Best of
Japan
1992
The Battle of Okinawa: The Blood and the Bomb
George Feifer - 1992
A landmark text on the greatest land battle of the Pacific War.
Making Sense of Japanese: What the Textbooks Don't Tell You
Jay Rubin - 1992
Previously known as Gone Fishin', this book has brought Jay Rubin more feedback than any of his literary translations or scholarly tomes, "even if," he says, "you discount the hate mail from spin-casters and the stray gill-netter."To convey his conviction that "the Japanese language is not vague," Rubin has dared to explain how some of the most challenging Japanese grammatical forms work in terms of everyday English. Reached recently at a recuperative center in the hills north of Kyoto, Rubin declared, "I'm still pretty sure that Japanese is not vague. Or at least, it's not as vague as it used to be. Probably."The notorious "subjectless sentence" of Japanese comes under close scrutiny in Part One. A sentence can't be a sentence without a subject, so even in cases where the subject seems to be lost or hiding, the author provides the tools to help you find it. Some attention is paid as well to the rest of the sentence, known technically to grammarians as "the rest of the sentence."Part Two tackles a number of expressions that have baffled students of Japanese over the decades, and concludes with Rubin's patented technique of analyzing upside-down Japanese sentences right-side up, which, he claims, is "far more restful" than the traditional way, inside-out."The scholar," according to the great Japanese novelist Soseki Natsume, is "one who specializes in making the comprehensible incomprehensible." Despite his best scholarly efforts, Rubin seems to have done just the opposite.Previously published in the Power Japanese series under the same title and originally as Gone Fishin' in the same series.
Yoshitoshi's One Hundred Aspects Of The Moon
John Stevenson - 1992
This book presents his masterpiece, the wildly popular One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (Tsuki Hyakushi). The series was begun in 1885 and completed just before the artist's death in 1892. New designs were eagerly awaited, with editions selling out before dawn on the day of publication. The introduction of this book comprehensively treats the artist's life and work. Each of the one hundred images in the series is shown here in full colour and nearly life-size. Opposite each design a commentary gives the story behind the picture. These wonderful tales form a panorama of Japanese history and legend that resonates with the richness and subtlety of traditional Japanese culture. This is a reprint of the 1992 San Francisco Graphic Society publication.
Yoshitoshi's Thirty-Six Ghosts: A Color Album of the Supernatural by the Japanese Woodblock Master
John Stevenson - 1992
Picture Letters from the Commander-in-Chief
Tadamichi Kuribayashi - 1992
Under the command of Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, the Japanese army held off U.S. Navy and Naval Air Corps. attack for over a month before finally succumbing to defeat. Comprised mostly of personal letters from Kuribayashi to his family, Picture Letters from the Commander in Chief offers readers a unique glimpse into arguably the most iconic battle of the second World War. A sensitive man, Kuribayashi is able to articulate in these letters his love for his family and his unwavering loyalty to his country. And in doing so, he helps bring a new voice and perspective to history.
An Actor Adrift
Lorna Marshall - 1992
Since then he has become a leading member and trainer in the company.In this book, part personal story and part a workbook for actors and directors wishing to understand and employ Peter Brook's techniques, Oida describes the formation and early training of Brook's company and provides an account of the first decade of work.It provides a fascinating account of the company's first public performance - The Conference of the Birds in Iran, of the extraordinary explorative journey that followed through Africa, of work in America and of the return to work in France. While he relates productions of The Ik, The Conference of the Birds, The Mahabharata, Orghast and Timon of Athens, he interweaves his vivid personal experience as an actor in whom Eastern and Western culture and practices come together.
Intron Depot
Masamune Shirow - 1992
American editions of his spectacular graphic epics have been highly praised and voraciously collected. Now, his gorgeous and highly detailed color art has been collected for the first time into a single, handsome trade paperback. Beautifully printed in Japan and featuring text in both Japanese and English, this package features nearly two hundred full-color Shirow works, 47 published for the first time anywhere in the world! This book is a nearly complete archive of Shirow's color work from 1981 to 1991, including material from Appleseed, Dominion, Black Magic, Orion, and much more. This is an absolute must for fans of Shirow, science-fiction and fantasy art, and manga.
The Changing Seasons: Quilt Patterns from Japan
Jill Liddell - 1992
Step-by-step "how-to" details technique. 100 full-color photographs illustrated finished items.
