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Books on Asia

Amy Chavez, John Ross

Books on Asia is your guide to finding quality books on Japan and Asia, including travel, literature, current events, and culture. Explore Asia in-depth. Hosted by Amy Chavez.

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#94
Monday · 20 min
New Lonely Planet Guides on Japan
Alternative title: Lonely Planet arc—from pre-internet days to Instagram + a new Japanese etiquette tip + a couple more guidebook options Amy opens the show with her recent experience as a tour guide in the Seto Inland Sea islands. She also introduces a new Japanese manners tip, a result of her etiquette skills being put to shame recently when she traveled with Japanese people on a business trip. From there she delves into the new Lonely Planet Guidebooks and gets a little nostalgic about the older pre-internet publications and tells why they were better than the new editions. She then pivots and tells us why the new Lonely Planet destination guidebooks are better than the old. In other words, neither is better nor worse; the changes are more a reflection of the times (good riddance to tiny font sizes!) At the end of the show, for those old-schoolers who prefer the old LP guidebook style, she introduces Cicerone guidebooks to fill the gap: fewer photos, but better maps. Less Instagram; a more hands-on approach. And the quality of writing a rare find in guidebooks. See the Show Notes for links on the Books on Asia site at www.booksonasia.net The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#93
August 24 · 35 min
Adachi Masao: Pink Films, Red Politics, with William Andrews
Adachi Masao (born 1939) has lived one of the most extraordinary lives in Japanese cinema. He has made experimental films, worked with leading figures of the Japanese New Wave, and spent decades in Lebabon alongside the radical left-wing Japanese Red Army. John talks to Tokyo-based researcher, writer and translator William Andrews about Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw, his new biography of this provocative filmmaker and revolutionary. Recording this episode, John and William faced radical conditions themselves – annoying ambulances, copulating cats, and clanking bottle collection, and more cats – but for you, dear listener, all that artistic struggle was left on the cutting-room floor. William Andrews’ two books mentioned were: Pink Auteur, Red Outlaw: Adachi Masao and Japan’s Cinema of Revolution (Awai Books, 2026). It is the first English-language book devoted to Adachi and draws on extensive interviews and years of research. Dissenting Japan: A History of Japanese Radicalism and Counterculture, from 1945 to Fukushima (Hurst, 2016) William’s three Adachi film recommendations are (in the order discussed): Revolution+1 (2022) – Adachi’s film about Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s assassin. A.K.A. Serial Killer – completed in 1969, first publicly shown in 1975, it follows the landscapes associated with a serial killer and is the key film associated with Adachi’s “landscape theory.” Galaxy (1967) – one of Adachi’s early experimental films. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#92
August 17 · 33 min
The Devil’s Chow: A Chinese Food History–Stephen Jack
Stephen’s childhood in Bendigo, Australia, gave him early exposure to Chinese culture and food. Nineteenth-century gold rushes brought numerous Cantonese workers to the town, and their cuisine has long since become part of local life. Decades later, Stephen – a longtime Taiwan resident – would pursue his interest in Chinese food by making extensive journeys across China. John and Stephen talk about the rich heritage of Chinese agriculture before eventually getting to some notable dishes, from the famed Peking duck to the infamous wangji dan (fertilized egg). Stephen tells the surprising story of chop suey – long dismissed as an American invention – and describes his joy at tracking down its roots in Guangdong. They finish with a healthy Chinese-style dessert: fruit, in this case the Chinese gooseberry (and its better-known descendant, the kiwifruit). The Devil’s Chow: A Chinese Food History by Stephen Jack (2026, Cold Press Books) is a lively combination of food history and travel writing, tracing the development of Chinese cuisine from the earliest times to the present. To learn more about Stephen and his writing you can visit: Stephen Jack’s website: https://www.eatingchina.com/devils-chow-chinese-food-history.htm Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Chow-Chinese-Food-History/dp/6269969425 The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#91
August 10 · 34 min
Taiwan 22: Travels in Paradox—Tyrel Cameron Eskelson
For Tyrel Eskelson, a Canadian academic living in Hokkaido, curiosity about Taiwan-related news stories turned into something of an obsession; there were months of travel, hundreds of conversations, and a book (published by John at Plum Rain Press). In this BOA chat, Tyrel talks about his search to better understand the island nation and its people. Among the topics covered are Taiwan’s Japanese colonial legacy, the 228 Incident of 1947, the Battle of Kinmen, and why the book is called Taiwan 22. Taiwan 22 is available as an ebook on the Plum Rain Press website (but not yet on Amazon). https://www.plumrainpress.com/ Tyrel Cameron Eskelson has a YouTube channel called The Interlocutor Podcast, where he talks with writers, historians, and travelers, with an increasing focus on Taiwan, Japan, and China. He has also begun sharing audio versions of these conversations on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#90
