Covers for Spring 2006 titles

Here are some of the covers for the Spring 2006 titles from Stone Bridge!

A String of Flowers, Untied... reviewed at New Hope International Review

New Hope International Review has reposted its review of A String of Flowers, Untied... Love Poems from "The Tale of Genji" by Murasaki Shikibu, trans. by Jane Reichhold with Hatsue Kawamura.

Photographer/Designer Markuz Wernli Saito to speak at Good Day Books, FCCJ in January

Markuz Wernli Saito, photographer and designer of Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing the Japanese Garden, will be presenting "Integrating Image & Word" at Good Day Books in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo on January 22.

He will also be presenting at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on January 24 as part of FCCJ's Book Breaks programming in Tokyo.

The Inland Sea featured in Japan Close-up

Donald Richie's The Inland Sea is featured in "The Japan that Foreign Writers Saw" starting on page 14 in Japan Close-up. Reviewer Colin Joyce writes, "It is difficult to overstate the influence of Richie's 1971 classic The Inland Sea... [Its] strength is that it is a profoundly personal story."

The Inland Sea was brought back into print by Stone Bridge Press in 2002 and is available in paperback.

Author Fred Patten to be Guest of Honor at Loscon 33

Loscon has announced that Fred Patten, author of Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews, will be the Fan Guest of Honor for the 33rd gathering. Loscon 33 is November 24-26, 2006.

Watching Anime, Reading Manga and Cruising the Anime City reviewed in Skyward

Japan Airline's Skyward Magazine reviews both Fred Patten's Watching Anime, Reading Manga: 25 Years of Essays and Reviews and Cruising the Anime City: An Otaku Guide to Neo Tokyo from Patrick Macias and Tomohiro Machiyama.

Watching Anime, Reading Manga: "...For fans looking for an in-depth understanding of how anime became established in the US, Patten’s writings are valuable material."

Cruising the Anime City: "...A whirlwind tour through the otaku universe of Tokyo, indispensable for fans fresh off the plane."

70 Japanese Gestures recommended at Anime.com

See Anime.com's recommendations here

Way of Taiko author to perform at NorCal schools

Heidi Varian, author of The Way of Taiko, will be performing and discussing taiko with the students at various schools in Northern California:

January 10 at K.R. Smith School in San Jose
January 13 at Leroy Greene Middle School in Sacramento
January 19 at Slater Elementary in Mountain View
February 2 at Fernando Rivera Middle School in Daly City
February 3 at Hellyer School in San Jose
February 15 at Hayes Elementary School in San Jose
March 3 at San Rafael High School
March 21 at East Union High School in Manteca
April 5 at Gordon Lau School in San Francisco

Author Patrick Macias to guest star on TV show in Japan

Patrick Macias, co-author of Cruising the Anime City: An Otaku Guide to Neo Tokyo, will guest star on Eigo de Shabera Night on January 2. Patrick is the one on the right. Click here to see more pictures.

UPDATE: See how the episode went!

Author Jina Bacarr gives geisha tips to Italy's Glamour.com

Glamour.com in Italy offers tips from geisha provided by Jina Bacarr, author of The Japanese Art of Sex.

Read the tips (in Italian) starting here

The Japan Journals reviewed in The Daily Telegraph

The Daily Telegraph's travel section recommends Donald Richie's The Japan Journals: 1947-2004, writing "The strength of his writing lies in its intimacy, for he is more concerned with the details of daily life than big public events, and his views are affectionate but never sentimental."

Read the review and extract

Japanzine reviews three SBP titles in books issue

Japanzine's December issue covers books relating to Japan, and reviews The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film, 70 Japanese Gestures: No Language Communication, and Cruising the Anime City: An Otaku Guide to Neo Tokyo.

About The Midnight Eye Guide: "...Essential reading for anyone with a shred of interest in the movers and shakers on this country's movie scene."

Read the 70 Japanese Gestures review

Read the Cruising the Anime City review

Anime Companion 2 and Midnight Eye Guide reviewed at Sequential Tart

Sequential Tart reviews both The Anime Companion 2: More What's Japanese in Japanese Animation? and The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film.

