Win 20 books from Stone Bridge Press at the New York Comic-Con!

Stone Bridge Press, publishers of quality books about Japan, currently has 20 titles relating to Japan’s coolest export: pop culture. These books on anime, manga, film, rock music, television, travel and fandom have been powerful resources for fans and industry leaders alike. To celebrate Cool Japan at the first New York Comic-Con, Stone Bridge Press will offer all 20 pop culture titles to one lucky person in a prize drawing.

Drop by the Stone Bridge Press table, #441 on the corner not far from the center of the exhibit hall, to see current titles and learn about new ones on the way, such as two new handbooks for cosplaying and the long-awaited second edition of the classic guide known as The Anime Encyclopedia. Expect to find freebies such as temporary tattoos that reflect the otaku lifestyle, and don’t forget to enter the drawing to win!

The New York Comic-Con takes place February 24-26 at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Get ticket information and programming schedules.

Midnight Eye announces anniversary contest

Here is a message from the authors of The Midnight Eye Guide to new Japanese Film:

March 2006 will mark Midnight Eye's fifth anniversary. We plan to celebrate in style with a special edition of the site, the details of which we will keep under wraps for the time being. We also want to use the occasion to launch a new slogan for Midnight Eye. Until now, we've been using 'The latest and best in Japanese cinema,' but we want something fresh, something catchy, something that fits the world's leading publication on Japanese film. And we want you to help us find it! So put your thinking caps on and send in your ideas to:
competition@midnighteye.com
You can send in as many as you like. The winning entry will receive a signed copy of our book.

Dreamland Japan reviewed at Jog - The Blog

In Jog - The Blog's "Eyes turned eastward..." highly recommends Dreamland Japan by Frederik L. Schodt, and provides a full review.

Author Heidi Varian to perform taiko at Bay Books in Pleasanton

Heidi Varian, author of The Way of Taiko, will be performing taiko and signing copies of her book at Bay Books in Pleasanton, CA. The event takes place Thursday, March 23 at 7 pm.

The Way of Taiko reviewed in The Daily Yomiuri

The Daily Yomiuri reviews The Way of Taiko by Heidi Varian here. Heidi will also be performing taiko in Healdsburg, California tomorrow.

Author Jina Bacarr to speak in Burbank

Jina Bacarr, author of The Japanese Art of Sex, will be talking about "everything you always wanted to know about geisha" and signing copies of her book. This will take place on February 18th at 1 pm at the Cheers for Writers book club, a group that meets once a month at the Barnes & Noble in Burbank, California.

The Dorama Encyclopedia reviewed in Fortean Times

Fortean Times reviews The Dorama Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese TV Drama Since 1953 by Jonathan Clements and Motoko Tamamuro.

"Who knew reference books could be this fun!"

Author Gil Asakawa to speak at Day of Remembrance in Chicago

Gil Asakawa, author of Being Japanese American: A JA Handbook for Nikkei, Hapa...& Their Friends, will be a guest at the Japanese American Citizens League Chicago Chapter Day of Remembrance event on Sunday, February 19. It will take place at 2pm at DeVry Institute on 3300 North Campbell Avenue in Chicago. This event is part of an annual commemoration of the signing of Executive Order 9066 and World War II internment. Gil will be moderating a panel discussion.

Light from the East reviewed in Foreword Magazine

Foreword Magazine's January/February 2006 issue reviews and recommends Light from the East: A Gathering of Asian Wisdom as part of its Mind/Body/Spirit special.

Donald Richie books reviewed at Movie Poop Shoot

Movie Poop Shoot discusses Donald Richie's book and films in "Nocturnal Admissions." D.K. Holm calls The Donald Richie Reader: 50 Years of Writing on Japan, "...An excellent survey of his entire career" and The Japan Journals: 1947-2004 "Fascinating."

The Way of Taiko reviewed, author photographed at event

The Way of Taiko was reviewed at both World Music Central and Midwest Book Review

Read the review from World Music Central
Read the review from Midwest Book Review


Also, The Japanese American National Museum has posted photos from the exhibition opening of Big Drum: Taiko in the United States. See photos of author Heidi Varian and her husband David performing taiko.

Otaku Unite! on DVD soon

Otaku Unite! will soon be released on DVD by Central Park Media. This documentary of otaku culture in North America features interviews by many Stone Bridge Press authors.

The Way of Taiko recommended in Arizona Networking News

The December/January issue of Arizona Networking News recommends The Way of Taiko.

New reviews for 70 Japanese Gestures

70 Japanese Gestures: No Language Communication has received several new reviews. Even Forbes Magazine offers it for sale as a business tool!

Bella Online review
Fortean Times review
International Examiner review (also includes The Way of Taiko)
The Republican(Associated Press) review

Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves reviewed in Schokkend Nieuws

Schokkend Nieuws Issue #68 reviews Stray Dogs & Lone Wolves: The Samurai Film Handbook.

70 Japanese Gestures and jrock, ink. reviewed at Sequential Tart

Sequential Tart's January Issue features reviews of both 70 Japanese Gestures: No Language Communication and jrock, ink.: a concise report on 40 of the biggest rock acts in japan.

Read the 70 Japanese Gestures review
Read the jrock, ink. review

70 Japanese Gestures reviewed in East Bay Express

East Bay Express reviews 70 Japanese Gestures: No Language Communication in its December 21st issue.

Author Heidi Varian to appear on Sacramento and Company

The Way of Taiko author Heidi Varian will be interviewed on the TV show Sacramento and Company on January 13. She will not only talk about taiko and her book but also perform taiko on the show. Later that day she will perform taiko at Leroy Greene Middle School in Sacramento, CA.

Author Gil Asakawa offers travel tips in Nikkei Family

Nikkei Family: A National Publication of Japanese American Lifestyle and Culture, Vol. 5 Issue 1, offers travel tips to Japan from Gil Asakawa, author of Being Japanese American: A JA Sourcebook for Nikkei, Hapa... & Their Friends. Tips include how to get the right kind of gifts for your homestay family and how to pick the language aids for understanding Japanese.

Check out the Stone Bridge Press shop at CafePress!

It's still under construction, but the Stone Bridge Press shop at CafePress is up and offers various items featuring the Stone Bridge logo and images from Cruising the Anime City and Light from the East. We just received the pictured Jr. Baby Doll T-shirt and it looks great!

Author Leza Lowitz recommends books in The Daily Yomiuri

In "Sensuous pleasures of mind, body, page," SBP author Leza Lowitz offers up what she read in 2005 to The Daily Yomiuri as part of its year-end special.

Midnight Eye and Japan Journals reviewed in Graduate Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies

In Graduate Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies, Chris Payne reviews both The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film and The Japan Journals: 1947-2004 which you can immediately read as a PDF here.

Author Gilles Poitras interviewed at LO Magazine

LO Magazine interviews author Gilles Poitras about The Anime Companion 2: More... What's Japanese in Japanese Animation?, his anime/manga fandom and interest in Japan, and the classes he taught at Pixar.

Mirei Shigemori reviewed at MIT's Leonardo On-line

Leonardo Digital's January issue reviews Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing the Japanese Garden which you can find here.