Japanese English

The 24 stories that make up Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman generously express the incomparable Haruki Murakami’s mastery of the form. Here are animated crows, a criminal monkey, and an ice man, as well as the dreams that shape us and the things for which we might wish. From the surreal to the mundane, these stories exhibit Murakami’s ability to transform the full range of human experience in ways that are instructive, surprising, and entertaining.

The Ephrussis were a grand banking family, as rich and respected as the Rothschilds, who “burned like a comet” in 19th-century Paris and Vienna society. Yet by the end of World War II, almost the only thing remaining of their vast empire was a collection of 264 wood and ivory carvings, none of them larger than a matchbox. The renowned ceramicist Edmund de Waal became the fifth generation to inherit this small and exquisite collection of netsuke. Entranced by their beauty and mystery, he determined to trace the story of his family through the story of the collection.

Incorporating practicality and acting on our dreams for purpose is the essence of Ikigai, the ancient Japanese philosophy of living an intentional life with meaning, mission, and fulfillment. Finding your Ikigai connects you to a deeper part of yourself and gives you the intrinsic motivation to align your lifestyle with the very things that energize you and make you feel happy to be alive!

The online game Yamada Kenichi had been playing religiously is shutting down its servers, leaving him with a void in his heart. He looks for a new game to fill it, but everything he finds is way too easy. The kind of game he likes—the kind punishing enough to make players want to spend thousands of hours on it—just isn't around anymore.

A young priestess has formed her first adventuring party, but almost immediately they find themselves in distress. It's the Goblin Slayer who comes to their rescue—a man who's dedicated his life to the extermination of all goblins, by any means necessary. And when rumors of his feats begin to circulate, there's no telling who might come calling next...

This critically acclaimed account of the Battle for Okinawa is told through the eyes of Colonel Hiromichi Yahara, the senior staff officer of the 32nd Japanese Army. It features segments on the Japanese preparation for battle, the American assault, and a summary of how the battle ended. Following the events that occurred in the life of Colonel Hiromichi Yahara, journalist Frank Gibney is able to lay out the importance of the battle and the ways in which both parties fought hard and strategically.

After a bloody turn of events, Ainz has established the Nation of Darkness, aiming to create a utopia where people of all races can enjoy everlasting prosperity—as long they kneel before him. His first goal is to expand the Adventurers Guild to nurture new talent, a task that requires him to vacate his throne for a journey to the empire. At the same time, all of the neighboring rulers have started nervously discussing plans for resistance while watching everything unfold, because when the undying king of an immortal nation makes his first move, the whole world trembles!

Structured around nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites listeners to piece together the mystery behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the internationally bestselling debut from mystery horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.

Beginning students in Japanese martial arts, such as karate, judo, aikido, iaido, kyudo, and kendo, learn that when they are in the dojo (the practice space), they must don their practice garb with ritual precision, address their teacher and senior students in a specific way, and follow certain unwritten but deeply held codes of behavior. But very soon they begin to wonder about the meaning behind the traditions, gear, and relationships in the dojo.

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With Paul Noble’s simple, relaxed approach you will learn in a way that suits you–without having to memorise long lists of words you won’t use; scribbling notes as you listen; or feeling frustrated. Instead, Paul will introduce you to the basics of Japanese and guide you through over 15 hours of everyday scenarios–from simple situations like asking for directions and eating out to talking about yourself and how to master the different tenses–that are practical, fun, and applicable. Just listen, interact, and learn wherever you are.

In a voice both haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri describes her life as a geisha. Taken from her home at the age of nine, she is sold into slavery to a renowned geisha house. Witness her transformation as you enter a world where appearances are paramount, virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder, women beguile powerful men, and love is scorned as illusion.

Kazuma and crew have made it through the winter in one piece (for the most part), and they're in dire need of a break...and for stressed and tired adventurers, there's only one place to go—the hot springs! With open-air baths and beautiful mountain scenery, Arcanletia has everything they need for a relaxing vacation. Not only that, but rumor has it the Demon King's army is avoiding the place. The reports also say it's because Aqua's Axis Church scared them off, but her loyal followers can't be that bad, right...?

Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu wrote The Tale of Genji in the 11th century to entertain the other women in the court. It follows the romantic exploits of the title character, an emperor’s son, as he navigates life within aristocratic society and eventually outside of it. Praised for its psychological insight into the characters’ motivations, the book greatly influenced Japanese culture and is widely considered the world’s first novel. In 1882, Suematsu Kencho translated a condensed version of the text into English, allowing this classic tale to reach a wider audience.

16-year-old Mochizuki Touya marches across the blazing desert sands toward the Burning Kingdom of Sandora. His goal? The Second Babylon. Once again, his journey is not so simple. The land is fraught with danger, and the cryptic words of an ancient doctor echo in the back of his mind. The Phrase rear their ugly heads, the dimensional boundary of the world begins to strain, and the mysterious monochrome boy, Ende, appears once more to puzzle Touya and friends. To make matters worse, a government starts to crumble, falling on the cusp of a military coup!

In Japanese gardens, composition follows from placement of the first stone; all elements and plantings become interconnected. These eight essays on Kyoto gardens similarly begin with keen description and build into richly meditative excursions into art, Buddhism, nature, and science. Landscape architect Marc Keane shows how Japanese gardens are both a microcosm of the natural universe and a clear expression of our humanity, mirroring how we think, worship, and organize our lives and communities.

Start speaking Japanese in minutes, and grasp the language, culture and customs in just minutes more with Beginner - Japanese, a completely new way to learn Japanese with ease! Beginner - Japanese will have you speaking with proper pronunciation from the very first lesson and arm you with cultural insight and other information to utterly shock and amaze your Japanese friends.

Since the beginning of civilization, crime and injustice has existed. At the same time, gangs in all shapes and sizes have been around, from rebels, dissidents, and rogue soldiers to the average circle of miscreants loitering in alleys and behind convenience stores. In Japan, a gang of a different breed would arise - one underscored by honor, respect, family, and a code of ethics. They are the Yakuza. The Yakuza claim to be the Robin Hoods of the Far East. While they may lean towards the other side of the law, justice is all they truly aim for.

When Yui loses both her mother and her daughter in the tsunami, she begins to mark the passage of time from that date onward: Everything is relative to March 11, 2011, the day the tsunami tore Japan apart and when grief took hold of her life. Yui struggles to continue on, alone with her pain. Then, one day she hears about a man who has an old disused telephone booth in his garden. There, those who have lost loved ones find the strength to speak to them and begin to come to terms with their grief. As news of the phone booth spreads, people travel to it from miles around.

Now tell us - did you ever like Japan? Do you know anything about its history, or just what you learned from television and anime, in general? That's a good starting point, anyway. If you want to delve deeper into Japanese history, in chronological order, and see the main events that transformed Japan into what it is today, you've just hit the jackpot.