August 3 · 33 min
What's it like to host a US Military Base? Jon Mitchell on Okinawa
Today 31 US bases sit on a landmass smaller than Rhode Island, and Okinawans remain Japan's poorest people. Why is this? And what is the US military presence actually doing there? In his new book Why Are We in Okinawa?: A History of Violence (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026), award-winning journalist Jon Mitchell answers these questions and many more, tracing how the islands were annexed by Japan in the 19th century, occupied by the US through WWII, handed back to Japan in 1972, and now menaced by China — with tensions between the military and Okinawan citizens still simmering today. He gives Okinawans a voice, and we should listen. Because you're going to be shocked by some of what you hear on today's podcast episode. Jon Mitchell is a Welsh journalist based in Japan and a special correspondent for the Okinawa Times. He is the recipient of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan's Freedom of the Press Lifetime Achievement Award, and an expert in the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He's the author of several Japanese-language books about Okinawa, along with two English-language books: Why Are We in Okinawa? (2026) and Poisoning the Pacific: The US Military's Secret Dumping of Plutonium, Chemical Weapons, and Agent Orange (2020), which won a Society of Environmental Journalists' award. In 2023, he received Japan's most prestigious journalism prize, the Ishibashi Tanzan Memorial Journalism Award for public service. Follow him on LinkedIn and visit his website www.jonmitchellinjapan.com The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#89
July 27 · 29 min
Old Lhasa: A Biography
Old Lhasa – A Biography of a Sacred City Michael Aldrich joins John Ross to discuss Old Lhasa: A Biography, his richly detailed portrait of Tibet’s historic capital. It’s the third book in his trilogy on Asian cultural centers. He wrote the first two, on Beijing and Ulaanbaatar, while living in those cities, where he worked as a lawyer. There was no opportunity for this with Lhasa, so he had to rely on multiple trips (from his home in Taiwan) and an incredible amount of reading and research. Rather than writing a conventional history, Aldrich set out to present Lhasa as a living character – a city whose temples, alleyways, legends and surviving traditions can still tell their own stories. Books mentioned M.A. Aldrich The Search for a Vanishing Beijing: A Guide to China’s Capital Through the Ages (Hong Kong University Press, 2006) Ulaanbaatar beyond Water and Grass: A Guide to the Capital of Mongolia (Hong Kong University Press, 2018) Old Lhasa: A Biography Originally published by Camphor Press in January 2023 and subsequently reissued in 2025 by Speaking Tiger Books with a new epilogue based on Aldrich’s 2024 return to Tibet. The episode touches on the amazing story of Ekai Kawaguchi (河口慧海 1866–1945), a Japanese Buddhist monk who spent time in Lhasa in the early 1900s. He is the subject of Scott Berry’s A Stranger in Tibet. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#88
July 20 · 19 min
Golden Age of China Books: The 1930s
China’s Golden Age on the Western Bookshelf China may seem like a big story today, but its presence on Western bookshelves was even greater during the 1930s. Books about China not only appeared on bestseller lists but often dominated them. In this short solo episode, John discusses some of the most notable titles of the decade. He begins with Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth and ends with Ruth Harkness’s account of panda collecting. Most of the popular books about China were highly sympathetic to the Chinese people. We take a close look at a striking exception: Ralph Townsend’s now-forgotten Ways That Are Dark, which viciously attacked China and lavished praise on Japan. Show Notes Books mentioned in the episode: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (1931) Also by Buck: Fighting Angel: Portrait of a Soul and The Exile (both 1936) Oil for the Lamps of China by Alice Tisdale Hobart (1933) Lost Horizon by James Hilton (1933) Ways That Are Dark: The Truth About China by Ralph Townsend (1933) My Country and My People by Lin Yutang (1935) Lin also wrote: The Importance of Living (1937) The Blue Lotus by Hergé / Georges Remi (1936) News from Tartary: A Journey from Peking to Kashmir by Peter Fleming (1936) Four Hundred Million Customers: The Experiences – Some Happy, Some Sad – of an American in China, and What They Taught Him by Carl Crow (1937) Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow (1937 in Britain, 1938 in the U.S.) The Lady and the Panda: An Adventure by Ruth Harkness (1938) The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#87
July 6 · 24 min
Japanese Literary Prizes—How many do you know?
