Japanese English

A war hero on the run. A girl behind barbed wire. A love letter to hope in the darkest times. In 1944 California, Aiko Takeda writes letters to her childhood friend, Takeshi "Taki" Nakamura, a Nisei soldier serving with the famed 442nd Infantry Regiment in Europe. Through their letters, their bond deepens across oceans and gunfire. But when her letters suddenly stop, Taki fears the worst. Learning of the U.S. government's internment of Japanese Americans, Taki makes a life-altering decision: he deserts his unit and sets out on a perilous journey across continents and borders to find Aiko. ...

Minato was a normal young Japanese youth, thrown into the hardships of war, which faced those living in Japan. Circumstances of survival, would challenge his whole community . He was the eldest son in his family and was expected by heritage and decree, to follow in his father and grandfathers footsteps.Wartime in Japan was fraught with many unusual challenges and Minato would be faced with decisions and expectations not normally placed on the shoulders of one so young.As the community sought to handle the requirements placed on it by the wartime government, people found hardships unbearable...

A humble clerk and his loving wife scrape out a quiet existence on the margins of Tokyo. Resigned, following years of exile and misfortune, to the bitter consequences of having married without their families' consent, and unable to have children of their own, Sosuke and Oyone find the delicate equilibrium of their household upset by a new obligation to meet the educational expenses of Sosuke's brash younger brother. While an unlikely new friendship appears to offer a way out of this bind, it also soon threatens to dredge up a past that could once again force them to flee the capital.

“Silenced No More: Voices of Comfort Women” weaves the unforgettable stories of the suffering voiceless with themes of forgiveness, conciliation, and unflagging hope, together with the author’s own investigative journey into a tapestry that will open your eyes to one of the largest human rights tragedies in the 20th century: hundreds of thousands of girls and women were trafficked into Imperial Japanese military sex slavery before and during World War II. History infects the present and determines our future. It is this untold history that the author explores. The author, S.J. (Sylvia...

In Victory at Hawaii: America Defeats the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, the decades-old question is explored—how could the US be so surprised and defeated on December 7, 1941 by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? And how could, six months later in June 1942, the US Navy deal a crushing blow to the Japanese Fleet at the Battle of Midway? We all know that the US had intelligence indicating that the Japanese were going to attack at Midway Island. What if earlier in 1941, America had specific intelligence about the upcoming Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and acted on it?

Life is ephemeral and ever-changing; in Japan, it's called ukiyo—"floating world." How can we adapt to its fluctuations without being overcome? The answer is nagomi: a philosophy of balance—and the secret to a harmonious life. Neuroscientist Ken Mogi shares wisdom from Japanese history and culture to explain how nagomi can help you bring that balance into your health, work, relationships, and sense of self.

A Band of Brothers for the Pacific, this is the gut-wrenching but ultimately triumphant story of the Marines' most ferocious, yet largely forgotten, battle of World War II. Between September 15 and October 15, 1944, the First Marine Division suffered more than 6,500 casualties fighting on a hellish little island in the Pacific. Peleliu was the scene for one of the most savage struggles of modern times, a true killing ground that has all but been forgotten, until now.

Miyamoto Musashi was a legendary Japanese swordsman who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is celebrated not only for his unmatched prowess in duels, but also for the profound insights he left behind in his writings. Although he is often remembered as an invincible warrior who fought and won more than sixty duels, Musashi was far more than a mere swordsman. He was an artist, a philosopher, and a teacher. Through his life and works, Musashi demonstrated how discipline, clarity of purpose, and a relentless pursuit of self-improvement can elevate a person to a rare level ...

Look around you - what do you see? You may discover to your surprise that the people who are most at peace with money are the ones who walk nimbly between having too little and having too much. They have found a balance between indulgence and austerity; between success and happiness; between motivation and inspiration; and between any number of other poles we tend to think of as either/or choices, but which in reality are simply posts on either side of a doorway through which we must pass.

