Japan Story: In Search of a Nation, 1850 to the Present

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Nothing certain is known of the culture of the period, though it seems likely that people lived by hunting and gathering, used fire, and made their homes either in pit-type dwellings or in caves. The Sengoku era (1415 – 1603) was brought to a close in the final decades of the 16th century as three warlords subsequently strove to unite a country long steeped in brutal warfare. This short and beautiful novel charts her story across twelve months after her separation from her husband.

Japan Story - Penguin Books UK

The Honjin Murders tells the story of a wedding, the night of which is upended by the deaths of the newlywed couple themselves.Two fabulous examples of a notoriously difficult genre, featuring as a joint entry here because they tell the story of Japan’s first Shogun and one of its last. Set in a distinctly Oriental quasi-medieval realm, showing Ogiwara’s inimitable talent for worldbuilding, the book tackles themes of war and moral ambiguity while remaining accessible to younger readers. The Minamoto clan under Minamoto no Yoritomo emerged victorious from the Genpei War of 1180–85, defeating their rival military clan, the Taira.

Japanese Books of All Time - Japan Objects 65 Best Japanese Books of All Time - Japan Objects

Their days and lives are bound by the whims of the workplace, more so even, than by the natural rhythm of life. They’re sometimes strange and jarring, especially given the juxtaposition of ape-like monsters and castle-haunting ghosts with modern suit-and-tie culture, but that is simply part of the fun that is to be gleaned from these tales.But two detectives, a wise old head and a new kid on the block, believe there’s more to it than meets the eye. This collection features an excellent introduction to Akutagawa and his times by a star author of a later era: Haruki Murakami. While not strictly a Japanese short story collection, The Diving Pool is actually a book of three novellas, each around 50 pages in length. A vivid, all-encompassing account of a country picking itself up off its knees in the wake of the second world war.

History of Japan - Wikipedia

Rashomon is named after the ruined gate of southern Kyoto (which, in turn, was named after a famous Noh play). When he wakes, his body has aged as well, eventually turning him into an impossibly ancient, horrifyingly morphed thing. All 11 of the stories within are open to interpretation, however, leaving readers with tantalizing loose threads that are likely to draw them back for several more bites at the cherry.The titular story, Dragon Palace, is told from the perspective of a young woman whose great-grandmother visits her in a tiny form, and we learn that this old woman was a god who used sex to manipulate her worshippers. After Toyotomi's death in 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu came to power and was appointed shōgun by the emperor.

Japanese Short Story Collections to Read 10 Contemporary Japanese Short Story Collections to Read

Known as The Lonesome Bodybuilder in some places and Picnic in the Storm in others, this is a Japanese short story collection full of surrealism and feminist gusto. It explores the impact and aftermath of the 1995 sarin gas attack by the Aum Shinrikyo cult on the Tokyo subway system, which killed 13 and injured many more.Choosing the fifty best Japanese books ever written is a monumental task, invariably leading to the omission of so many wonderful works of literature. The older brother has succumbed to dementia and the younger brother relates to his wife tales of their youth during the American occupation of Japan post-World War II.