Amy breaks down Japan's most prestigious literary prizes — starting with the twin titans of the Japanese book world, the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes, both announced twice a year, every January and July, on the very same day. Up your knowledge ahead of the next announcement of the winners on July 15, at around 6 pm! Most Japanese literature fans can probably guess who the Akutagawa Prize is named after (hint: Rashomon) — but how many know who the Naoki Prize honors? And while the Tanizaki and Mishima Yukio Prizes might be obvious, can you guess what the Noma Prize is for? Or what genre dominates that newspaper-sponsored heavyweight, the Yomiuri Prize? Amy sorts them all out — the history, the famous winners, and the controversies, including the AI scandal that rocked the Akutagawa Prize when 2024 winner Rie Kudan admitted to using ChatGPT in her prize-winning novel. Plus: how Japan's prize culture differs fundamentally from English-language institutions like the Booker Prize, Pulitzer or Nobel Prize for Literature — and why winning in Japan can launch a career instead of just crowning one. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#86
June 22 · 35 min
Taiwan Travelogue: Food and Friendship in Japanese Formosa
John Ross chats with Eryk, his Formosa Files co-host, about the International Booker Prize-winning novel Taiwan Travelogue. Set in colonial Taiwan in 1938, the story is told by narrator Aoyama Chizuko, a young Japanese novelist, who, accompanied by her brilliant Taiwanese interpreter, Chi-chan, travels around the island in search of memorable meals. The original Chinese edition came out in 2020. It caused quite a stir, as author Yang Shuang-zi was misleadingly credited as being the translator. (No translation was needed, however – this story was entirely fictional, not the rediscovered Japanese text it purported to be.) The English edition, translated by Lin King, was published by Graywolf Press in late 2024 to much acclaim. John has some strong opinions on the book and does not hold back in expressing them. Publisher link: https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/taiwan-travelogue The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#85
June 15 · 33 min
Replay: Tina deBellegard—The Art of the Short Story
Episode Notes Today we're talking with Tina deBellegarde about short stories: What makes a good short story, and why certain short story writers are so appealing. Tina has been nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, has a short story published in the Mystery Writers of America anthology called "When a Stranger Comes to Town," and most recently won the USA Prize in the Writers in Kyoto annual story competition. They start the topic of the podcast by highlighting some Japanese short story writers such as Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto, Hiromi Kawakami, Aoko Matsuda, and Kyoko Nakajima. and foreign writers, including Lafcadio Hearn and, more recently, Rebecca Otowa. Amy also mentions two short story collections from China, one by the well-known author Xu Xu called Bird Talk, and an anthology of flash fiction called The Pearl Jacket and Other Stories: Flash Fiction from Contemporary China which prompts a discussion on flash fiction, which Tina defines for us and elaborates upon, including the works of Mieko Kawakami. Lastly, Tina reveals what her favorite books on Japan are: Kyoto: Seven Paths to the Heart of the City by Diane Durston Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki Untangling My Chopsticks by Victoria Abbot Riccardi The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#84
June 8 · 30 min
Whistling Arrows and Heavenly Horses: The Han-Xiongnu War
Whistling Arrows and Heavenly Horses: The Han-Xiongnu War John Ross speaks with Scott Forbes Crawford about his book The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC–89 AD. For more than two centuries, Han China fought a bitter struggle against the Xiongnu, a powerful confederation of horse-riding nomads from the Asian steppe. This was far more than a border war. It helped shape the future of China, transformed Central Asia, and opened the routes that would become known as the Silk Road. In writing this history, Scott followed the example of China’s greatest historian, Sima Qian (the subject of BOA episode 82), and took a biographical approach. We learn about remarkable figures such as Modun, the ruthless founder of the Xiongnu Empire; Li Guang, the legendary “Flying General”; the explorer Zhang Qian; and Princess Jieyou, a royal diplomat/spy who spent decades advancing Han interests deep in Central Asia. Notes: The full title of Scott Crawford’s book is: The Han-Xiongnu War, 133 BC–89 AD: The Struggle of China and a Steppe Empire Told Through Its Key Figures (Pen & Sword, 2023) To learn more about Scott’s work, including his novel Silk Road Centurion, visit his website: https://www.scottforbescrawford.com/ The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#83
June 1 · 33 min
Don Weiss: Future of the Shikoku Pilgrimage
