Tired of feeling bored with thrillers billed as mysteries where the mysteries are no challenge to your armchair detective skills? Want to read a true police procedural where every detail of the plodding police work is laid out? Get a copy of The Final Curtain, the last book of theContinue Reading
A seemingly drunk man staggers onto a lonely Tokyo bridge at night and collapses. A policeman checks on him and is surprised to find that A Death in Tokyo has occurred. The man is not drunk but instead has been stabbed to death. The police investigate and are suspicious ofContinue Reading
Suzuki just began working for a criminal enterprise. He quit his middle school mathematics teaching job to try and enact revenge for his wife’s death. The son of the enterprise’s owner killed Suzuki’s wife in a hit-and-run accident. However, the son is soon murdered by a private assassin, The Pusher,Continue Reading
In Silent Parade, two girls disappear twenty years apart. The first girl’s body is found cut into pieces, burned and buried in the woods. A suspect is arrested who refuses to talk to the police. Because the case is based on circumstantial evidence, the suspect is found not guilty andContinue Reading
If you have a family member or friend that loves all things Japanese or sushi in particular, you can’t go wrong in gifting them The Art of Sushi. The book tells the tale of how a French manga artist learns everything about sushi from two Japanese chefs and their suppliers.Continue Reading
Can humor transcend language? Will Americans understand Bullet Train’s off-the-chain Japanese dark satirical humor? The answer for me, at least, is not really. “Steal someone’s suitcase and get off the train. That’s it.“ Five assassins are speeding across Japan in a train. Most are looking for a suitcase full ofContinue Reading
In the 1940s and 1950s, mental health issues were often ignored. A Japanese artist named Kusama heard voices, had panic attacks, and suffered from hallucinations. Why? It is a chicken and an egg question. Did Kusama’s mental health issues drive her mother to be strict? Or did her mother’s harshContinue Reading
Calling all otaku! If you adore anime, manga, or Japanese culture in general, you will love learning how to Cook Anime. Wow, the author has spent some quality time watching anime! Each recipe is based on a single show episode. However, there is list of other anime where the foodContinue Reading
Armchair detectives, rejoice! The Honjin Murders has an ingenious puzzle to solve with fair clues and sneaky red herrings aplenty. “A locked room murder, a red ochre-painted room and the sound of the koto…” The Honjin Murders is the first (of 77!) in a famous series of Japanese detective novels.Continue Reading
Sharing a House with the Never-ending Man is an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at a Japanese company from an American’s perspective. It is not about the personalities at Studio Ghibli or where Miyazaki gets his ideas for the movies. It is interesting to see cultural differences explained so clearly. I alsoContinue Reading
Sushi Modoki means mimicked sushi. This cookbook shows vegans and vegetarians how to create beautiful replicas of famous sushi while not compromising their ethical values. The book includes seventeen nigiri (thin fish over rice), nine sushi rolls, four chirashi (rice/veggie bowls), four inari (stuffed deep-fried tofu pockets), four oshi (rectangularContinue Reading
Like Columbo, Newcomer is a new approach to a police procedural. Eight stories each tell an investigative tale. By the last chapter, the detective has solved the crime. Precinct Detective Sergeant Kaga is a new transfer to Tokyo’s police department investigating a murder. He is a self-effacing bumbler on theContinue Reading
All kinds of lunches, dinners and holiday meals are included in Simply Bento. This cookbook includes Japanese, sandwich, noodle, rice and sushi bento recipes. It has a full chapter featuring vegan bento recipes and another for low carb bento. Each entree’s recipe comes with suggestions for side dishes and aContinue Reading