Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve been living in and writing about Japan for two decadesā€”itā€™s where my wife and I have raised a bicultural family and where I donā€™t think Iā€™ll ever run out of stories I want to tell. Whether written by Japanese or non-Japanese, I love reading work that documents Japan and its culture in an honest and thoughtful way. I hope youā€™ll try some of the books on this list because, with so much Japan coverage today veering towards cultural exoticism and fetishism or leaning on familiar stereotypes and tropes, itā€™s even more important to seek out great Japanese writing.


I wrote...

Japan Traveler's Companion: Japan's Most Famous Sights From Okinawa to Hokkaido

By Rob Goss,

Book cover of Japan Traveler's Companion: Japan's Most Famous Sights From Okinawa to Hokkaido

What is my book about?

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches

Rob Goss Why did I love this book?

Basho is best known as Japanā€™s most influential haikuist, but this book is a reminder that he is also one of the great early travel writers.

The haiku-punctuated accounts of Bashoā€™s travels offer evocative glimpses of life and spirituality in 17th-century Japan. Through Bashoā€™s interest in documenting the natural world, we can also start to understand the lasting importance of nature in Japanese culture. 

By Matsuo Basho, Nobuyuki Yuasa (translator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'It was with awe
That I beheld
Fresh leaves, green leaves,
Bright in the sun'

When the Japanese haiku master Basho composed The Narrow Road to the Deep North, he was an ardent student of Zen Buddhism, setting off on a series of travels designed to strip away the trappings of the material world and bring spiritual enlightenment. He writes of the seasons changing, the smell of the rain, the brightness of the moon and the beauty of the waterfall, through which he sensed the mysteries of the universe. These writings not only chronicle Basho's travels, but they also captureā€¦


Book cover of The Legends of Tono

Rob Goss Why did I love this book?

This book might be light (my battered copy is only 83 pages), but it contains over 100 fascinating folk tales, all of which were collected by folklorist Kunio Yanagita from villagers in rural Tono in northern Japan in the early 1900s.

From a tragic tale about a farmerā€™s daughter who fell in love with a horse to stories about mythical creatures, the book shines a light on the fascinating superstitions and lore that were once part of the fabric of rural life in Japan. 

By Kunio Yanagita, Ronald A. Morse (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Legends of Tono as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1910, when Kunio Yanagita (1875-1962) wrote and published The Legends of Tono in Japanese, he had no idea that 100 years later, his book would become a Japanese literary and folklore classic. Yanagita is best remembered as the founder of Japanese folklore studies, and Ronald Morse transcends time to bring the reader a marvelous guide to Tono, Yanagita, and his enthralling tales. In this 100th Anniversary edition, Morse has completely revised his original translation, now out of print for over three decades. Retaining the original's great understanding of Japanese language, history, and lore, this new edition will make theā€¦


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Book cover of The Deviant Prison: Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and the Origins of America's Modern Penal System, 1829-1913

The Deviant Prison by Ashley Rubin,

What were America's first prisons like? How did penal reformers, prison administrators, and politicians deal with the challenges of confining human beings in long-term captivity as punishment--what they saw as a humane intervention?

The Deviant Prison centers on one early prison: Eastern State Penitentiary. Built in Philadelphia, one of theā€¦

Book cover of The Obsessed: Otakus, Tribes, and Subcultures of Japan

Rob Goss Why did I love this book?

This book is the perfect antidote to all the stereotypes written about Japanā€™s subcultures. Nothing annoys me more than coverage that labels Japan as weird, quirky, or bizarre when really it just has different elements to the culture of those who use such labels. 

That kind of othering ignores that beneath the surface, thereā€™s much that unites Japanese with Americans or Brits or anyone else. We all laugh, cry, and experience a similar raft of emotions from birth to death. What I love about this book, beyond Wongā€™s superb photography, is how his interviews humanize the cosplayers, gyaru and varied otaku he meets, while also offering insights into their passions and lifestyles. 

By gestalten (editor), Irwin Wong (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Obsessed as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The book will delve into the world of Japanese subcultures and the obsessive approach that many people take to their hobbies, passions and lifestyle choices. The Obsessed will contain photos and texts ā€“ such as potentially profiles, essays or features ā€“ of a diverse range of Otaku and other fans and followers of different subcultures, and will unveil what is behind these obsessions and what makes these people tick.


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Book cover of A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney

A Last Serenade for Billy Bonney by Mark Warren,

In this deeply researched novel of America's most celebrated outlaw, Mark Warren sheds light on the human side of Billy the Kid and reveals the intimate stories of the lesser-known players in his legendary life of crime. Warren's fictional composer and Santa Fe journalist, John Blessing, is assigned to reportā€¦

Book cover of A History of Japan

Rob Goss Why did I love this book?

For a concise history of Japan and a cultural primer on the country, I donā€™t think anything else is as easily digestible or insightful as this book. It does an incredible job of highlighting key periods in Japanese history, from the foundation of the first capital to the modernization of the Meiji era and the rise of militarism, while also covering the development of such things as religion, arts, and architectural styles.

Whatā€™s really impressive is that it does it all in just 400 pages: a far cry from some of the painfully heavy books I had to wade through studying history many years ago in college.

By R. H. P. Mason, J. G. Caiger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A History of Japan as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A classic of Japanese history, this book is the preeminent work on the history of Japan.

Newly revised and updated, A History of Japan is a single-volume, complete history of the nation of Japan. Starting in ancient Japan during its early pre-history period A History of Japan covers every important aspect of history and culture through feudal Japan to the post-cold War period and collapse of the Bubble Economy in the early 1990's. Recent findings shed additional light on the origins of Japanese civilization and the birth of Japanese culture.

Also included is an in-depth analysis of the Japanese religion,ā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

Japan Traveler's Companion: Japan's Most Famous Sights From Okinawa to Hokkaido

By Rob Goss,

Book cover of Japan Traveler's Companion: Japan's Most Famous Sights From Okinawa to Hokkaido

What is my book about?

n/a

Book cover of The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches
Book cover of The Legends of Tono
Book cover of The Obsessed: Otakus, Tribes, and Subcultures of Japan

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Caesarā€™s Soldier by Alex Gough,

Who was the man who would become Caesar's lieutenant, Brutus' rival, Cleopatra's lover, and Octavian's enemy? 

When his stepfather is executed for his involvement in the Catilinarian conspiracy, Mark Antony and his family are disgraced. His adolescence is marked by scandal and mischief, his love affairs are fleeting, and yet,ā€¦

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