Japanese Vocabulary for Speakers and Readers
Alistair Seton - 1992
Wind and Stone
Masaaki Tachihara - 1992
Kase is a garden designer hired by her husband to landscape their home. As the garden takes shape, Mizue wakens to a new sensuality and desire. A disturbing tale of seduction, based on Japanese aesthetics and the artistic pursuit of destructive beauty.
Between the Floating Mist: Poems of Ryokan
Ryōkan - 1992
A book to be gazed into again and again.”—Charlotte Mandel, Small PressWhat shall remainas my legacy?The spring flowersthe cuckoo in summer,the autumn leaves.Ryokan (1758–1831) was a poet, master calligrapher, Zen hermit, and is one of the most beloved poets of Japan. Instead of becoming the head of a Zen temple, he preferred the simple and independent life of a hermit. Ryokan’s poetry is simple, direct, and colloquial in expression.
Ukiyo-e: An Introduction to Japanese Woodblock Prints
Tadashi Kobayashi - 1992
They enthralled such Western artists as Whistler, Manet, Degas, and van Gogh, and gave rise to a wave of "japonisme" in the salons of Paris, London, and New York that left a lasting impression. As the successor to previous aristocratic traditions, the ukiyo-e print represents the last flowering of traditional pictorial art before Japan entered the modern era. These "pictures of the floating world" reflected the world of the townspeople of Edo (Tokyo), focusing on the popular entertainments of the day, landscapes of favored scenic spots, and portraits of well-known geisha, kabuki actors, and sumo stars. The present volume delves into the history of these unique artistic endeavors, tracing their development from the lavish works commissioned by aristocratic patrons in the sixteenth century to their peak in popularity among the rising merchant class of the flourishing future capital. As the story of the genre's blossoming unfolds, Mr. Kobayashi's illuminating commentary on all its varied aspects-styles, artists, engravers, printers, and the demands of an insatiable but fickle public-captures the essence of the art and provides a fascinating glimpse into the culture of old Japan. With the large color plates and numerous detailed close-ups accompanying the text, Ukiyo-e: An Introduction is essential reading for anyone interested in exploring the exotic world of the Japanese print.
The Sound of the Wind
Uno Chiyo - 1992
Chiyo is recognized as one of the pioneers of feminism in Japan as well as a fine storyteller. The first half of this book describes her struggle for equality in a traditional society, the second is a collection of her best stories.
Cinema, Censorship, and the State: The Writings of Nagisa Oshima, 1956-1978
Nagisa Oshima - 1992
His early films represent the Japanese New Wave at its zenith, and the films he has made since (including In the Realm of the Senses and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence) have won international acclaim. The more than 40 writings that make up this intellectual autobiography reveal a conjunction of personal candor and political commitment. They trace in vivid and carefully articulated detail the development of Oshima's theory and practice.
Science as Practice and Culture
Andrew Pickering - 1992
Andrew Pickering has invited leading historians, philosophers, sociologists, and anthropologists of science to prepare original essays for this volume. The essays range over the physical and biological sciences and mathematics, and are divided into two parts. In part I, the contributors map out a coherent set of perspectives on scientific practice and culture, and relate their analyses to central topics in the philosophy of science such as realism, relativism, and incommensurability. The essays in part II seek to delineate the study of science as practice in arguments across its borders with the sociology of scientific knowledge, social epistemology, and reflexive ethnography.
Beauty & Violence: Japanese Prints by Yoshitoshi, 1839-1892
Eric van den Ing - 1992
Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility
Takie Sugiyama Lebra - 1992
Established as a class at the beginning of the Meiji period, the kazoku ranked directly below the emperor and his family. Officially dissolved in 1947, this group of social elites is still generally perceived as nobility. Lebra gained entry into this tightly knit circle and conducted more than one hundred interviews with its members. She has woven together a reconstructive ethnography from their life histories to create an intimate portrait of a remote and archaic world.As Lebra explores the culture of the kazoku, she places each subject in its historical context. She analyzes the evolution of status boundaries and the indispensable role played by outsiders.But this book is not simply about the elite. It is also about commoners and how each stratum mirrors the other. Revealing previously unobserved complexities in Japanese society, it also sheds light on the universal problem of social stratification.
