When I worked as a librarian, I had the chance to come across many interesting old books. Hara-Kiri: Japanese Ritual Suicide is one such book. Dating to 1968, the 103-page read covers the development and history of hara-kiri, or seppuku, in Japanese culture. Seppuku, as it is formally called, was a type of suicide practiced…
Category: Book Reviews
The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho
The Unfettered Mind contains essays and letters written by the Zen monk Takuan Soho, who was a friend and a teacher of Miyamoto Musashi. As Takuan neared death, he reportedly told his students: “Bury my body in the mountain behind the temple, cover it with dirt, and go home. Read no sutras, hold no ceremony….
Manga in Theory and Practice by Hirohiko Araki
Manga in Theory and Practice seeks to provide a framework for manga writers. Hirohiko Araki is the author of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Much of what he discusses applies to any type of story writing. He emphasizes the importance of the first page; it sets the tone of the entire story and is vital to selling…
Bushido Explained by Alexander Bennett
Bushido Explained offers a good primer to how samurai thought across Japan’s different time periods. As the subtitle of the book states, it is a new interpretation for beginners. Bennett offers a broad, top view of samurai thought using diagrams and clear prose. While I wanted more details at times, Bennett sticks to offering a…
Japanese Book Guide : 27 Books You Ought to Read about Japan
Here’s a collection of books to help expand your knowledge about Japan. I’ve referred to these books for my various writing projects. This list skews toward history because that’s my thing. You will also find English translations of landmark Japanese literary works, which everyone interested in Japan ought to read. The Art of the Samurai…
Berserk Deluxe Volumes 3 & 4
In Berserk Deluxe volumes 3 and 4, the criticisms I had with the previous volumes fall away. In these volumes, Griffith fades into the background. His influence remains as a background mover of the plot, but his fading gives space for Guts to take the spotlight. In my previous reviews, I wrote about how Guts…