Reviewed by Chad Kohalyk One day in 1985, from the hills of Kunar province in northeastern Afghanistan, came three women dressed in chador, their faces covered. The two sisters and their mother were victims of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and had come to the hospital ward of Nakamura Tetsu, a volunteer doctor from Fukuoka More…
Category: Blog
Excerpt—Angkor’s Temples in the Modern Era
The following is an excerpt from a new release by John Burgess, Angkor’s Temples in the Modern Era: War, Pride, and Tourist Dollars (River Books, 2021). During the research for this book, the author’s fifth on Angkor, he found an abiding theme: tensions between the foreigners who came to Angkor—the capital of a great empire More…
Excerpt—7+2: A Mountain Climber’s Journal
Review—Pearl City: Stories from Japan and Elsewhere
Eight short stories from Japan and eight from other countries including Hong Kong, Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, France, Austria, Australia and New Zealand
9 New and Upcoming Releases we’re Looking Forward to Reading in 2021
Find out what we’re looking forward to reading this Spring!
Three Wishes for a Genie in Japan
By Renae Lucas-Hall “You know what Hana, women are the cause of all the problems in life,” Taiki said to his Siamese kitten. “They fulfill every desire in your heart and soul and then they disappear. My mother left me when I was a teenager, never to be seen again, and my wife died More…
Susan K Burton Interviews Nick Bradley about ‘The Cat and The City’
Nick Bradley masterfully weaves together seemingly disparate threads to conjure up a vivid tapestry of Tokyo; its glory, its shame, its characters, and a calico cat. -—David Peace
Interview by Susan Karen Burton I first encountered Nick Bradley in the University of East Anglia campus pub in 2015. We were both studying creative writing and a lecturer had suggested we meet because our area of interest—Japan—was, he stated, somewhat specialized. It was felt that we could use each other’s support. He was right. More…
Our podcast sponsor and new streaming options!
At Books on Asia, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes and are now ready to announce our new sponsor for our podcast! Most of our readers will be familiar with Stone Bridge Press, publisher of fine books about Asia since 1989. In addition to their expertise in publishing, Stone Bridge Press brings their More…
Review—Japan’s Quest for Stability in Southeast Asia: Navigating the Turning Points in Postwar Asia
How Japan navigated independence movements and revolutions in Southeast Asia during a fractious postwar period.
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Review by Chad Kohalyk A rising China and receding America has Japan once again focused on the confluence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Yet the recent Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision — to promote a new regional security environment anchored by India, Australia, Japan, and the United States — is in stark contrast More…
Review—The Woman in the White Kimono
A promising debut novel by Ana Johns
A promising debut book by Ana Johns