Kittens in Japan
Atsuki Sumida - 1992
The well-traveled kittens explore some of the most colorful and exotic sights in Japan, bringing their own special charm to beautiful portraits of all that is most welcoming to travelers in this fascinating country. Full-color photographs throughout.
Five Centuries Of Japanese Kimono: On This Sleeve Of Fondest Dreams.
Michael Sittenfeld - 1992
The Jews and the Japanese: The Successful Outsiders
Ben-Ami Shillony - 1992
Yet, there are also surprising analogies between these two peoples. It is this extraordinary combination of similarities and differences that are explored.In The Jews and the Japanese, Professor Shillony describes how these two peoples, both rich in cultural heritage and historical experiences, have interacted with the Christian West, their outstanding achievements and immense tragedies, and their attempts to integrate with the West and its repeated rejection of them.
When Art Became Fashion: Kosode In Edo Period Japan
Dale Carolyn Gluckman - 1992
This book features kosode from Japan's most prestigious collections, many appearing for the first time in the West.
To the Bitter End: The Japanese Defeat at Buna and Gona, 1942-43
Lex McAulay - 1992
The Allies expected the battle would be easily won but underestimated Japanese strength and resolve and grossly overestimated Allied capabilities.The battle opened on 19-20 November with attacks against Buna by the Americans, against Gona by the Australians, and against Sanananda by Australians and Americans. Tropical diseases, rain, mud and supply difficulties impaired both sides and the battle dragged on.By the time the last Japanese positions fell on 22 January 1943, about 1300 Australians and 1000 Americans lay dead, with thousands more evacuated wounded or sick. More than 6000 Japanese had fought to the death. It was the single most costly battle for Australians in 'the islands'.In this detailed account of the north coast campaigns McAulay has interviewed survivors and drawn extensively on the diaries and records of both sides.
Japan: Land of Myths and Legends
Alan Booth - 1992
Alan Booth's remarkable guidebook provides a highly opinionated introduction to the country he has lived in for over 20 years.
Japan for Kids: The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Their Children
Diane Wiltshire - 1992
Fourteen years ago, Jeanne Huey and Diane Wiltshire made the crossing. Five children and six years later they wrote the first complete guide to entertaining and raising children in this fascinating but often baffling land. Now, eight years on they offer a fully updated version, with hundreds of new additions on:o AMUSEMENTS festivals, theme parks, cultural centers, zoos, aquariums o OUTINGS museums, beaches, parks, playgrounds, gardens o TRAVEL TIPS moving, coping with jet lag, getting around town, day trips o SHOPPING where to buy anything, from food to fashions to futons o HEALTH CARE dentists and doctors, pregnancy and childbirth, medical emergencieso EDUCATION daycare, international schools, the Japanese system, bilingualism o ACTIVITIES talent agencies, sports, Japanese traditions, and extracurricular classes ? MAIL ORDER listings, catalogs, and the Internet...and much, much moreCompact yet bulging with priceless information and hundreds of tips, the new Japan for Kids is essential reading for families heading for or living in this part of the Far East. From planetariums to petting zoos, educational materials to interactive museums, this handy reference book remains indispensable-a guide that no parent can go without.
Kaizen Teian 1
Japan Human Relations Association - 1992
This book is the first in a new three-volume set that brings the management, guidance, and development of kaizen teian systems into perfect focus.This first volume explains many aspects of running a proposal program on a day-to-day basis and provides cartoon examples of successful kaizen teian programs in four major Japanese organizations. This concise reference outlines the policies that support a "bottom-up" system of innovation and defines the three main objectives of kaizen teian: to build participation, develop individuals' skills, and achieve higher profits. (Originally published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd.)
The Japanese and the Jesuits: Alessandro Valignano in Sixteenth Century Japan
J.F. Moran - 1992
Directing the Jesuits was the Italian Alessandro Valignano, whose own magisterial writings, many of them not previously translated or published, are the principle source material for this account of one of the most remarkable of all meetings between East and West.Valignano arrived in Japan in 1579. In promoting Christianity, he always sought the support of the ruling classes, but an important part of his strategy was also to have the missionaries adapt themselves thoroughly to Japanese customs, etiquette and culture. He was insistent that they must master the Japanese language, and he brought to Japan a European printing press, which turned out grammars and dictionaries for the missionaries, and works of instruction and devotion for the Japanese Christians.Following Valignano's death, Christianity was proscribed and missionaries banished from Japan. This does not detract from his remarkable achievements. He understood perfectly well that foreign missionaries by themselves were not capable of converting Japan to Christianity, and one of his principal concerns was the training of Japanese Jesuits and priests, and breaking down the barriers between them and the Europeans. Few people have ever been more acutely aware of, or grappled more determinedly with, problems in Japanese-Western relationships.
