Languages change over time. No matter how hard we try to control and regulate them, they exist in a state of endless metamorphosis. This does not mean, though, that we should simply stand by and watch as language devolves into nonsense. What should we do, then? Recognizing the inevitability of change is a given, of course. But we must also navigate the delicate line between the pull of popular trends and the urge to cling blindly to the ways of the past. The ideal balance, Professor Nakanishi argues in this book, lies in being “one step behind the times,” which is the best approach for wielding all the charms of a language. Beautiful words have an ageless quality, regardless of when they first appeared in a language. The Japanese language testifies to that truth. This book introduces a balanced mix of new and old words that reflect the singular beauty of the Japanese language. The beautiful words of the Japanese language are not―as some people say―simply old, antiquated terms. Discerning beauty in a language requires more than having an antiquarian’s ear; it requires certain sensibilities and sensitivities. Only by submerging ourselves in a language can we perceive its splendid subtleties, and appreciate its true beauty. This book offers readers an opportunity to delve into to those nuances of Japanese, explore the language’s history, and savor its unique beauty.

The founder of judo, Kano Jigoro, is a highly revered figure amongst those who pursue the sport. Little is known, however, about his various other achievements, from how he laid out the foundation for sports in Japanese education to his immense devotion and commitment to bringing the Olympic Games to Japan. Born in 1860, Kano showed his brightness from a young age and studied hard from childhood. After graduating from Tokyo Imperial University, the most prestigious school, he embarked on a teaching career which eventually led him to become the headmaster of the Tokyo Higher Normal School for a total of twenty-three years. This was just one of the many roles he undertook; aside from this he was chairman of the Japan Amateur Sports Association and became the first Asian member on the International Olympic Committee. And all the while he never ceased to develop and promote his creation, judo. For the first time, this comprehensive biography written by a team of Kano experts and researchers sheds light on the many dimensions of the legendary figure. It depicts how he truly lived life to the fullest by living out his own words-seiryoku zen’yo and jita kyoei-the best practical use of one’s energies and putting one’s efforts to good use for the benefit of both oneself and society.

Beginning with the drafting of Vietnam’s civil law in 1996, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has supported the “making of laws” in developing countries including Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. This is a field of cooperation unique to Japan, originating from its experience studying foreign legal systems during the Meiji Restoration. Today, Official Development Assistance (ODA) is considered one of the pillars of Japan’s rule of law promotion. JICA has collected documents relating to its 20 years of work, along with interviews with those involved in rule of law promotion from Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and more. Clashes over wariness towards foreigners and differences in understanding of legal terminology… This is a record of the obstacles overcome by the people of developing nations who wanted to draft their own national laws, and the Japanese lawyers who supported them, as well as their sincere efforts, struggles, and challenges. This is a recommended book for those interested in international cooperation, as well as those who want to know more about the rule of law promotion process.

Life is short and transient. The feeling that this evokes is called mujokan in Japanese. Rather than falling into the despair that is so prevalent in the present day, mujokan allows one to accept transience proactively as a sign of vibrant life. In this book Takeuchi Seiichi examines this view of life from the perspectives of philosophy, literature, art, and religion. He delves into the Japanese concepts of grief and pain, life and death, reaching to the very core of the Japanese spirit. This book presents a full record of Takeuchi’s valedictory lectures in commemoration of his retirement from the University of Tokyo.

Remnants of Days Past, by Kyoji Watanabe, is an epic journey into Japan’s past. It is a comprehensive look at the Tokugawa rule and the Edo period, an age in which the civilization of “Old Japan” was still on display and which, for better or worse, ceased to exist with the advent of modernization. Watanabe covers in great detail several topics pertaining to this civilization, including the status and position of the various social classes, views of women and children, attitudes towards sex, labor, and the body and religious beliefs, as well as the unique cosmology behind this civilization. Watanabe makes use of a number of works written by foreign observers who visited Japan from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji to support his views. As the author writes in the book, “What is important in my mind is the reality that the civilization of ‘Old Japan’ developed through a universal desire, as well as the ideas behind this desire, to make it as comfortable as possible for human existence.” This is a massive work that takes an in-depth look at what modern Japan has lost.