Shoji Morimoto was constantly being told by his boss, "It makes no difference whether you’re here or not," and that his presence contributed nothing to the company. Morimoto began to wonder whether a person who "does nothing" could still have actual value and a place in the world. Perhaps he could turn "doing nothing" into a service? With one tweet, Rental Person was born.

Sam Sakamoto doesn't have space in her life for dreams. With the recent death of her mother, Sam's focus is the farm, which her family will lose if they can't make one last payment. There's no time for her secret and unrealistic hope of becoming a photographer, no matter how skilled she's become. But Sam doesn't know that an even bigger threat looms on the horizon.

The "Sons of Godzilla" covers the Godzilla film sequels (not including those directed by Ishiro Honda which the author covered in "Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men") from 1955 - 1995. During that time Godzilla transformed from a metaphor for Japan's atomic devastation to a protector of that same country and a friend of children until ultimately returning to the role of a villain in the 1980s. Author Peter H. Brothers covers this amazing period involving everything from super-hero robots, smog monsters, and tag-team wrestling battles. Brothers covers the juvenile films made for kids where ...

After Ken Garden's break up, he arrives for a 3-week stay at a snowy family lodge in Japan to let off some steam with his friends. But things turn sour when Ken gets into a horrible accident. Just as he reaches his life's end, Ken suddenly encounters a mysterious and alluring young woman named Yukimi who eventually saves his life. But Ken will soon find out who--and what--his new love interest really is: an immortal snow woman with supernatural gifts. As their relationship grows closer over many dark and cold evenings together, they must keep Yukimi's secret from Ken's friends and others, ...

In Ghostly Japan collects 12 ghostly stories from Lafcadio Hearn, deathless images of ghosts and goblins, touches of folklore and superstition, salted with traditions of the nation. While some of these stories contain nightmare imagery worthy of a midnight creature feature, others are not ghostly or ghastly at all. "Bits of Poetry" offers an engaging study on verse, and "Japanese Buddhist Proverbs" explains the meaning of several aphorisms based on Japanese cultural references.

Completing the Meiji Restoration that heralded the dawn of a new era for both Japan and Asia, the island nation found itself thrust into the modern world, a world of industry and conquest. Flexing its new muscles, the burgeoning power soon came to blows with the regional power that for centuries dominated the area politically and culturally: China. Also seeking to modernize in the wake of Western exploitation, China struggled to adapt to the changing times, doing everything it could to maintain a balance between modernity and tradition. Japan found that balance.

The beloved bestselling author of The Color of Air, Women of the Silk, and The Samurai's Garden returns with this magnificent historical novel based on the life of the luminous, groundbreaking actress Anna May Wong—the first and only Asian American woman to gain movie stardom in the early days of Hollywood.

"Shadows of the Rising Sun" delves into the enigmatic Black Dragon Society, a secretive ultranationalist group in early 20th-century Japan. As Western imperialism spread across Asia, the Society proclaimed Japan as the defender and leader of Asian unity against Western dominance. Their ideology of "Greater Asianism" influenced Japan's aggressive expansion and contributed to the regional conflicts of World War II. This book explores the Society's origins, philosophy, and significant impact on Japan's foreign policy. It also examines their strategic support for Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-...

In a break from Lawrence and Holo's ongoing adventures, author Isuna Hasekura presents "Side Colors," a series of short vignettes focusing on the fans' favorite characters.

How have Japanese companies become world leaders in the automotive and electronics industries, among others? What is the secret of their success? Two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi, are the first to tie the success of Japanese companies to their ability to create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies.

Beginning students in Japanese martial arts, such as karate, judo, aikido, iaido, kyudo, and kendo, learn that when they are in the dojo (the practice space), they must don their practice garb with ritual precision, address their teacher and senior students in a specific way, and follow certain unwritten but deeply held codes of behavior. But very soon they begin to wonder about the meaning behind the traditions, gear, and relationships in the dojo.