Richard Nathan

Kaleidoscope Japan takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride through the fascinating, diverse and colourful world of Japanese letters. Whether you are familiar with the influences, movements, and characters behind some of the greatest-and earliest-works in world literature or are taking your first tentative steps into a realm of genius detectives, curmudgeonly drunks, and lecherous princes, there will be something in each of these essays for you. From popular Tokyo literary bars, through cats, dolls and robots, to a nation repeatedly reinventing itself after catastrophe, Kaleidoscope Japan is a new lens through which the storytelling of The Land of the Rising Sun can be read and understood leaving readers with a well-rounded perspective of Japan, its social history and culture, and the nation's finest writers. Kaleidoscope Japan is 21 engaging and well-researched essays thematically grouped to cover Japanese Literature, Writers and Ruin; Influencers, Dolls and Devices; Robots, Runners and Riders; Cats, Tatts and Christians; and Booze, Books and Bonking. The essays can be read sequentially or in a kaleidoscopic order that mirrors the reader's particular interests, as an immersive experience or a dip-in, dip-out approach. Kaleidoscope Japan is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in Japan, who wants their horizons expanded, or who wants to hear the stories behind the stories.