Tokyo writers show at Frederik L. Schodt's book signing

People attending Frederik L. Schodt's reading and book signing at Good Day Books in Tokyo (March 19) also saw several other authors. In this photo, left to right: Mark Schreiber, Leonard Koren (visiting from San Francisco), Frederik L. Schodt, Steve Kott (owner of Good Day Books), Leza Lowitz, and Shogo Oketani.

70 Japanese Gestures reviewed at ActiveAnime

ActiveAnime.com, in its review of 70 Japanese Gestures: No Language Communication, calls the book "...A comedic and fun look at body language while still being very informative. Definitely a book of interest to people well versed in Asian cinema, anime and manga."

New cosplay books set for Spring 2006

Cosplay: The Anime Costuming Handbook

Catgirls and Other Critters
by Gerry Poulos
80pp, 7 x 9", paper, 75 color photos and illustrations, ISBN 1-933330-02-3, US$16.95

School Girls and Uniforms
by Gerry Poulos
80pp, 7 x 9", paper, 75 color photos and illustrations, ISBN 1-933330-03-1, US$16.95

Taiko a hit at Bay Books

Here's a recent email from Diane Tassel of Bay Books about The Way of Taiko author Heidi Varian's store performance on March 23:

"...An awesome performance. Heidi and David and their crew were utterly fantastic. I knew that they would be good but they are beyond good. Heidi has such great facial expressions to go along with her wonderful storytelling. We are already talking about another event in the summer -outside- and asking the local Barbeque rib restaurant to cater."

You read it here first -- taiko and BBQ!

Publisher Peter Goodman to be a guest on Forum

Stone Bridge Press Publisher Peter Goodman will be a guest on KQED's Forum with Michael Krasny. This will take place after 10 am Pacific Time on Wednesday, March 29 and will be archived on the website by the afternoon. You can listen live by visiting www.kqed.org

The discussion is an overview of the publishing industry, with guests from Bay Area small presses (Stone Bridge, Heydey Books), scholarly presses (UC Press, Stanford Press), and larger presses (HarperCollins).

Times-Picayune reviews Becoming Buddha

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reviews Becoming Buddha: The Story of Siddhartha, by New Orleans writer Whitney Stewart and illustrated by Sally Rippin. The book is published by Heian, now part of Stone Bridge Press.

Read more about the book.

New Titles for Fall 2006!

SEPTEMBER


Waiting on the Weather: Making Movies with Akira Kurosawa
by Teruyo Nogami with Foreword. by Donald Richie
Sep, $24.95, Paper, 5.5" x 7.5", 304 pp, 24 b&w illus & photos, 1-933330-09-0


The Care and Use of Japanese Woodworking Tools: Saws, Planes, Chisels, Marking Gauges, Stones
by Kip Mesirow and Ron Herman
Sep, $19.95, Paper, 8.5" x 11", 96 pp, 155 b&w illus,
1-933330-13-9


Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By
by Leza Lowitz with illus. by Anja Borgstrom
Sep, $9.95, Paper, 5" x 7", 128 pp, 12 b&w illus, 1-933330-11-2


Kanji Starter 1 and Kanji Starter 2
by Daiki KusuyaSep, $9.95, Paper, 4.125" x 5.75"
KS#1: 200 pp, 200 b&w illus, 1-933330-14-7
KS#2: 208 pp, 300 b&w illus, 1-933330-15-5


How to Take a Japanese Bath
by Leonard Koren with illus. by Suehiro Maruo
Sep, $9.95, Paper, 5.5" x 7", 40 pp, 12 b&w illus,
1-933330-08-2

OCTOBER


The Japanese Way of the Artist: Living the Japanese Arts & Ways, Brush Meditation, The Japanese Way of the Flower
by H.E. Davey
Oct, $19.95, Paper, 6" x 7 7/10", 512 pp, 512 b&w illus & photos, 1-933330-07-4


Vietnam Tales of Rabbits and Watermelons
by Masao Sakairi with illus. by Shoko Kojima
Oct, $16.95, Paper, 8.125" x 11.125", 32 pp, 30 color illus,
0-893469-47-5