Read The Anime Companion 2 review
Read The Midnight Eye Guide review

Update: Patrick Drazen's presentation at Anime-zing

Patrick Drazen, author of Anime Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation, will be speaking at the Lake County Discovery Museum as part of their Anime-zing exhibit. The topic is Way Beyond Hello Kitty - Sanrio's Other Anime.

Autographed copies of Drazen’s book will be available for purchase.

Author Heidi Varian to perform taiko at San Jose Barnes & Noble

The Way of Taiko author Heidi Varian will be part of a group performing taiko at the Barnes & Noble on Stevens Creek Blvd. in San Jose. She will also be signing copies of her book.

Come listen to the drums and support a good cause! For every purchase you make that day, a portion of the proceeds will go to Young Audiences of Northern California that supports arts education for children throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Another event is being held the day before in San Francisco. Click here for more information and for easy-to-print vouchers

Author Patrick Galloway interviewed in San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco Chronicle interviews Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves author Patrick Galloway about the three-week samurai film series playing at The Balboa Theater. Patrick will be presenting Harakiri on Friday, Dec. 10 as well as signing copies of his book.

The Way of Taiko tops Kumidaiko.com gift list

Kumidaiko, The Souce for Taiko News, lists The Way of Taiko as #1 in its "Top 5 Gifts for Taiko Enthusiasts!"

The Four Immigrants Manga reviewed in San Francisco Art Institute's magazine

Henry Kiyama, author/illustrator of The Four Immigrants Manga: A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1922, is featured in the quarterly publication from his alma mater, the San Francisco Art Institute (it was called the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art when he started there in 1914).

Lucy Martin writes, "Exposing its author's creative and personal outlook as a Japanese immigrant in San Francisco at the turn of the 20th century, it offers a framework for understanding the contemporary manga that permeate the current global, literary, and visual scene."

The Way of Taiko reviewed at Spectre Collie

In "Fat Drum" blogger Chuck Jordan discusses taiko in America and calls The Way of Taiko, "...The kind of thing that would've been a perfect gift for me had I not already bought it myself."

The Japan Journals reviewed by Amazon Top 100

One of Amazon.com's Top 100 Reviewers has posted his review of Donald Richie's The Japan Journals: 1947-2004 which you can read here.

The Japan Journals is now available in paperback! Visit The Japan Journals web page to read a journal entry along with information about the DVD collection of Donald Richie's films.

Spirituality & Health reviews two SBP titles

Spirituality & Health reviews and excerpts two of the latest Stone Bridge Press titles:

Light from the East: A Gathering of Asian Wisdom
REVIEW and EXCERPT

The Way of Taiko
REVIEW and EXCERPT

Native American in the Land of the Shogun reviewed in Journal of World History

Journal of World History, Volume 16, Issue 2 on Native American in the Land of the Shogun: "[Frederik L. Schodt's] readable and well-rounded account of this early part of [Ranald] MacDonald's life exemplifies one of the many strengths of this book."

Protoculture Addicts reviews two SBP titles

Protoculture Addicts review two Stone Bridge Press titles in Issue #86.

The Anime Companion 2: More... What's Japanese in Japanese Animation?: "This is really an essential reference to well understanding anime and manga. A superb and enjoyable book. A must!"

Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook: "Another one of those superb reference books that can only come from Stone Bridge Press... It is a beautiful, enjoyable and, above all, useful book… A must."

Mirei Shigemori lecture reviewed at Total Image Nation

Total Image Nation reviews the lecture in August by Mirei Shigemori photographer/designer Markuz Wernli Saito about the book's unique design process.

Mirei Shigemori reviewed in The Japan Times

The Japan Times reviews Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing the Japanese Garden which you can read here.

Japanese space tourist to cosplay as Char Aznable

The Mail & Guardian Online has a good article about Daisuke Enomoto's planned trip to the International Space Station. Enomoto plans to cosplay (costume play) as Char Aznable from Mobile Suit Gundam!

Gundam fans in Tokyo might also want to check out the Gundam Generating Futures exhibit.

Three SBP titles reviewed at Midwest Book Review

MBR: Internet Bookwatch, November 2005 reviews Watching Anime, Reading Manga, Cruising the Anime City, and Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves.

Markuz Wernli Saito interviewed in The Japan Times

The Japan Times interviews Markuz Wernli Saito, photographer/designer of Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing the Japanese Garden, which you can still read for the next few days here.