Amy Chavez talks to Don Weiss, currently mid-way through the Shikoku Pilgrimage — Japan's 1,300 km Buddhist route that has been walked for almost as many years. Pilgrims share their journey with Kobo Daishi, patron saint of the 88-temple circuit and founder of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. Don explains his "gratitude pilgrimage," what it means and why he is undertaking it. Along the way, he speaks with fellow pilgrims and priests at a number of temples to assess the experience for international visitors. While the 88-temple route faces challenges — from local depopulation to overtourism — Don finds common ground in conversations with priests about how overseas visitors might help keep the tradition alive, and what temples can do in turn to make the route more welcoming to those coming from abroad. Don's book Echoes of Incense, about his first trip around the ancient pilgrimage route decades ago, is available as an e-book on Amazon in English and Japanese. You can follow Don on his gratitude pilgrimage via his You Tube Channel The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#82
May 25 · 29 min
Sima Qian–China’s Grand Historian (with Tim McGirk)
Sima Qian – China’s Grand Historian (with Tim McGirk) John Ross chats with repeat guest Tim McGirk about Sima Qian (c. 145–86 BC), the Father of Chinese History. He earned this accolade for his monumental work, the Shiji (usually translated as Records of the Grand Historian). It covers more than two thousand years, from the legendary early emperors up to Emperor Wu, under whom Sima Qian lived and fell afoul. Sima Qian would use his history writing to criticize cruel leaders, most notably Qin Shi Huang, the despotic first emperor of China, who burned books and attacked the humanistic legacy of Confucius. The backstory of the Records is one of the great bibliographic tales of all time. And as McGirk explains, the man and his work were inspiration for his historical novel, The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers. Books discussed: Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian (English translation by Burton Watson, Columbia University Press, 1961, 1993, 1996). The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers by Tim McGirk (Plum Rain Press, 2025) Related episodes: In episode 53, John chatted with Tim about his Plum Rain Press novel The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers. It weaves the story of archeological discoveries in modern-day Mexico with that of Xu Fu, a Taoist alchemist/priest sent to bring back the secret of immortality. And in episode 65, John and Tim talked about Simon Winchester’s biography of Sinologist Joseph Needham, The Man Who Loved China. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#81
May 18 · 31 min
Hiroshima's Last Witnesses and Japan's Nuclear Future
M. G. Sheftall has lived in Japan since 1987. He has a PhD in international relations and modern Japanese history from Waseda University in Tokyo. Since 2001, he has been a professor of modern Japanese cultural history and communication at the Faculty of Informatics of Shizuoka University. He lives in Hamamatsu, Japan. Amy Chavez talks about Sheftall's books on the Asia Pacific War, in particular Hiroshima: The Last Witnesses and Nagasaki: The Last Witnesses both oral histories featuring interviews with survivors of the atomic bombs. Has Japan's 80 years of peace education been all for naught? The book serves as a prescient warning given the current political climate and Japan's complex relationships with the US, Taiwan, China, and the broader world. Recent developments—including Nihon Hidankyo's 2024 Nobel Peace Prize and the ongoing protests against revising Article 9—bring this subject into sharp focus. Against this backdrop, the author offers his own perspective on Japan's nuclear future. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#80
May 11 · 28 min
Jason Nieling and Paul Bresin of the Sightseeing Japan
Sightseeing Japan John Ross is joined by Jason Nieling and Paul Bresin of the Sightseeing Japan Podcast, which started back in 2019 and now has over 160 detailed but fun episodes. The two Japanophiles discuss how their show explores Japan through episodes on culture, food, and travel. Jason and Paul share a range of fiction and non-fiction book recommendations. Book Recommendations You Gotta Have Wa (1977) by Robert Whiting. (Amy spoke with Robert about his Tokyo Junkie memoir back in 2021.) Battle Royale (1999, Eng. 2003) by Koushun Takami Tearmoon Empire (2019) by Nozomu Mochitsuki Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune (2016) by Pamela S. Turner Massacre at Shirakawa (2023) by I. J. Parker Earthlings (2018 / Eng. 2020) by Sayaka Murata Convenience Store Woman (2016, Eng. 2018) by Sayaka Murata. (Amy spoke with translator Ginny Tapley Takemori in an episode last September) Be sure to check out the Sightseeing Japan Podcast. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#79
May 4 · 32 min
Simon Elegant’s City on Fire: A Novel of Hong Kong
