Category — Books

CNNGo looks at Brian Ashcraft’s new book “Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool” out now in the US on Kodansha International. In the book, Brian explores the rise of the schoolgirl in Japan, through issues of identity and portrayals in various media.

Read more on CNNGo

Technorati Tags: Brian Ashcraft’, culture, Japan, Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential, schoolgirl

For a great selection of books with an Asia focus, check out Blacksmith Books, who are a publisher in Hong Kong. We first heard about them since they were kind enough to send over a few books after seeing our post on Sleeping Chinese.

We got a copy of the book of the same name (Sleeping Chinese), which collects photos from the same photographer – Bernd Hagemann, as well as two others.

Sketches of Soho by Lorette E. Roberts, is one of a series by the artist and contains some great watercolours of sights around the country.

Whispers and Moans is the investigative journalism work of Yeeshan Yang, who spent a year gaining the trust of and interviewing nearly 50 hookers, hostesses, toy boys, transsexual prostitutes, mama-sans and brothel owners.

Check out more on Blacksmith Books…

Technorati Tags: Bernd Hagemann, Blacksmith Books, books, Hong Kong, Lorette E. Roberts, Sketches of Soho, Sleeping Chinese, Whispers and Moans, Yeeshan Yang

After our previous post about Thai Horror Posters from the 80′s, Lucky Cat pointed us in the direction of River Books who appear to specialise in books about Thailand. In particular, there’s “A Century of Thai Cinema” which might be of interest to those loved the previous artwork.

A Century of Thai Cinema from River Books

Thanks Lucky Cat!

Technorati Tags: books, history, Thai Cinema, Thailand

Love Japanese dogs? Check out this lovely book featuring Japanese breeds of dogs, captured by designers Kazuya Takaoka and Sachiko Kuru. The Akita has got to be my favourite. (Second only to the Siberian Husky.)

“The Graphics of Japanese Dog” by Kazuya Takaoka and Sachiko Kuru

Via NotCot

Technorati Tags: culture, dogs, Japan, Japanese dogs, Kazuya Takaoka, Sachiko Kuru

Immedium is a San Francisco publisher of wonderfully illustrated children’s books – we previously covered their book Chaff n Skaffs: Mai and the lost Moskivvy

Julie Black Belt: the Kung Fu Chronicles is a new title.

Inspired by her movie idol, Julie takes up her parents’ offer to try kung fu and assumes she’ll get a black belt right off the bat.

But when all beginners are given a white belt, Julie wonders What would her heroine Brandy Wu do? Follow Julie’s journey as she learns this sport’s true spirit!

“Julie Black Belt and its wonderful imagery are a great introduction
for young readers into the world of martial arts.”
- Phillip Wong, 13-time national and international Wushu Grand Champion, and
Zhang Hong Mei, China’s National Wushu Team, International Games Gold medalist.

“Such a great combination of stunning pictures and gripping story.
I absolutely love the illustrations.”
- Anna Tharyan, Toronto Public Library

More on www.julieblackbelt.com

Julie Black Belt: the Kung Fu Chronicles, on Immedium.com

$15.95, hardcover with dust jacket, 36 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59702-009-1

Technorati Tags: book, childrens book, Immedium, Julie Black Belt: the Kung Fu Chronicles, martial arts

Previously posted Luke Feldman‘s new book, written with Amanda Chin and illustrated by Luke, has just been published and its called “Chaff n Skaffs: Mai and the lost Moskivvy“.

It’s a heartwarming children’s book that affirms the importance of family and friends, and features artwork described as “vibrant, playful and considered” by Australian Creative Magazine.

Mai is a young girl who never ventured too far from her home. When a lost mosquito interrupts Mai’s sleep, her friend Chaff suggests they escort Moskivvy back home to a faraway land.

So begins a courageous girl’s voyage into a fantastic world that will kindle readers’ imaginations. Encountering whimsical creatures along the way, this trio must travel over land, sea, and sky.

With Chaff’s help, can Mai discover the strength to reunite the little Moskivvy with his family?

Desktop Magazine describe Chaff n’ Skaffs: Mai and the lost Moskivvy as “the perfect conduit for Feldman’s imagination combining his waif like lasses and charming characters with the beautiful, yet unpredictable realm that is the unique Australian environment.”

Discover a new kind of heroine and a world of visual delight that Flavorpill described as a “childlike wonder and crisp exaggerated colors.”

Visit www.skaffs.com/chaff for more details.

