Japan and Korea

Bending Adversity: Japan and the Art of Survival  by David Pilling, Penguin Books, 2015.  Essence of Being Japanese Much of the book is devoted to trying to understand the essence of being Japanese. The Japanese believe that they are unique, but they cannot quite explain in what way. They are artistic, sensitive to nature, and believe in harmony. They are not individualists, like the Americans. The theory of their uniqueness is called Nihonjinron. In some ways, the Japanese b

Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan  by Jake Adelstein, Pantheon Books, 2009. American Crime Reporter in Tokyo An American reporter covers crime in Tokyo. The way he obtained information from the police as to befriend particular policemen, including buying gifts for the cop’s children. Most of the crimes he investigated were committed by organized crime. 1990s and 2000s. Also domestic violence. Yakuza has a strong presence in real estate. The author l

The Imjin War: Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China by Samuel Hawley, Conquistador Press, 2014. Incredible Detail of a War From Four Centuries Ago The Koreans kept meticulous records of an invasion of their country by Japan that occurred four centuries ago. This enabled the author to go into great detail about all the battles. Even though the book is long, the author prevents it from becoming boring. The war was started by the leader who f

A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa: One Man's Escape from North Korea , Translated by Risa Kobayashi and Martin Brown. , Amazon Crossing, 2017. Origins His mother was Japanese and his father was Korean. His orean name wa Do Chan-sun and his Japanese name was Masaji Ishikawa. He grew up poor in Japan., Family moved to North Korea to escape poverty in 1960. Later crossed the Yalu River to escape North Korea.

Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia's Underground Railroad  by Melanie Kirkpatrick, Encounter Books, 2012.  North Koreans Escaping China The author describes how Christian volunteers help North Koreans who have crossed the Yalu River into China. Heilongqiang, Jilin, Liaoning. There are two million ethnic Koreans in these three Chinese provinces. In Jilin: Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture.China to: Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia. Chinese prosperity

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea  by Barbara Demick, Spiegel & Grau, 2010.

The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story  by Hyeonseo Lee, David John

The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag  by Kang Chol-Hwan, Pierre Rigoulot,  Yair Reiner (Translator),  Basic Books, 2000.  Happy Childhood Kang Chol-Hwan grew up as part of a financially well-off family. Yodok The author's grandfather disappeared one day, because he criticized the regime. The government also punished the family. They looted their home and sent them to camp called Yodok, filled with other families that had also lived in Japan. The com

Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy  by Eri Hotta, Alfred A. Knopf, 2013.  Imperial Japan In 1941 the political and military leaders in Japan made a decision to extend their invasion of Asia to include attacking Great Britain and the United States. (their colonies). It was a close decision and easily could have gone the other way,. Only a minority of Japan’s leaders wanted to expand the war to include Britain, the United States and to expand into southeast Asia. Army Defeats Navy