Despite initial similarities to Western games, Japan’s output began diverging in dramatic ways, inspired by its own culture and art, producing a style of game that’s often wildly different from its Western counterpart. From Dragon Quest to Final Fantasy, from Megami Tensei to Pokémon, A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games explores the expansive history of Japanese role-playing games, beginning on 8-bit microcomputers, and following them all the way up to the heavy hitters of the modern era.Created in collaboration with author Kurt Kalata, A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games is an ambitious project that aims to cover the entire history of Japanese role-playing games from 1982 to 2020. As well as reviews of over 600 games, covering a wide range of sub-genres, including strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem, Rogue-likes such as Mystery Dungeon, and first-person dungeon crawlers like Etrian Odyssey, it includes articles on the genre, its music and art. Overall, the book weighs in at over 370,000 words and contains contributions from a wide selection of fans and journalists, combining to create the ultimate coffee table book on Japanese role-playing games.A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games is 652 pages in length (our largest book to date) and comes in hardback as standard. The cover features a specially created piece of artwork by Stephanie Sybydlo, which is finished with special pantone inks and metallic silver foil details. Each divider within the book also features a specially created ‘overworld map’ by the guys at Army of Trolls. As with all our books, we use thread-sewn binding for extra durability and print lithographically on high-quality paper to showcase the gorgeous visuals as they deserve.Let the adventure commence!

    A Year in Tōkyō follows the thirteen magical months I spent in the city of ginkgo leaves. From becoming a travel writer and English teacher to navigating cultural nuances, financial adversity and the abomination known as peanut cream, this book is a candid exploration of what it was really like to live and work in the world’s greatest megacity.

    Volumes 1-28, complete set.

    Fanfiction novel published for fanbase of Inuyasha.

    This edition presents the entire work, including clearly annotated translations not only of the 1,111 poems, but also of the original Japanese and Chinese prefaces. Royally commissioned in order to return Japanese poetry to the public arena after a renewed interest in Chinese literature, the Kokinshu's compilers linked the poems by topic, theme, imagery, and chronological and narrative progression to form an integrated anthology; thus, the Kokinshu is meant to be read as a single unit. Indexed. "Rodd's translation of the Kokinshu, with its grace and elegance unimpaired, enables the Western reader to appreciate a collection that was long the central pillar of Japanese literature." --Donald Keene

    When he shows up one day to extort money from her, threatening both her and her teenaged daughter Misato, the situation quickly escalates into violence and Togashi ends up dead on her apartment floor. Overhearing the commotion, Yasuko's next door neighbor, middle-aged high school mathematics teacher Ishigami, offers his help, disposing not only of the body but plotting the cover-up step-by-step. When the body turns up and is identified, Detective Kusanagi draws the case and Yasuko comes under suspicion. Kusanagi is unable to find any obvious holes in Yasuko's manufactured alibi and yet is still sure that there’s something wrong. Kusanagi brings in Dr. Manabu Yukawa, a physicist and college friend who frequently consults with the police. Yukawa, known to the police by the nickname Professor Galileo, went to college with Ishigami. After meeting up with him again, Yukawa is convinced that Ishigami had something to do with the murder. What ensues is a high level battle of wits, as Ishigami tries to protect Yasuko by outmaneuvering and outthinking Yukawa, who faces his most clever and determined opponent yet. Salvation of a Saint: Yoshitaka, who was about to leave his marriage and his wife, is poisoned by arsenic-laced coffee and dies. His wife, Ayane, is the logical suspect—except that she was hundreds of miles away when he was murdered. The lead detective, Tokyo Police Detective Kusanagi, is immediately smitten with her and refuses to believe that she could have had anything to do with the crime. His assistant, Kaoru Utsumi, however, is convinced Ayane is guilty. While Utsumi’s instincts tell her one thing, the facts of the case are another matter. So she does what her boss has done for years when stymied—she calls upon Professor Manabu Yukawa.But even the brilliant mind of Dr. Yukawa has trouble with this one, and he must somehow find a way to solve an impossible murder and capture a very real, very deadly murderer. A Midsummer's Equation: Manabu Yukawa, the physicist known as "Detective Galileo," has traveled to Hari Cove, a once-popular summer resort town that has fallen on hard times. He is there to speak at a conference on a planned underwater mining operation, which has sharply divided the town. One faction is against the proposed operation, concerned about the environmental impact on the area, known for its pristine waters. The other faction, seeing no future in the town as it is, believes its only hope lies in the development project.The night after the tense panel discussion, one of the resort's guests is found dead on the seashore at the base of the local cliffs. The local police at first believe it was a simple accident-that he wandered over the edge while walking on unfamiliar territory in the middle of the night. But when they discover that the victim was a former policeman and that the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning, they begin to suspect he was murdered, and his body tossed off the cliff to misdirect the police.As the police try to uncover where Tsukahara was killed and why, Yukawa finds himself enmeshed in yet another confounding case of murder. In a series of twists as complex and surprising as any in Higashino's brilliant, critically acclaimed work, Galileo uncovers the hidden relationship behind the tragic events that led to this murder.