Technorati Tags: Amanda Chin, arts, Chaff n Skaffs: Mai and the lost Moskivvy, childrens book, illustration, Luke Feldman, book

Equal parts ninja geekery and pop-cultural satire, The Ninja Handbook falls into that odd category of book that presents fiction as reality.

Branded as an “Official Product of the International Order of Ninjas,” it’s an exploration of the lessons a non-ninja, or nonja, needs to learn in order to become a ninja. Of course, the book is subtitled “This Book Looks Forward To Killing You Soon,” so one might expect that the lessons to be taught aren’t quite so easy, or ordinary.

The book offers introductory advice and information about ninja, including how to form a ninja clan and make a clan flag. It also teaches the Path to nearly ninja-hood, broken up into subsections that cover (in turn) the Nonja (non-ninja), those who are Ninjaish, the Ninjalike, the “Whooooooooo,” (the sound of a gentle breeze) and then the I.T.A.N. (“Is That A Ninja?”).

Take with a pinch of sashimi!

Buy The Ninja Handbook at Amazon

More information on Slashdot

Technorati Tags: books, martial arts, ninja geekery, pop-cultural satire, The Ninja Handbook

Previously posted Ching-He Huang has just release her second book called Chinese Food Made Easy. Ching is one of the brightest stars in modern Chinese cooking in the UK.

Each week in her new BBC2 series she re-invents the nation’s favourite Chinese dishes, modernising them with fresh, easy to buy ingredients, and offering simple practical tips and techniques. These are brought together in this beautiful book to accompany the series.

Drawing on the experiences of top chefs, her family and friends, growers and producers and celebrity enthusiasts Ching sets out to discover the best Chinese cooking in the UK today, introducing easy-to-make Chinese food to sometimes resistant Brits, and painting a picture of modern Anglo-Chinese life in the UK as she goes.

Using ingredients from high-street supermarkets and some imaginative suggestions for alternative ingredients, these classic Chinese dishes are updated, fresh and healthily prepared so that anyone can make and enjoy them.

Get CHINESE FOOD MADE EASY: 100 simple, healthy recipes from easy-to-find ingredients

Or get Ching’s first book, China Modern: 100 Cutting-Edge, Fusion Style Recipes for the 21st Century

If you like Chinese food, you’ll LOVE:

The Secrets of Chinese Cooking and Selected Recipes

500+ Healthy Chinese Recipes Cookbook

Quick Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

Technorati Tags: book, Chinese cook book, Chinese food, Chinese Food Made Easy, Ching-He Huang, cuisine

Live better, the Japanese way, with Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan.

The book contains more than 100 tricks and solutions – stuff like using a piece of bread to pick up broken glass, and using mouthwash to clean your toilet – that will have you amazing your friends with your newfound skills….

Get Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan on Amazon

Via Uncrate

Technorati Tags: book, Japan, tips and tricks, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“Eiji Tsuburaya is still widely honored in Japan, but his international recognition is often eclipsed by his iconic creatures.”

BoldType review:

August Ragone‘s Master of Monsters is the first book published outside of Japan to examine the life and work of special-effects master Eiji Tsuburaya.

While today’s big-budget CGI creations often relegate previous styles to the realm of kitsch, Ragone‘s account is an insightful look at the innovation and technology behind one of the industry’s pioneering craftsmen.

Tsuburaya is still widely honored in Japan, but his international recognition is often eclipsed by his iconic creatures: from Godzilla and Mothra to Booska and Ultraman, these unforgettable characters represent the height of kaiju culture and presage the modern taste for nightmarish chaos and catastrophe.

And yet, as Ragone tells it, the story behind their construction is as engrossing as their infamous acts of destruction.

Master of Monsters is part biography, part coffee-table art book. The large volume is organised into chronological chapters about Tsuburaya‘s life and career, balancing Ragone’s absorbingly detailed account with stunning images of the man in action. Along with his nationalist propaganda films and sci-fi superheroes, the photographs variously capture Tsuburaya in conversation with reptilian actors, measuring toy-size models of cityscapes, and directing his army of technical engineers.

Although the subject matter may seem esoteric, Tsuburaya’s story is as much about the evolution of Japanese cinema as it is about one of its most pivotal practitioners.

See more on BoldType.com

At Amazon : Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters

Technorati Tags: August Ragone, book, Booska, Eiji Tsuburaya, entertainment, Godzilla, Japan, Master of Monsters, Mothra, kaiju, special-effects, Ultraman