The Resource Library
Here is a list of materials available to anyone in the group who would like to borrow them. To start with, it's just stuff from the Comstocks, but we're open to having anyone who wants to make any of their books, CDs, videos, etc. available adding to the list.
If you are interested in borrowing any of these, just email or call the owner and arrange to pick them up. Or arrange an exchange at one of our monthly meetings.
Be aware that some of the music samples are kinda' large, so if you click on "Sample" it may take a while to download, depending on your Internet connection speed.
Title | Publisher / Producer | Owner | Notes | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Departures | Yoojiroo Takita | Netflix et al. | 2009 Academy award winner, best foreign film | Available |
Shall We Dance | Miramax (VHS) | Comstocks | The original, in Japanese with subtitles. | Available |
Dream World: Reflections on the Japanese Garden | Smithsonian (VHS) | Comstocks | Quiet, reflective insights into the design of Japanese gardens. | Available |
Title | Artist | Owner | Notes | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lapis Lazul | Iruka | Comstocks | Kinda' folky, hippie, jazzy, rock-y collection Sample |
Available |
Iruka Hits | Iruka | Comstocks | More orchestral; mellow, pleasant Sample |
Available |
Best Selection 16 | Iruka | Comstocks | Wide variety of styles. Sample |
Available |
Koto | Junko Shigeta | Comstocks | Terrific instrumental work by Denver artists Sample |
Available |
Innocent | Satoko Ishimine | Comstocks | One of my favorite J-pop singers, pretty accessible Sample |
Available |
Closet | Satoko Ishimine | Comstocks | Very rock-y, wail-ing, edgy collection of songs. An aquired taste, not for everyone. Sample |
Available |
Imagination | Satoko Ishimine | Comstocks | Overall a lighter collection of music. Sample |
Available |
Title | Author | Owner | Notes | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gai-Jin | James Clavell | Comstocks | Historical novel: merchants in Japan in the 1860's. | Available |
All She Was Worth | Miyuki Miyabe | Comstocks | A young woman disappears; her fiance asks his uncle, a retired detective, to track her down; but is she who she says she is? |
Available |
Audrey Hepburn's Neck | Alan Brown | Comstocks | A rural Japenese young man moves to Tokyo and becomes involved with two American ex-pats in surprising ways. |
Available |
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle | Haruki Murakami | Comstocks | Book cover: "a detective story, an account of a disintegrating marriage, and an excavation of the buried secrets of World War II" |
Available |
Memoirs of a Geisha | Arthur Golden | Comstocks | Fiction, supposedly based on accounts from an actual Geisha, the provenance is somewhat controversial; made into a movie. |
Available |
American Fuji | Sara Backer | Comstocks | 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. |
Available |
The Concubine's Tattoo | Laura Joh Rowland | Comstocks | Detective story set in 1690 in Japan. A bit of a bodice-ripper, but an interesting who-dun-it. |
Available |
Title | Author | Owner | Notes | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Japanese in Action | Jack Seward | Comstocks | Insights by an American ex-pat who has lived in Japan over 40 years Heavy on language intricacies, but some perceptive insights into culture. |
Available |
The Donald Richie Reader | Donald Richie | Comstocks | 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. |
Available |
Confessions of a Yakuza | Junichi Saga | Comstocks | Non-Fiction; Yakuza are the Japanese version of the mafia Published in 1991 |
Available |
Confucius Lives Next Door | T. R. Reid | Comstocks | Non-Fiction; Life in Japan for a Washington Post bureau chief; he now lives here and has visited our church several times! | Available |
The Dolls of Japan | The Japan Foundation | Comstocks | Stunning pictures with brief descriptions of various dolls and doll styles (16 pages) | Available |
Dave Barry Does Japan | Dave Barry | Comstocks | Dave Barry travels to Japan; although a humor book, he hits the nail on the head in a number of areas. |
Available |