Books, CDs, Videos

Books, CDs, Videos related to this trip

Available materials

Japan Books

Here is a list of materials (books, CDs, videos, etc.) that may be of interest if you like to get a feel for our destinations.

For most of the music CDs I have included a sample, but be aware that some of these samples are kinda' large, so if you click on "Sample" it may take a while to download, depending on your Internet connection speed.

Movies / Videos / DVDs
Title	Publisher / Producer	Notes
Departures	Yoojiroo Takita	2009 Academy award winner, best foreign film
Shall We Dance	Miramax (VHS)	The original, in Japanese with subtitles.
Dream World: Reflections on the Japanese Garden	Smithsonian (VHS)	Quiet, reflective insights into the design of Japanese gardens.

CDs
Title	Artist	Notes
Lapis Lazul	Iruka	Kinda' folky, hippie, jazzy, rock-y collection Sample
Iruka Hits	Iruka	More orchestral; mellow, pleasant Sample
Best Selection 16	Iruka	Wide variety of styles. Sample
Koto	Junko Shigeta	Terrific instrumental work by Denver artists Sample
Innocent	Satoko Ishimine	One of my favorite J-pop singers, pretty accessible Sample
Closet	Satoko Ishimine	Very rock-y, wail-ing, edgy collection of songs. An aquired taste, not for everyone. Sample
Imagination	Satoko Ishimine	Overall a lighter collection of music. Sample

Books and other publications - Fiction
Title	Author	Notes
Gai-Jin	James Clavell	Historical novel: merchants in Japan in the 1860's.
All She Was Worth	Miyuki Miyabe	A young woman disappears; her fiance asks his uncle, a retired detective, to track her down; but is she who she says she is?
Audrey Hepburn's Neck	Alan Brown	A rural Japenese young man moves to Tokyo and becomes involved with two American ex-pats in surprising ways.
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle	Haruki Murakami	Book cover: "a detective story, an account of a disintegrating marriage, and an excavation of the buried secrets of World War II"
Memoirs of a Geisha	Arthur Golden	Fiction, supposedly based on accounts from an actual Geisha, the provenance is somewhat controversial; made into a movie.
American Fuji	Sara Backer	An American man comes to Japan to find out about his son's death. He teams up with an American ex-pat woman as they unravel a story of illicit organ donation and the local yakuza.
The Concubine's Tattoo	Laura Joh Rowland	Detective story set in 1690 in Japan. A bit of a bodice-ripper, but an interesting who-dun-it.

Books and other publications - Japanese Language, Culture, and Travel
Title	Author	Notes
Japanese in Action	Jack Seward	Insights by an American ex-pat who has lived in Japan over 40 years Heavy on language intricacies, but some perceptive insights into culture.
The Donald Richie Reader	Donald Richie	Insights by an American ex-pat who has lived in Japan over 50 years Skip the longish introduction and get to the meat of the book.
Confessions of a Yakuza	Junichi Saga	Non-Fiction; Yakuza are the Japanese version of the mafia Published in 1991
Confucius Lives Next Door	T. R. Reid	Non-Fiction; Life in Japan for a Washington Post bureau chief; he now lives in Denver and is a member of the Denver Takayama Sister City Committee
The Dolls of Japan	The Japan Foundation	Stunning pictures with brief descriptions of various dolls and doll styles (16 pages)
Dave Barry Does Japan	Dave Barry	Dave Barry travels to Japan; although a humor book, he hits the nail on the head in a number of areas. Still, sometimes tries too hard.

Related links

Available materials