    

    She's loved them from a young age and has carried that love with her to her new life in the big city of Tokyo. There, she resides in Amamizukan, a safe-haven for girl geeks who regularly gush over a range of things from trains to Japanese dolls. However, a chance meeting at a pet shop has Tsukimi crossing paths with one of the things that the residents of Amamizukan have been desperately trying to avoid—a beautiful and fashionable woman! But there's much more to this woman than her trendy clothes! This odd encounter is only the beginning of a new and unexpected path for Tsukimi and her friends.

    The Japanese Country Cookbook offers a complete guide to the home-style foods of Japan, from sukiyaki to tempura and beyond. You will find scores of recipes simple, delicious and amazingly easy, with full instructions on preparation in you kitchen! Professional hints and specialties from the Minegei-Ya kitchen along with a full glossary of terms and ingredient list substitutions make The Japanese Country Cookbook unique!

    

    A gorgeous gluteus, a bounteous bottom, a robust rump, even an ample ass: there are many ways to describe the pleasures of the oshiri (pronounced o-shee-ree.) In Harukawa Namio's delicately conceived drawings and their accompanying story, there emerges a holy bond of lust and love between cosmetics company president Ohara Kana and the men who would serve her. Kana loves to abuse men with her tremendous buttocks, and they explore the cruel joys found beneath her stunning endowment. Eventually, Kana creates a Garden of Paradise where she, her fellow lusty ladies, and their slaves discover the most exquisite ecstasies of the ass. A leading Japanese SM illustrator who has dedicated his oeuvre to the glories of the ass, Harukawa Namio both amuses and arouses his reader in this charming tale.

    Little does he know that it is the beginning of a summer full of mystery and horror! No one is prepared for the time-twisting adventures ahead that defy life and death!

    With concise explanations and ample practice exercises, the book is organized so that the learner in a step-by-step manner gets closer and closer to the level needed to pass the exam. The book is structured in the following manner: Question Examples, Practicing Grammatical Forms, Skills Development and Mock Test. In Part 1 of the Skills Development section, 2 to 3 test question grammar forms are presented per chapter to clarify their grammatical form by semantic function. In Part 2, beginning with the different usages of particles, use of the 'te-form,' beginner-level grammar points related to such items as transitive and intransitive verbs, etc., the basic rules of Japanese grammar are acquired. Not only aimed at taking the exam, this book is also suitable for those wishing to firmly establish their ability at the beginner level, so as to be able to carry on to the intermediate and advanced levels. The book comes with explanations in English.

    Sufism and Taoism: A Comparative Study of Key Philosophical Concepts

    Customers who approach them are keen on living in this neighborhood. However, confused by the overly friendly customer service, they find themselves in “the place they really want to live” other than Kichijoji. In volume three, the Shigeta sisters will take you for a walk around Ebisu, Jujo, Fussa and Myogadani. They will also start living each on their own because of their house’s renovation. These two have a deep love for Tokyo and their choices for places to live will surprise you. Reading this city stroll real estate manga makes you want to move somewhere!

