Best of
Japanese-Literature

2001

Calling You


Otsuichi - 2001
    Tokyopop Fiction presents Calling You--a unique, beautifully written, and truly unpredictable collection of stories.A girl creates a cell phone in her imagination, which she uses to communicate with others...A young boy discovers his new friend has the power to heal others--and together they learn about true friendship and sacrifice...A miraculous flower proves the eternal power of love can combat the tragedy and horror of a deadly train accident...Connected with Otsu-ichi's hit manga, Calling You, this collection is certain to delight readers who enjoy heartfelt, supernatural mysteries.

Puppet Master, vol.1


Miyuki Miyabe - 2001
    As the police investigation gets underway, surprising turns of events suggest they may be up against a band of serial killers who ruthlessly manipulate their victims and their families, the police, and the media for the entertainment of the viewing public. With penetrating psychological insights into the minds of her characters and vivid portrayals of modern-day Tokyo, Miyabe maintains the tension in this fast-paced, five-volume blockbuster.Available in e-book format in five separate volumes, to be released from December 2014 through February 2016.

Inventing the Classics: Modernity, National Identity, and Japanese Literature


Haruo Shirane - 2001
    Most of these texts, however, did not become "classics" until the end of the nineteenth century, in a process closely related to the emergence of Japan as a modern nation-state and to the radical reconfiguration of notions of literature and learning under Western influence. As in Europe and elsewhere, the construction of a national literature and language with a putative ancient lineage was critical to the creation of a distinct nation-state.This book addresses the issue of national identity and the ways in which modern European disciplinary notions of "literature" and genres played a major role in the modern canonization process. These "classics" did not have inherent, unchanging value; instead, their value was produced and reproduced by various institutions and individuals in relation to socio-economic power. How then were these texts elevated and used? What kinds of values were given to them? How was this process related to larger social, political, and religious configurations?This book, which looks in depth at each of the major "classics," explores these questions in a broad historical context, from the medieval period, when multiple canons competed with each other, through the early modern and modern periods. Throughout, the essays focus on the roles of schools, commentators, and socio-religious institutions, and on issues of gender. The result is a new view of the transformation of the Japanese canon and its intimate connection with the issue of national and cultural identity.

Spirits of Another Sort: The Plays of Izumi Kyōka


Kyōka Izumi - 2001
    

The Face of Jizo


Hisashi Inoue - 2001
    In Japanese and English.