Simon Elegant’s City on Fire: A Novel of Hong Kong John chats with writer and journalist Simon Elegant about his third novel, a crime thriller set during the Hong Kong protests of 2019. City on Fire is published by Pegasus Crime, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The novel follows Inspector Killian Tong’s investigation of a brutal murder against a backdrop of political chaos, police tensions, and also personal conflict – Killian’s half-sister is a radical protester. John and Simon also discuss the background to the 2019 protests, including the National Security Law and the earlier 2014 Umbrella Movement. Among the books mentioned were: Manchu (1980) by Robert Elegant (a swashbuckling novel by Simon’s father). Gorky Park (1981) by Martin Cruz Smith Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Democracy (2023) by Shibani Mahtani & Timothy McLaughlin Simon’s recommendations The Immobile Empire (French 1989, English 1992) by Alain Peyrefitte. This is on the 1973 Macartney mission to Peking. Apple in China (2025) by Patrick McGee, which explores Apple’s deep entanglement with China’s manufacturing system. Ginkgo Season (2025) by Naomi Xu Elegant, a coming-of-age novel set in Philadelphia. To learn more about Simon Elegant and his novel, visit the publisher’s website at www.pegasusbooks.com The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#78
April 27 · 34 min
Jane Lawson: Secret Japan
Amy Chavez talks with Jane Lawson about her book Secret Japan: An Insider's Guide to Deeper Travel in the World's Most Fascinating Country (Simon & Schuster, 2026). Jane encourages people to get off the beaten track to discover the most amazing people, places, and foods. This gives travelers a chance to see and experience Japanese life and culture from the inside by spending time in smaller places. It's the difference between tourism being forced on locals and those locals being granted the choice to reach out and connect. Use Jane's prescription for travel to let the Japanese introduce you to their culture, in their way. Find a more relaxing way of travel by discovering the smaller events and more local foods. Three of Jane Lawson's favorite books on Japanese food: Oishinbo manga series on food and food culture, by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki (English) The Japanese Kitchen by Hiroko Shinbo and Rodica Prato (English) Japanese Cooking as a Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji (English) (Note: If you're wondering about the sound at 27 minutes into the cast, that's the ferry coming into Shiraishi Island (where I'm recording) from the mainland of Okayama. At 29:15 there's another ferry toot, a different ferry, coming in from the further islands and stopping in at Shiraishi before going back to the mainland). Jane Lawson Food, Zenbu Tours on FB, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest www.zenbutravel.com The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#77
April 20 · 26 min
Replay: Alex Kerr on Finding the Heart Sutra
Amy Chavez talks with Alex Kerr about his book Finding the Heart Sutra: Guided by a Magician, an Art Collector and Buddhist Sages from Tibet to Japan (Penguin U.K., 2020). Kerr is the author of several books, including Lost Japan, Dogs and Demons, Another Kyoto (w/Kathy Arlyn Sokol), Another Bangkok and Hidden Japan. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#76
April 13 · 29 min
Anna Beth Keim: A History of Taiwan Through the Life of Huang Chin-tao
John talks to Anna Beth Keim about her acclaimed biography, Heaven Does Not Block All Roads: A History of Taiwan Through the Life of Huang Chin-tao. Huang Chin-tao (1926–2019) lived through every twist and turn of Taiwan’s turbulent twentieth century. He served as a Japanese soldier in China during World War II, joined an armed uprising against Taiwan's Chinese Nationalist post-war government (the 2-28 Incident of 1947), then went into hiding. He served with the Republic of China Navy before being captured and spending 23 years in prison. Once more a free man, he became a driving force in the pro-democracy movement. It was an amazing life, and this biography does a wonderful job of telling it. Heaven Does Not Block All Roads was published by UK indie press Hurst in 2025. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.
#75
April 6 · 31 min
Michael Freiling—100 Poems from Old Japan
Show Notes Mike Freiling was born in San Francisco. His interest in poetry was first kindled in the mid-‘60’s, when he attended high school near the Haight Ashbury district, and attended readings by American Beat poets Gary Snyder, Allen Ginsberg, and Lenore Kandel. Freiling attended University of San Francisco and MIT and helped co-found MIT’s literary magazine Rune. He studied poetry under David Ferry at Wellesley. After receiving his PhD, he was named a Luce Scholar with an appointment to Kyoto University, In 2014, Freiling returned to Kyoto where he and his wife Satsuki Takikawa co-translated They Never Asked, an anthology of senryu poetry written by Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. Today we’re going to talk about his translation of the 100 Poems From Old Japan published by Tuttle in 2025, some 46 years after Freiling's first draft. The Books on Asia Podcast is co-produced with Plum Rain Press. Podcast host Amy Chavez is author of The Widow, the Priest, and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island. and Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan. The Books on Asia website posts book reviews, podcast episodes and episode Show Notes. Subscribe to the BOA podcast from your favorite podcast service. Subscribe to the Books on Asia newsletter to receive news of the latest new book releases, reviews and podcast episodes.

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