Points of Departure: Zen Buddhism with a Rinzai View
Eido Tai Shimano - 1992
That Something was there before we were born, before our present formation, and it will still be there after oiur transformation. It is constantly active. We think that that Something is somewhere else but the fact is, that Something of beginningless beginnings and endless ends, boundless, mysterious, is centered here in ourselves." This book is about the Something, our Buddha Nature, the ultimate Reality. What is this essence of life? How can we experience it? Why is it so important to do this? What effect will this experience have in our daily lives? For these Points of Departure, we can enter and continue the study and practice of Zen with a firm step. Eido Tai Shimano (嶋野 栄道) (b. 1932) is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist roshi. He was the founding abbot of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji monastery in the Catskill mountains of New York.
Servants, Shophands, and Laborers in the Cities of Tokugawa Japan
Gary P. Leupp - 1992
With the rapid increase in commercial activity, products previously restricted to use by the elite became commodities for mass consumption. Likewise, labor power became a commodity as hired laborers replaced traditional corv�e workers in the commercial realm and contracted servants supplanted lifetime, hereditary workers in households. Focusing on a class system mediated increasingly by money, Leupp explores the ways employers and employees dealt with each other and the steps taken by government officials to control rising hostilities.
Japan Pocket Guide
Berlitz Publishing Company - 1992
Redesigned and updated, Pocket Guides continue to provide a world of information for travel at any budget -- and still fit into a pocket. Each guide includes: -- New foreign language and cultural tips featured in sidebar columns-- Updated hotel and restaurant information, catering to a variety of budgets and tastes-- New eye-catching, modern covers-- Four-color interior design and graphics-- Color-coded quick-reference sections with lists of most frequently used phrases and expressions-- Convenient fold-out, quick-view front-cover flaps-- Maps and town plans with 3D icons of main sights-- Updated information covering amenities, transport, and emergencies-- Practical advice for leisure and business travel-- Comprehensive recommendations for shopping, sports, festivals, and nightlife
Hiroshige: Japan's Great Landscape Artist
Isaburo Oka - 1992
In the Japan of his day, Hiroshige's landscape prints fostered a new and far-reaching appreciation for nature in art. In the West, his work influenced such artists as Whistler, Cezanne, and Gauguin.Born in the shogun's capital of Edo (now Tokyo), Hiroshige lost his parents at a young age. Even so, he relinquished the security of his hereditary position as fire warden, and soon after began to study the art of the woodblock print (ukiyo-e) under Utagawa Toyohiro. Some seven or eight years later the maturing Hiroshige made his debut with an impressive set of illustrations for a volume of comic verses. Over the next twelve years or so, he went on to produce prints of Kabuki actors, historical figures, and beautiful women.The first work to demonstrate Hiroshige's genius in landscape was a series of ten prints on famous scenic spots in Edo, which was produced around 1831. The following year the artist managed to join an official procession to Kyoto, and in his travels along the great thoroughfare between Edo and Kyoto known as the Tokaido he found inspiration for his first masterpiece. The resultant series, Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido, secured his position as a landscape artist and provided him with the calling that was to occupy the rest of his life.Hiroshige's work not only altered the Japanese conception of nature and influenced painters the world over, but earned him a place among the great artists of the world. Hiroshige documents the mastery of this revered artist and presents his most famous prints in a large, deluxe format that makes abundantly clear Hiroshige's prodigious talent.
An Introduction To Newspaper Japanese (Japanese Edition)
Osamu Mizutani - 1992
Pleasures of the Japanese Bath
Peter Grilli - 1992
This book is a celebration of the Japanese bath in every form - fragrant cedar tubs, boisterous public baths, and remote hot springs - through a profusion of full colour and monochrome photographs and illustrations. The text presents the history of bathing in Japan, its lore and customs, and accounts of visits to baths throughout the country. Travel information on 200 hot springs recommended by the author is included.