    It is not a book for the packaged tourist who will be in and out within a few days, but even such a tourist, when facing some unexpected and serious problem, would find help here. Bi-lingual so that both an English-speaking person and a Japanese will be able to communicate and understand. Author Arudou is a 20-year resident of Japan and a naturalized Japanese citizen. He is also an activist who has personally and professionally confronted discrimination. Author Higuchi Akira is a certified Administrative Solicitor (gyousei shoshi) specializing in visa and business matters. Contents: Chapter 1 - Arriving and Establishing Residency in Japan; Chapter 2 - Stabilizing Employment and Lifestyles; Chapter 3 - Starting a Business; Chapter 4 - What To Do If ... Resolving Problems; Chapter 5 - Retirement and Planning for the Future; Chapter 6 - Giving Something Back ... Developing Japan's Civil Society to Help Multiculturalism in Japan; Chapter 7 - Summarizing ... What You Should Do to Create Stronger Roots in Japanese Society. It is Chapter 4, which accounts for nearly half of the book, that will be the key for most foreign residents. They have passed from newbies to more settled state, but they have not thoroughly mastered the art of coping with the unexpected problems that, in fact, must be expected. (personal comment of this writer) My visa was expiring so I went to the consultation room at the visa office. There I was told that I was an illegal alien. I can't be, I protested, I own a house, a business. I'm married to a Japanese. Impossible, was the reply. You are illegal. I survived, but this book would have helped me had it been available in those days.

    Kanji, vocabulary and grammar practice for JLPT N5

    

    Full page prints of his large-scale paintings and sculptures in-gallery-situ are the beginning of a fascinating journey documenting Yoshitomo's creative process from sketches on serviettes, to shots at work in his studio. Essays exploring the significance of drawing, and the emerging power of usurped but resilient underdogs masterfully underline the major themes in Yoshitomo's art.

    Between the unending nightmares, PTSD, depression, and isolation, the mental skirmishes never end. Those sweet whispers of the dark wisps promise freedom from the pain, and it’s getting harder to say no.When she witnesses a tragic accident, she catches the interest of her classmates Taka and Shinji, two boys with reputations for being casual playboys. But they let Miho see what no one else bothers to notice, like the regular abuse Shinji hides behind a sweet smile and easy-going laugh and Taka’s barely leashed rage and frustration over his inability to protect his best friend or even control his own destiny. What starts as a hesitant friendship becomes a deep connection the three can’t ignore, but do they dare dream of happiness when the world around them seems bent on destroying them?Deviations is an upper YA romance that includes a positive exploration of alternative relationships and a realistic portrayal of abuse and teens battling mental health issues.

    But this isn’t a normal race…it’s a neon race! The racers must travel up Mt. Fuji and through the streets of Ginza, all lit up in bright neon! But who will win the race?

    Now, in October 2015, while researching a number of recent murders, Takuru Miyashiro realizes a horrible truth. These murders are the return of a series of killings that plunged Shibuya into terror six years ago. And at the same time, people called gigalomaniacs, with the powers to make their delusions real, are beginning to awaken.

    

    Our experiences, observations, and accumulated knowledge have been recorded with the sincere hope that such remarkable traditional crafts continue to be handed down through future generations."

    

    

    Sophisticated porcelain ware has long been produced in the Arita area of Kyushu, and artisans from the Kakiemon family have gained particular renown for their skill in enamels and their artistic designs. Now, for the first time, the techniques and tradition behind the creation of their ceramic works are disclosed through the words of the late Kakiemon XIV. Starting with his childhood memories, he talks about his father and grandfather and what he inherited from them; how the craftsmen work at the kiln; and how materials such as stone, clay, and firewood play a crucial part in creating the works. Most striking of all are the explanations of aka-e overglaze enamels and nigoshide porcelain, the characteristics that make Kakiemon ware so phenomenal. With more than twenty color plates depicting Kakiemon pieces from museums and private collections, this volume provides rare insight into one of the world’s most famous kilns.

    With their striking looks - platform boots, miniskirts, fantastical make-up and tanned skin - these girls have become part of popular Japanese youth culture. They have created an original trend attracting onlookers - and not only in Japan. This book provides an insight both into the looks and thoughts of the Ganguro Girls. Each girl's photograph is accompanied by a completed questionnaire. To do the girls justice, this book is delightfully colorful, and what it portrays is the common trait of Ganguro lifestyle - to have fun!

    Born and raised in that bleak and snowy city, a young girl lives alone with her baby brother. What will be their fate…? Their story of hope and struggle begins here.

