the future, but the present. One Love Chigusa, the latest offering from British publisher Red Circle, is...
Science is the art of seeing reality without distraction. Politics—the need for the world to be a certain way—is one of science’s biggest enemies. This...
The Overlooked Itō Jakuchū When you hear the words “Japanese art,” what comes to mind? For some, it might be the sumptuous golds, haughty...
Flower petals fall, but the flower endures. The form perishes, but the being endures ー a saying of Buddhist philosopher Kaneko Daiei. Originally written...
This fascinating book is the story of the last generation of people to know the thriving metropolis of Edo before it became Tokyoーpeople who counted...
The Chinese novelist Yang Yi (real name Liu Qiao) — so far the only non-Japanese national to ever win the prestigious Akutagawa Prize (2008)...
Out of the way and nestled in the foothill forests of the Shima peninsula, Ise is home to the inner and outer Ise shrines. An...