Everything to do with books! Mostly book reviews, but occasionally, I have the non-review bookish post too.
This is another one of those “saw in the library and had to borrow it” sort of books. And after reading it, well, I want my own copy. Unlike the previous ninja-related book I read, The Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Samurai and Ninja is neither a novel, nor does it take an idealistic/unrealistic view of ninja/samurai.… Read More Book Review: Samurai and Ninja by Antony Cummins
So, this is the book that I read on the way to Chiran. Because I got this book on a whim, I didn’t know what to expect. I mean, I haven’t even watched Basilisk or Shinobi. All I knew, before I started reading, was that the body count of this book was pretty high. (Thanks… Read More Book Review: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls by Futaro Yamada
Hey everyone! So this is post is really different from what I normally post about (even if you’re looking at the few books I review on this blog). But, I think so many of you guys are people who take risks, who are doing something different. Studying in Japan is definitely a huge risk, and… Read More Book Review: Unstoppable: Surviving is the the Beginning – Book Review and Guest Post
It’s time for a very rare book review! Anyway, I requested this book from NetGalley because it’s an aspect of World War II that I haven’t heard about before, I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of a Kawashima Yoshiko in any of my textbooks. Kawashima Yoshiko (born Aisin Gioro Xian… Read More Book Review: Manchu Princess, Japanese Spy by Phyllis Birnbaum
So, this is one of the books that I’m reading for my Ghibli class (it’s so much cooler [and shorter!] to say ‘Ghibli class’ than Hayao Miyazaki’s World class). It’s not one of the assigned readings, but it was very helpful for the first paper: Spirituality in Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro. Now, although this book… Read More Book Review: Religion in Contemporary Japan by Ian Reader
Ok, so every now and then, I post some random, non-Japan related book review on this blog. Why? Because I think it’ll be useful, especially to people living on their own. Well-heeled is a book targeted at girls to help them be more financially savvy. Although it’s for girls, I think the basics of financial… Read More Well-heeled by Lesley-Anne Scorgie
I remembering hearing about this book when it first came out, although I can’t remember if the reaction towards this book was positive or negative. So, when I saw it at Rainbow Plaza, I was really excited to read it and find out what it was like. A Geek in Japan is a basic introduction… Read More Book Review: A Geek in Japan by Hector Garcia
Today, as I was going home from Church, this sign caught my eye. It’s a small, cramped library called KinKon館 It says 貸本 (kashihon – book for loan) and it’s a lending library called KinKon館. It lends manga at 80yen per book for a day. The uncle running the stall is actually really proud of it… Read More Look What I Found!
I first heard of this book through…. well, let’s just say it’s a long and complicated story involving me trying to find a furisode (for Seijinshiki – link to post with pictures!) and explaining to my mom what it was. And thanks to a non-Japanese Geisha called Sayuki, my mom assumed that second-hand furisodes were… Read More Book Review: Geisha by Liz Dalby