    The sky is dark by seven in the evening. I lie on the floor and gaze out of the window. Women’s calves, men’s shoes, heels trodden down by the weight of bodies borne for too long.It is summer in Tokyo. Claire finds herself dividing her time between tutoring twelve-year-old Mieko, in an apartment in an abandoned hotel, and lying on the floor at her grandparents: daydreaming, playing Tetris and listening to the sounds from the street above. The heat rises; the days slip by.The plan is for Claire to visit Korea with her grandparents. They fled the civil war there over fifty years ago, along with thousands of others, and haven’t been back since. When they first arrived in Japan, they opened Shiny, a pachinko parlour. Shiny is still open, drawing people in with its bright, flashing lights and promises of good fortune. And as Mieko and Claire gradually bond, a tender relationship growing, Mieko’s determination to visit the pachinko parlour builds.The Pachinko Parlour is a nuanced and beguiling exploration of identity and otherness, unspoken histories, and the loneliness you can feel amongst family. Crisp and enigmatic, Shua Dusapin’s writing glows with intelligence.

    When American journalist Amy Chavez moved to the tiny island of Shiraishi (population 430), she rented a house from an elderly woman named Eiko, who left many of her most cherished possessions in the house―including a portrait of Emperor Hirohito and a family altar bearing the spirit tablet of her late husband. Why did she abandon these things? And why did her tombstone later bear the name of a daughter no one knew? These are just some of the mysteries Amy pursues as she explores the lives of Shiraishi's elusive residents. The 31 revealing accounts in this book include:The story of 40-year-old fisherman Hiro, one of two octopus hunters left on the island, who moved back to his home island to fill a void left by his brother who died in a boating accident.A Buddhist priest, eighty-eight, who reflects on his childhood during the war years, witnessing fighter pilots hiding in bunkers on the back side of the island.A "pufferfish widow," so named because her husband died after accidentally eating a poisonous pufferfish.The ex-postmaster who talks about hiking over the mountains at night to deliver telegrams at a time when there were only 17 telephone numbers on the island.Interspersed with the author's reflections on her own life on the island, these stories paint an evocative picture of the dramatic changes which have taken place in Japanese society across nearly a century. Fascinating insights into local superstitions and folklore, memories of the war and the bombing of nearby Hiroshima, and of Shiraishi's heyday as a resort in the 1960s and 70s are interspersed with accounts of common modern-day problems like the collapse of the local economy and a rapidly-aging community which has fewer residents each year.

    Saipan and Tinian Island to the Japanese, were considered the last line of defense for Japan. Saipan would be key to winning the war, Tinian would be key to end it. This is the story of of a young US Marine who finds a Japanese diary on a beach and saves it...

    ABC broadcaster Chester Wilmot collection of high command bungles, some of which influenced military conduct in New Guinea.

    The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and the US Army officially entered the Second World War.Three years later, on December 18, 1944, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which enabled the Secretary of War to enforce a mass deportation of more than 100,000 Americans to what government officials themselves called "concentration camps." None of these citizens had been accused of a real crime. All of them were torn from their homes, jobs, schools, and communities, and deposited in tawdry, makeshift housing behind barbed wire, solely for the crime of being of Japanese descent. President Roosevelt declared this community "alien," -- whether they were citizens or not, native-born or not -- accusing them of being potential spies and saboteurs for Japan who deserved to have their Constitutional rights stripped away. In doing so, the president set in motion another date which would live in infamy, the day when the US joined the ranks of those Fascist nations that had forcibly deported innocents solely on the basis of the circumstance of their birth.In 1944 the US Supreme Court ruled, in Korematsu v. United States, that the forcible deportation and detention of Japanese Americans on the basis of race was a "military necessity." Today it is widely considered one of the worst Supreme Court decisions of all time. But Korematsu was not an isolated event. In fact, the Court's racist ruling was the result of a deep-seated anti-Japanese, anti-Asian sentiment running all the way back to the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. Starting from this pivotal moment, Constitutional law scholar Lawrence Goldstone will take young readers through the key events of the 19th and 20th centuries leading up to the fundamental injustice of Japanese American internment. Tracing the history of Japanese immigration to America and the growing fear whites had of losing power, Goldstone will raise deeply resonant questions of what makes an American an American, and what it means for the Supreme Court to stand as the "people's" branch of government.

