Japanese Science

With the help of his new supporter Lilliluka, novice adventurer Bell Cranell is making progress deeper into the Dungeon. With new equipment and new allies, he thinks things are finally starting to go his way...but he's dead wrong! Bell's in a panic, Lilliluka's being cryptic, and Hestia's drunk! The trouble never seems to end in this third volume of the hit comedy-fantasy series!

Trolls haunt the snowy forests, and terrifying monsters roam the open sea. A young woman journeys to the end of the world, and a boy proves he knows no fear. This collection of 16 traditional tales transports readers to the enchanting world of Nordic folklore. Translated and transcribed by folklorists in the 19th century, and presented here unabridged, the stories are by turns magical, hilarious, cozy, and chilling. They offer a fascinating view into Nordic culture and a comforting wintertime listen.

Following his defeat of the Minotaur, Bell has reached Level Two--and is the new record holder for the fastest to do so. Suddenly everyone in Orario wants to form a party with him and go adventuring! But with sudden popularity comes many a complication. How will Bell and Hestia know whom to trust? The Familia myth—written by the goddess and lived by the boy—continues!

Kimi’s Obaachan, her grandmother, had always been a silent presence throughout her youth. Sipping tea by the fire, preparing sushi for the family, or indulgently listening to Ojichan’s (grandfather’s) stories for the thousandth time, Obaachan was a missing link to Kimi’s Japanese heritage, something she had had a mixed relationship with all her life. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, all Kimi ever wanted to do was fit in, spurning traditional Japanese cuisine and her grandfather’s attempts to teach her the language.

"Hello, white-hair." When someone calls out to Bell with these words, he discovers that the voice belongs to a girl who introduces herself as Lilly. Somewhat goaded into teaming up with her despite the many doubts running through his head, Bell has a successful turn in the dungeon with his new companion. Though their alliance is short-lived, the negative rumors swirling about the guild to which Lilly belongs, the Soma Familia, are anything but.

Kazuma's first winter in another world isn't going so well. With companions like Aqua (Arch-priest), Megumin (Arch-wizard), and Darkness (Crusader), his party of advanced classes should be the most powerful in Axel--but they're so dysfunctional, even the easiest-seeming quest goes terribly awry, and they can barely save enough to afford a stable!

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...

As Kazuma spends his downtime bemoaning his party's lack of a little-sister archetype, he's invited to a royal banquet, where he meets the young Princess Iris. She's enthralled by his tales of adventure, and once she takes a liking to him, Kazuma ends up getting transported to the royal castle! Though he's initially unsure of what to expect, life with Iris turns out to be a dream come true, and Kazuma doesn't ever want to wake up. . .so when he hears rumors of a "righteous thief" stalking the capital, Kazuma declares he'll be the one to capture the dastardly do-gooder!

The Salamander Kampfgruppe has finally come off the front lines and is headed back west for much-needed R & R. The troops are more than ready to enjoy some peace and quiet after many long days flying missions on the eastern front. What they aren’t ready for is how unfamiliar it feels not to be surrounded by whizzing bullets and exploding artillery shells. For Tanya, though, this long-awaited return to the rear brings more disturbing realizations than respite. This vacation may be far more eventful than it has any right to be.

After a successful rescue mission in the empire, Eizo welcomes Helen to the family. Life at the forge is peaceful once more, though living in the Black Forest comes with its own set of dangers. The family encounters another aggressive bear, and once they dispatch it, they find and adopt an orphaned wolf pup. With yet another mouth to feed, Eizo knows he must continue to test the limits of his cheats. His next challenge? Working with a rare, stubborn metal called appoitakara. Using this metal, Eizo forges Helen a new pair of swords and then decides to design a katana for himself!

Listeners of this book will gain a clear understanding of what makes the Japanese, and their society, tick.

After living a painful life as an office worker, Azusa ended her short life by dying from overworking. So when she found herself reincarnated as an undying, unaging witch in a new world, she vows to spend her days stress free and as pleasantly as possible. She ekes out a living by hunting down the easiest targets—the slimes! But after centuries of doing this simple job, she's ended up with insane powers...how will she maintain her low key life now?!

Giant monsters. Tales of eternal love. The beginning of creation. Pint-sized warriors. Long voyages and insurmountable heroics are only a small piece of the classic myths that have helped shape Japan’s unique and immaculate history. Each story in this audiobook is filled with excitement and adventure that is just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

When the Principality of Amidonia sends a desperate call for help defending itself against civil war and enemy invasion, Souma agrees to aid their former enemy. But the Principality's plea comes with strings, or perhaps rewards, attached—including a marriage proposal from their princess!

Japan is the forge of the world’s fantasies: karaoke and the Walkman, manga and anime, Pac-Man and Pokémon, online imageboards and emojis. But as Japan media veteran Matt Alt proves in this brilliant investigation, these novelties did more than entertain. They paved the way for our perplexing modern lives.

In the days and months after Pearl Harbor, the lives of Japanese Americans across the continent and Hawaii were changed forever. In this unforgettable chronicle of war-time America and the battlefields of Europe, Daniel James Brown portrays the journey of Rudy Tokiwa, Fred Shiosaki, and Kats Miho, who volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were deployed to France, Germany, and Italy, where they were asked to do the near impossible. Brown also tells the story of these soldiers' parents, immigrants who were forced to submit to life in concentration camps on U.S. soil.

In this groundbreaking biography of the Japanese emperor Hirohito, Herbert P. Bix offers the first complete, unvarnished look at the enigmatic leader whose 63-year reign ushered Japan into the modern world. Never before has the full life of this controversial figure been revealed with such clarity and vividness. Bix describes what it was like to be trained from birth for a lone position at the apex of the nation's political hierarchy and as a revered symbol of divine status.

Goblins are the weakest of the monsters, with only numbers in their favor. No warrior would dedicate himself to their eradication—except for Goblin Slayer. As his reputation spreads, a quest comes from none other than the Supreme God's own archbishop—Sword Maiden, the Gold-ranked adventurer renowned for defeating a Demon Lord. The former hero brings a report of goblins beneath the flourishing, peaceful water town, followed by a plea for Goblin Slayer and his companions to investigate, since no one else will.

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.

At turns nonchalantly hip and charmingly deranged, Suzuki's singular slant on speculative fiction would be echoed in countless later works, from Margaret Atwood and Harumi Murakami, to Black Mirror and Ex Machina. In these darkly playful and punky stories, the fantastical elements are always earthed by the universal pettiness of strife between the sexes, and the gritty reality of life on the lower rungs, whatever planet that ladder might be on.