NOVEMBER


The Anime Encyclopedia, Expanded & Revised Edition
by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy
Nov, $29.95, Paper, 7" x 9", 850 pp, 150 b&w illus,
1-933330-10-4


Asia Shock: Horror and Dark Cinema from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, & Thailand
by Patrick Galloway
Nov, $19.95, Paper, 7" x 9", 248 pp, 50 b&w illus & photos,
1-933330-12-0


Vietnamese Fables of Frogs and Toads
by Masao Sakairi with illus. by Shoko Kojima
Nov, $16.95, Paper, 8.125" x 11.25", 32 pp, 30 color illus,
0-893469-48-3

DECEMBER


Divining the Asian Zodiac: Ancient Guide to Life and Love
by Fumio Shiozawa
Dec, $18.95, Paper, 8.25" x 9.5", 128 pp, 80 color illus,
0-893469-49-1

New Stone Bridge Press catalog is online!

The 2006 catalog is now online! Check out the upcoming titles, the latest titles, and the growing backlist that make up some of the best writing on Japan. You'll need Acrobat Reader which you can get for free.

70 Japanese Gestures and jrock, ink. reviewed in Protoculture Addicts

Issue #87 of Protoculture Addicts reviews both 70 Japanese Gestures: No Language Communication and jrock, ink.: a concise report on 40 of the biggest rock acts in japan.

Of 70 Japanese Gestures: "It may not be that useful to know how to silently say 'Your underwear is showing' but the book is an easy reading (lots of pictures) and it's the kind of useless knowledge that is fun to show off at parties! 4 Stars"

Of jrock, ink.: "Josephine Yun's book is a welcomed addition on the subject as it brings updated information and a breeze of fresh air...an essential reference on J-rock. 3 1/2 Stars"

SBP at New York Comic-Con

Stone Bridge Press had a great time at the New York Comic-Con! It was packed (as you may have heard) and even our little booth had big interest. We gave away free temporary tattoos, offered a drawing to win 20 of our pop-culture titles, and by Saturday evening started selling our display books for half-price so we didn't have to haul them back.



From left to right: Wei, Peter, and Jaime (in her cool shirt). Photo by Vanessa.



From left to right: Wei and Vanessa. Photo by Jaime.

Sacred Sanskrit Words reviewed at Online Yoga Magazine

Online Yoga Magazine in Ireland reviews Sacred Sanskrit Words for Yoga, Chant and Meditation:

What are the meanings and etymology of commonly used Sanskrit terms such as Ashram, Bandhas, Karma, or Nadis. Or rarer words like Amrita (a brand of ayurvedic products, but what else?), Kripalu ((the term is used for a style of yoga in the US, but where does it come from?) , or Mukti (as in, Jiva Mukti, but what does it mean?). The answers to these questions are in this small book, which covers 160 common Sanskrit terms used in yoga and meditation. The book also has a section on Chants, which covers most of the classic yoga chants that dedicated students will often have heard without knowing what they mean.

While a number of books on yoga include a glossary, this book goes much farther, and will prove invaluable to serious students of yoga, Indian philosophy, or meditation.

Publisher Peter Goodman interviewed at Toon Zone

Toon Zone interviews Stone Bridge Press Publisher Peter Goodman about the New York Comic-Con, which Stone Bridge attended, having a big drawing to win 20 books and giving away temporary tattoos that read "Cool Japan" and "I (Heart) Neo Tokyo."

TZ: What did you think of the con?
PG: I thought it was a great con. We had low expectations, having gone to a bunch of these things in the past, but this one was terrific. Lots of media people, lots of professionals in the fan, and that's really what we came to see.

TZ: What was the biggest surprise of the con for you?
PG: The crowds. I had no idea that there would be this many people coming. It bodes well for next year.

TZ: Will you come back next year, and what will you do differently if you do?
PG: Yes, we will come back definitely. You really have to make a splash to stand out, so we'd probably have some more fancy giveaways, and I think we'd try to get some more media interviews and participate in some of the panels.

