Tag Archives: Japan

Book Reviews and Articles

Posted on March 22, 2025 by JC

As I have now written a large number of book reviews, I decided I should collect them together for easy reference. This is similar to what I have done with articles and reviews of video games. This blog originally began … Continue reading →

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Shōgun Review

Posted on February 28, 2025 by JC

Shōgun by James Clavell, Hodder & Stoughton, June 20th, 2013 (originally published in 1975) The last review I did of a fictional work about the Japanese by someone who is not Japanese was my review of Rising Sun by Michael … Continue reading →

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We Wuz Samurai

Posted on May 19, 2024 by JC

Recently Ubisoft announced Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the next title in their overly-long-running series. This would normally attract little to no attention from me as I don’t particularly like the series and never have. The only two I played through to … Continue reading →

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New Light on a Delicate Subject

Posted on July 9, 2023 by JC

The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan by Ivan Morris Vintage (Reprint), May 21st, 2013 (originally published in 1964) This began as a post related to a previous post on The Tale of Genji by Murasaki … Continue reading →

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A Jesuit on Japan

Posted on November 27, 2022 by JC

An infrequent topic on this blog has been Japan and the Japanese who for a variety of reasons remain fascinating to me. The main being that I am married to a Japanese woman with whom I have children and I … Continue reading →

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Paying for Pleasance

Posted on November 27, 2021 by JC

One of the many cultural curiosities about Japan that I was never able to understand while living there was the existence of hostess bars and clubs. Such places are found all over the world but tend to be hidden from … Continue reading →

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The Fascinating Backdrop

Posted on July 9, 2021 by JC

Lost in Translation is a 2003 film directed by Sophia Coppola and starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. From 1998’s Rushmore onwards, Murray transitioned into more dramatic roles and this is already one of his best remembered since this transition. … Continue reading →

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The Setting of the Rising Sun

Posted on May 9, 2021 by JC

Rising Sun by Michael Crichton, Alfred A. Knopf Inc, January 27th, 1992 Rising Sun is a novel written by Michael Crichton while he was still at the height of his literary powers. It was published after Jurassic Park and before … Continue reading →

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Civilians aren’t Combatants

Posted on October 24, 2020 by JC

Edward Feser had written a response to a recent article by George Weigel trying to justify the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima in the Catholic Herald. It is well worth reading though you could take or leave the article he … Continue reading →

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Sake Doesn’t Age Well

Posted on September 6, 2020 by JC

Ōkami was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006 and is probably best known as the best of the games developed during the brief but prolific existence of Capcom’s Clover Studio. Although not selling very well on release, it was … Continue reading →

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