Big in Japan

This funny travelogue is a portal to both modern Japan and the life of a teenage girl experiencing new things while traveling… Teens hoping to travel to Japan—or anywhere, for that matter—will have a lot to gain from Inzer's warts-and-all account of her journey.—Booklist

Manga, horror movies, pop music, fashion, and accessories are all popular Japanese topics and trends. Brian Ashcraft and Shoko Ueda tackle all of the above—and more—through the well-known trope of the schoolgirl in Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool.

—Library Journal

MOE is a huge cultural phenomenon and one of the driving forces behind the enormous success of Japanese anime and manga. In Japan, avid fans of manga comics, anime films and videogames use the term MOE to refer to the strong sense of emotional attachment they feel for their favorite characters.

MOE is a hall of mirrors in a cultural fun palace; a twist in the psyche; an etymological thicket; and a sometimes controversial social phenomenon. I can't image a better guide to the MOE world than scholar Patrick W. Galbraith, with his lavishly illustrated, interview-based book.

—Frederik L. Schodt, author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics

The beautifully photographed book is notable not only for the great variety of looks it documents, but also for providing insight and background into the root of Tokyo street style and the individuals who constantly reinvent it.

—Fashion Wire Daily

Bringing erudition to the eerie, Ross enlarges our vocabulary of the supernatural. From the unquiet graves of betrayed women and trees that grow hair to accounts of the skulls of drowned sailors biting at the oars of fishermen, Ross's explorations in the spookier corners and crevices of these islands unearth a trove of arcane detail. Along the way she provides insights into Japanese culture you are unlikely to find elsewhere.

—Stephen Mansfield

Quick read with lots of interesting tid bits. Not only are rituals explored but also the ideas behind the rituals, so you learn about the behavior and the spirit of the Japanese.

—Goodreads

Comprehensive and well informed, A Geek in Japan covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by numerous photographs, providing a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan.

—Japan Today

It is in Bunting's travelogue approach wherein we find Drinking Japan‘s greatest strengths. We journey with him from one bar to another, listening in on conversations with bartenders who proudly report on the provenance and aging of their prized liquors. We vicariously drink through Japan while nestled comfortably on a couch at home. Bunting does a fantastic job of putting each bar in context.

—LA Weekly

The guide is a compendium of the wildest, weirdest, and nastiest creatures that Japan has to offer. Written in lively and accessible prose, Yokai Attack! is an easy read. This is no scholarly treatise on Yokai folklore, nor does it try to be. Beautiful illustrations based on the sometimes highly variable folkloric descriptions grace every entry, along with photos of various Yokai paraphernalia including toys, and copies of images from 18th century Japanese folkloric texts. Overall, Yokai Attack! is an entertaining and informative read.

—Japan Powered blog