    

    Description:- Joyful: The surprising power of ordinary things to create extraordinary happiness When did you last feel joy? Changing your surroundings is the most easily accessible source in finding joy, says Ingrid Fetell Lee, former Design Director of IDEO New York.In Joyful, she explains it's time to open our eyes to the physical world. By making small but powerful changes to the things around us, we can live happier, healthier lives. Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life Wabi sabi ("wah-bi sah-bi") is a captivating concept from Japanese aesthetics, which helps us to see beauty in imperfection, appreciate simplicity and accept the transient nature of all things. With roots in zen and the way of tea, the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi is more relevant than ever for modern life, as we search for new ways to approach life's challenges and seek meaning beyond materialism.

    The second half is a history and description of Zen with a focus on the monastic life. A portion of the inside flap states that "The text discusses the tradition and creativity of the Zen monk's life, the way of enlightenment, and the monastic training of Zen monks of the past. Included also is an account of life in a Zen-influenced Tokyo commune where the members combine zazen meditation and sutra recitation with Yoga exercises, traditional fencing, choral singing, and a vegetarian diet."

    Moreover, it was Harold Stokes’, the story’s most hated figure who held the title 『King of Trash 』. For him, tons of landmines appearing like death flags are in his surroundings! Can Kazuki evade the mountainous amount of death flags and advance through the survival route!?

    

    

    *SUSHI Tasting Menu Book, written by Jiro Ono *Written in both English/Japanese *96 pages full of pictures & how to eat, manner,etc *Size 5.51 x4.33 inches handy carry type

    

    Clients are keen on living in this neighborhood, but, maybe confused by their overly friendly customer service, they soon find themselves in “the place they really want to live”—which is some place other than Kichijoji! In Volume two, the Shigeta twins take you for a walk around Akihabara, Kuramae, Kyodo, and Kagurazaka. Also, plans for their home renovation take a huge leap forward! This city-stroll real-estate manga will make you want to move somewhere, anywhere. The more you read it, the less you’re able to stay put!

    These culminated in an attempt by Japan's military leaders to create an Asia-Pacific empire which at its greatest extent rivaled the British Empire in scope and power.The battle for supremacy in the Pacific brought the Japanese to great heights but led ultimately to the nation's utter devastation at the end of World War II, culminating with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki--the only time such weapons have been used in warfare.In this book, author Jonathan Clements offers fascinating insights into:• The wars that Japan fought during its rise to supremacy in the western Pacific, including the Russo-Japanese War, the seizure of Manchuria and war in China, and the Pacific theater of World War II.• The many military actions undertaken by Imperial Japanese forces including the horrific Rape of Nanjing, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the decisive defeat at the Battle of Midway, the savage Battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima, and many more.• The motivations and beliefs of Japan's leaders, as well as the policy decisions of a government dedicated to expansion which ultimately led to a complete dismantling of the nation's political and social order during the Allied Occupation.• With over 75 photographs and maps, this book vividly recounts the amazing story of Japan's military conquests. Clements charts the evolution of the Japanese empire in the Pacific and the influence of a ruthless military-led government on everything from culture and food to fashion and education--including the anthems and rallying calls of a martial nation which were silenced long ago but continue to echo in Asian politics.

    One is black and white with a horrifying tongue, and another may be the strongest demon there is! Mariko Yashida hears mysterious voices and has strange dreams that feel real. Maybe her redheaded maid who dresses all in black might know more than she lets on? But as Mariko embarks on a wondrous journey, deadly creatures lurk in the woods — including a mysterious, blue-skinned woman and a giant with super-strength and claws! Enter a creative and mysterious new world of demons, monsters, mutants, and magic in a revolutionary reimagination of the Marvel Universe that could only come from the mind of acclaimed artist Peach Momoko!

    A study of Japan's tendency to make the most out of miniaturization - a study of a philosophy of living that reveals the essence of Japanese culture.

    Kiyomi's mother, Okaasan, is teaching her the ways of the ama, but Kiyomi is frightened by the deep, dark waters. One night, Okaasan wakes Kiyomi to watch the sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. Later, Kiyomi comes to identify with one of the hatchlings who is drachm toward the bright lights of the city, as she herself struggles to choose between life in the city's factories and life as an ama.