“The Court Dancer” is a piece full of new adventures, experiences, and pain. The book is based on an actual person called Yi Jin who was a talented court dancer. After reading a short story about this girl the author felt a connection to her and decided to write a novel. In this novel you can find a lot of Korean history and culture, knowledge of a young woman and her painful life after leaving Joseon. (more…)

This popular psychology book helps to understand the definition of intellect and its meaning in bigger cultural context and helps to distinguish intellect from self-value. According to the book’s author Satoshi Kanazawa it is not correct to put individual’s self-value and efficiency with his work results and author proves it with scientific researches and easily understandable examples from every day life. That is why this book is easily understandable to people who might not be very familiar with psychology or science. However, it is a good piece to read if you want to learn more and get to know interesting facts about intellect and how brain works. (more…)

“Please Look after Mom”- it is a novel that has won many awards and created a name for Shin Kyung-sook not only in her home country but also in the world. This novel portrays deep motherly love, however, it also conveys the message of how much do we actually know about our loved ones. The plot starts slow and creates this mysterious atmosphere as well as makes you feel thrilled about family secrets. (more…)

“An Artist of The Floating World” is a novel about an artist named Masuji Ono and the post-World War II Japan. It is the time of changes and when the narrator Masuji Ono meets people with different mindsets and opinions than his. The book is written very delicately and mixes both the artist’s past, before World War II and the present world. Kazuo Ishiguro focuses on topics like differences of generations, memory and forgiveness. (more…)

“The Little Book of Ikigai” is an easy book to read, which conveys exotic Japanese everyday life philosophy and a way to find your purpose- ikigai. In this book author talks about the main five principles of ikigai, which should help readers to understand the importance to this philosophy in Japanese culture and in people‘s lives in general. ‚Ikigai‘ is a Japanese word that means pleasures and the meaning of life. Using Japanese cultural examples, such as, sumo, kodawari, Japansese tea ceremony, etc., author easily conveys the message, meaning and explains every principle of ikigai. (more…)

“Culture is the Body: The Theatre Writings of Tadashi Suzuki” is a book about both Western world and Japanese theatre base and traditions. Tadashi Suzuki, a director who analyzes different theatre genres and forms, compares traditional Japanese Noh and Kabuki theatre to Greek dramas, Chekhov’s works and modern dramaturgy. It is important to notice how the author is trying to portray the actual work and mindset of a director and natural acting. How directors work and interpret text and turn it into a play. (more…)

“Killing Commendatore” is another master-piece of Haruki Murakami which takes us to yet another surrealistic world and fantastically written characters. This time it is a novel about a thirty-six year old painter who after a sudden divorce with his wife decides to run away from his past and current job as a portrait painter. He moves to the house that belongs to his friend’s father, who happens to be a very famous Japanese Nihonga artist. We learn about the narrator’s daily life and constant struggles as an artist. (more…)

Naoki Higashida- a thirteen year old boy with autism, the author of this book.

This book reminds more of an interview than an actual book you would pick up to read. Written in a very interesting style Naoki Higashida helps an average human to understand autism and life with it. It is a great way to get to know more about this development disorder not only for the parents of autistic children but also to everyone who is not familiar or well versed at the subject. In this modern world psychological disorders are often stigmatized and not talked about in the positive light. Therefore, it creates a lot of stereotypes and myths about people who have it. This book helps to educate yourself on the topic of autism and fight those created stereotypes. The young author, even though, he cannot communicate using words or writing, has created a way to connect with people and show that autism does not stop you from socializing. It is very interesting to read a book from such a young author and see the way he sees the world, people and how he experiences everyday things. (more…)

The story of the famous Japanese writer Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (1892 – 1927) “Kappa” is of fantasy genre. But that fantasy is as real as France’s penguins or Swift’s lilliputs. The Country of Kappa is similar and, at the same time, is different to Japan. Kappa (Japanese old folk characters, mermans) have their own country, financial attributes, culture, religion, and their own police. Everything is like in Japan. But there is no unemployment. The unemployed ones are simply (more…)

“Rice in nephrite cups” is a book full of author’s memories, a little autobiography in which memories mixes up with the culture, history and traditions of China. This book does not have a coherent story, it consists of many short stories, trainings, philosophies, exercises in self improvement and even few meals recipes. In this spiritual book where one can find a lot of great ideas and quotes also it is possible to get to know more about spiritual and philosophical things such as (more…)