Subway Love reviewed in SOMA Magazine

The Vol. 20.2, March 2006 of SOMA Magazine reviews Subway Love:

Between the years of 1962 and 1973 Nobuyoshi Araki hid his camera in his lap and photographed unsuspecting Tokyo subway commuters. In one of the largest metro systems in the world Araki satiated his need to view humanity through a lens while managing to exclude the natural relationship of artist and subject. Perhaps this is documentary photography at its best? As a cultural icon in Japan, Araki is the quintessential artistic rebel, the kind that would prefer a reclining nude wrapped in leather and chains with a dark streak of pubic hair glaring back at the viewer sans apology. The problem is this: the only thing that might possibly shock our generation is the actual presence of pubic hair. And so with his new collection of old works, Subway Love might disappoint those fans looking for his trademark grit-and-grime voyeurism. Aside from the occasional woman who has fallen asleep on her way home from work and relaxed her body enough to spread her legs, Araki's collection is dominated by less aggressive portraiture than what has given him his claim in picturing Japan and the Japanese. What makes these mundane subway portraits so special is his approach to acquiring the images through guerilla espionage tactics that are sometimes more compelling that the images themselves. The result: pictures of people going about their daily lives with no clue they're on camera. And while this might seem like an outdated mode of self-awareness in this day and age, it remains a truer vehicle for pure, unadulterated voyeurism. Here Araki creates a picture for us, where the bond lays not between artist and subject, but artist and viewer. Before us is someone unaware -- Araki has offered them up and we can stare as long as we like without the dark sunglasses. Danielle Grant

Light from the East reviewed in Midwest Book Review, and check out the goods!

MBR: Small Press Bookwatch reviews Light from the East: A Gathering of Asian Wisdom:

Light from the East by Frank MacHovec is the comparative and informative depiction of the eastern philosophical intrigues to those of the western. As an incredible guide to the eastern and Asian Ways are an all-together work of unity, Light from the East enlightens its readers to the whole spectrum of Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Yoga, Confucianism, Feng Shui, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Falun Cong and Shinto perspectives. Light from the East is an invaluable general reference to the intricacies of the Eastern Ways, and for that reason, is highly recommended to students of any eastern philosophies, religions, or to readers seeking a desirable religion or philosophical perspective suitable to themselves.

Also, Stone Bridge Press has a new store up at Cafe Press featuring shirts, hats, and bags with various symbols from Eastern philosophy. Check them out at http://www.cafepress.com/stonebridgeligh

Frederik L. Schodt interviewed in The Japan Times

The Japan Times interviews Native American in the Land of the Shogun: Ranald MacDonald and the Opening of Japan author Frederik L. Schodt, which you can read here (You may need to sign up for free membership).

New events added to Frederik L. Schodt's tour

Frederik L. Schodt, who is now in Japan discussing his books, can be found at two events next week. On Sunday, March 19 he will be at Good Day Books in Tokyo and on Thursday, March 23 he will be at Temple University.

For more information on the Good Day Books event, visit their site.

The Temple University event takes place from 2:10 to 3:40 pm at TUJ room 206. For more information, contact Kyle Cleveland.

jrock, ink. reviewed at Active Anime

Active Anime reviews jrock, ink.: a concise report on 40 of the biggest rock acts in japan, calling it, "...A great book that gives a wonderful insight into a very interesting genre of music that is very exotic but speaks the universal language of Rock and Roll."

Next Ghibli film based on Kenji Miyazawa story

Ghibli World reports that Studio Ghibli will be animating Taneyamagahara no Yoru by Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933). Buena Vista Japan will release the DVD paired with Gauche the Cellist, a story that is also by Miyazawa. The DVD release in Japan will be July 7, 2006 in honor of the 110th anniversary of Miyazawa's birth.

Kenji Miyazawa's classic, Milky Way Railroad, a story translated and published by Stone Bridge Press, has also been animated as Night on the Galactic Railroad.