The Flower Shop is a December Book Sense Notable

The Flower Shop: Charm, Grace, Beauty, Tenderness in a Commercial Context is going to be a Book Sense Notable in December.

Book Sense is a national marketing campaign on behalf of the independent bookstores of America. It is both a local and national effort to shine a light on the knowledge and diversity of independent bookstores.

Patrick Galloway to speak at nwFilmCenter in Portland

Patrick Galloway, author of Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook, will introduce the Saturday, Nov. 26 screening of Samurai Rebellion at the nwFilmCenter in Portland. He will also be signing copies of his book.

Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves reviewed at Anime.com

Anime.com calls Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves "...A fun read, written by a fan of Samurai movies *to* the fans of Samurai movies. Each review of the film picks are top notch, full-fledged gush-a-thons that really get you juiced up about seeing the film and enjoying it as much as the author."

Author Patrick Galloway to open samurai film festival in San Francisco

Patrick Galloway, author of Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook, will be speaking about samurai films and signing copies of his book on December 2nd, the first evening of the samurai film festival at Balboa Theater in San Francisco. You can check the festival schedule as a PDF or elsewhere at the Balboa website.

Covers for Light from the East and The Way of Taiko

Here are the cover images for two new books from Stone Bridge Press, Light from the East and The Way of Taiko.

Author H.E. Davey to lecture on Japanese calligraphy in El Cerrito, CA

On November 14, the El Cerrito Art Association will present a free lecture and demonstration entitled "Meditation & the Art of Japanese Calligraphy" featuring H.E. Davey. The event will take place at 7:30 PM at the El Cerrito Community Center at 7007 Moeser Lane. Guests should go to the El Cerrito City Council Chambers at the community center.

Mr. Davey is the Director of the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, which was established in 1981. In addition to teaching classes at the Sennin Foundation Center in Japanese forms of yoga and meditation, healing arts, martial arts, and brush calligraphy, he is the author of several award-winning books, including Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony from Stone Bridge Press. He exhibits his Japanese calligraphy and ink painting regularly in Japan, where he has won numerous honors, including the Associate Grand Prize (Jun Tai Sho) at the International Japanese Calligraphy Exhibition.

For more information about "Meditation & the Art of Japanese Calligraphy," contact the El Cerrito Art Association at 510-526-9564.

The Inland Sea recommended at The Japan Times

In "Speaking Volumes" The Japan Times asks both staff and local readers to list their favorite books on Japan that are available in English. Staff writer Eric Prideaux recommends The Inland Sea: "This travel book exemplifies what I imagine the original mission of journalism to have been: to go somewhere far away, surrender yourself to the strange new environs, and send back reports so vivid and personal that they could have been taken straight from the pages of, yes, a journal. Taking us along on his voyages across the Inland Sea in Japan's southwest, Richie hypnotizes us with prose as gentle as the tide, then suddenly unleashes powerful insights."

Mirei Shigemori added to the USDA's National Agricultural Library

Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing the Japanese Garden has been selected for the National Agricultural Library collection. Stone Bridge Press is honored to contribute this title to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Patrick Galloway interviewed in USA Today

USA Today interviews Patrick Galloway, author of Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook, as part of an article on the renewed interests in samurai films, both onscreen and on DVD.

Patrick Macias featured in two Japanese publications

Patrick Macias, co-author of Cruising the Anime City: An Otaku Guide to Neo Tokyo, is interviewed in both The Tokyo Shimbun and business magazine Sapio. You can read The Tokyo Shimbun article here and find the issue of Sapio on newsstands in Japan.

Erotic Haiku and Japanese Art of Sex reviewed at Eros-Zine

In Book Review: Two Japanese Titles, Eros-Zine reviews both Erotic Haiku and The Japanese Art of Sex.

Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves reviewed at Midnight Eye

Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook is reviewed at Midnight Eye which you can read here.

Tom Mes signing Midnight Eye Guide at Lyon Asian Film Festival

Tom Mes, co-author of The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film, will be a guest at the Lyon Asian Film Festival in France, which takes place from November 7-14. He will be signing his new book, Iron Man and his SBP title at bookstore Decitre in Lyon on Saturday, November 12. Tom will also be on hand to introduce the rare double-bill screening of Shinya Tsukamoto's two most recent films, Haze and Tamamushi. Read more about the event here .