Introduction
Issue 4: Sense of Place—Tokyo
In this issue we introduce books we feel are essential reading to understand the great capital city of Tokyo. From historical reads and memoirs by English language authors Edward Seidensticker, John Nathan and Ian Buruma, to contemporary Japanese authors Banana Yoshimoto, Hiromi Kawakami, Ryu Murakami and Haruki Murakami, this selection of books brings together old More…
Podcast
BOA Podcast 4: Barry Lancet, author of Tokyo Kill
Author Barry Lancet chats with podcast host Amy Chavez about Lancet’s popular thriller series (Japantown, Tokyo Kill, Pacific Burn, and The Spy Across the Table) based on the exploits of Jim Brody, an antiques dealer who travels between Japan, Asia and the U.S.
A Tokyo Romance
Celebrated author Ian Buruma lived in Tokyo from 1975 to 1981. This is his memoir.
In the Miso Soup
This winner of the Yomiuri Prize for Literature navigates the neon-lit world of Tokyo’s sex industry.
Living Carelessly in Tokyo and Elsewhere
John Nathan, who later married artist Mayumi Oda, arrived in Tokyo in 1961 fresh out of Harvard College and went on to translate Sōseki, Mishima, and Ōe.
Metropolis Magazine
Japan’s number 1 English magazine, and it’s FREE!
Moshi Moshi
Moshi Moshi gives an intimate feel of two Tokyo neighborhoods and how they are changing over time.
Strange Weather in Tokyo
Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Asian Literary Prize, “Strange Weather in Tokyo” is a story of loneliness and love that defies age.
The Lost Children of Tokyo
2018 Winner of the National Book Award in Translated Literature, and one of Library Journal’s “Best Books of 2018”
Tokio Whip
A group of people walk across, around, and all over Tokyo. They talk, talk, talk. A linguistic, experiential, cartographical novel.
Tokyo from Edo to Showa 1867-1989
The definitive guide to the history of Tokyo, written by the late Edward Seidensticker. Preface by Donald Richie, Introduction by Paul Waley.
Tokyo Kill
The second thriller of this series from Barry Lancet, “a fresh voice in crime fiction” (Kirkus Reviews). Listen to an excerpt in this issue’s Hon Podcast.
Tokyo New Wave
Andrea Fazzari explores the changing landscape of food in Tokyo, where a young and charismatic generation is redefining what it means to be a chef in this celebrated food city. Read an excerpt and a recipe!
Tokyo Performance
NEW RELEASE! Tokyo Performance is set in the pre-internet age, captures the zeitgeist of Japan at the time.
Tokyo Poetry Journal
Tokyo Poetry Journal is a biannual publication of poetry, art, reviews, and criticism.
Tokyo Roji
The Japanese urban alleyway (roji), which was once part of people’s personal spatial sphere and everyday life has been transformed by diverse and competing interests. Read an excerpt!
Tokyo Style Guide
The ultimate guide to shopping and eating in Tokyo. Read an interview with the author here!
Tokyo: Ueno Station
NEW RELEASE! An inside look at a homeless person’s existence in Ueno Park, Tokyo.
Underground
Haruki Murakami interviews victims of the Tokyo Gas Attack and how the terrorist attack affected the psyche of the Japanese people.
New Writing
Kanji of the Year 2018, by Eve Kushner
Every December, a Kyoto-based kanji organization chooses a kanji that best represents the feeling of the past 12 months. For 2018 the winner was 災, which indicates “disaster.” Last year Mother Nature walloped Japan with floods, typhoons, earthquakes, and a record-breaking heatwave, all of them proving fatal. As if that weren’t enough, there was recently a More…
New Writing
Zero Plus Two, by Simon Rowe
From her flight bag Chiharu Kobayashi drew out a Chanel cosmetic purse and popped its clasp. In front of the mirror she touched up her lashes, eyebrows, then her lips. She examined her teeth and made a mental note to pick up a bottle of Hibiki 17-year in Dubai before the onward leg to More…