Japanese Science

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.

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!

Tanya has won victory after victory on the battlefield, and still the Empire hurtles toward its destruction. Zettour stands at the helm, a warped sense of patriotism guiding his actions as he prepares the stage. His only goal now is to secure the best possible defeat the Empire can afford, even if it means going down in history as the greatest villain of all time. And to make that happen, he’ll do whatever it takes to shock and awe the world, starting with Ildoa. The time for diplomacy or reason has passed. There is only war.

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!

Naofumi Iwatani, an uncharismatic Otaku who spends his days on games and manga, suddenly finds himself summoned to a parallel universe! He discovers he is one of four heroes equipped with legendary weapons and tasked with saving the world from its prophesied destruction. As the Shield Hero, the weakest of the heroes, all is not as it seems. Naofumi is soon alone, penniless, and betrayed. With no one to turn to, and nowhere to run, he is left with only his shield. Now, Naofumi must rise to become the legendary Shield Hero and save the world!

After successfully saving the town from Mobile Fortress Destroyer, Kazuma is ready to sit back and enjoy the hero treatment: fame, fortune, and...criminal charges?! Now in hot water with the law, he has to find a way to clear his name with the help of Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness before the judge can sentence him to death. Darkness has a plan to buy more time, but will it be enough...? After all, in this wonderful world, who knows what'll happen?

Two years into Kirito and Eugeo's quest to reach the Central Cathedral, the pair have finally become elite disciples at the North Centoria Imperial Swordcraft Academy. Now all that's left to do is train for the next tournament, build their relationships with their trainee pages, and do so without violating the Taboo Index. But just because this peaceful world is governed by law and order doesn't mean evil can't fester below the surface...and when it comes time to choose between the rules and what's right, Kirito and Eugeo discover the darker secrets of the Underworld.

After having fulfilled the requirements for his promotion to Rank S, Kelvin, the eccentric Summoner who transmigrated from another world, finds that a series of festivities are being prepared in his honor. To his surprise and delight, he learns that part of it involves a one-on-one practice round with Silvia, a Rank S adventurer nicknamed "Ice Princess." Eagerly anticipating this match against a truly worthy opponent, he promptly dives into his training like never before.

When Benjamin's latest conquest revealed herself to be from another world, he couldn't believe it. But her crazy revelations didn't stop there. She said that Benjamin was the reincarnation of the Forgotten Ruler, a supreme being with an empire that once spanned an entire continent. Now, he's traveling to that fantasy world with one goal in mind: rebuilding his empire, one monstrous offspring at a time. Move over Sauron, Benjamin Davies is the next dark lord of fantasy.

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!

"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.

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!

An innovative new take on the travel guide, Rice, Noodle, Fish decodes Japan's extraordinary food culture through a mix of in-depth narrative and insider advice. In this 5,000-mile journey through the noodle shops, tempura temples, and teahouses of Japan, Matt Goulding, cocreator of the enormously popular Eat This, Not That! book series, navigates the intersection between food, history, and culture, creating one of the most ambitious and complete books ever written about Japanese culinary culture from the Western perspective.

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!

The Lost Ones are wanderers who come here from a distant world known as "Japan." No one knows how or why they leave their homes. The only thing that is certain is that they bring disaster and calamity. The duty of exterminating them without remorse falls to Menou, a young Executioner. When she meets Akari, it seems like just another job...until she discovers it's impossible to kill this girl! And when Menou begins to search for a way to defeat this immortality, Akari is more than happy to tag along! So begins a journey that will change Menou forever...

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?!

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.

Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou is Seiren Private Academy’s “solitary princess.” She’s a half-Russian beauty with silver hair, at the top of her class, student council accountant, and…completely unapproachable. For some reason, she’s also taken on the responsibility of reprimanding the slacker who sits next to her in class. Masachika Kuze is constantly frustrating her by falling asleep, forgetting his textbooks, and just being an overall unexemplary student. Or at least, that’s how it looks from the outside. She may put on a tough act, but she doesn’t mind Masachika as much as others would think.

There's a catfish under Japan, and when it rolls, the land rises and falls. At least, that's what Sora was told after she lost her mother to an earthquake so powerful that it cracked time itself. Sora and her father are some of the few who still live near the most powerful of these "zones"—the places where time has been irrevocably sped up, or slowed down.

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.