Actor and writer Mark Kitto talks about his novel China Running Dog, based on his experiences living in China in the 2000's. Much of his experience, rather surprisingly, parallels those of foreigners living in Japan at that time, but certainly not all of them! Take a deep look into what it means to be an outsider in China. In particular a foreigner who has fallen in love with the culture, wants to make his life there, and aspires to start a business. But if that person is hoping for their business to prosper, think again!

John Ross chats with former Time magazine correspondent Tim McGirk about his historical thriller The Wondrous Elixir of the Two Chinese Lovers.

Amy Chavez sits down with Lauren Scharf of The Minka Preservation Society (MINKA), an organization dedicated to preserving traditional farm houses and townhouses that retain the cultural essence of Japan's past. Find out more about Japan's old traditional houses as well as "akiya" (empty houses).

John Ross and Eryk Smith discuss Yao-Chang Chen's book "A Tale of Three Tribes in Dutch Formosa"

Today Amy Chavez sits down with Sally Burdon, a bookseller at Asia Bookroom in Canberra, Australia, which specializes in rare and secondhand books. From Japanese woodblock prints to Chinese classics and Taiwanese travelogues, Asia Bookroom is a treasure trove for readers and collectors alike.

Jake Adelstein is the author of Tokyo Vice, The Last Yakuza, Tokyo Noir. Today he talks to Books on Asia about his soon-to-be-released The Devil Takes Bitcoin: Cryptocurrency Crimes and the Japanese Connection (Scribe, Oct. 14, 2025).

Stephen Mansfield talks about his just-released book The Modern Japanese Garden (Thames & Hudson, Sept. 2025)

John Ross and Chris Tharp banter about books on Korea.

Hector Garcia talks about his new book: The Spirit of Shinto: Finding Nature and Harmony on Japan's Sacred Path

Marty Friedman is a multi-platinum guitarist and government-appointed Ambassador to Japan Heritage.

Ginny Tapley Takemori is a British translator whose translation of Sayaka Murata’s Convenience Store Woman was named in "The New Yorker" as one of the best books of 2018. Today we talk about her Takemori's recent translation Mornings Without Mii, a literary memoir by Mayumi Inaba that chronicles Inaba's two-decade bond with her rescued cat—Mii—intertwining themes of solitude, creativity, and companionship.

Lina Terrell is a translator of Japanese historical texts. Today we are going to talk about her recently released translation of The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawan History (JPIC, 2025) by Takara Kurayoshi, a native of Okinawa. Before Okinawa, the unified and independent Ryukyu Kingdom existed for 400 years. What was this island nation like and what kind of world did it exist in?

Author Igor Prusa and BOA podcast host Amy Chavez talk about some Japanese scandals that have gone global, and why: the Unification Church scandal (2022) that brought to the forefront the assassination of former PM Abe Shinzo; the Olympus scandal (2011) triggered by the British CEO Michael Woodford; and the Nissan scandal (2019) involving CEO Carlos Ghosn.

In this episode of the Books on Asia podcast, Amy Chavez talks with Baye McNeil talk about being a black minority in Japan, Japanese views of black people, the "African Samurai," the arrival of Commodore Perry in 1854 (who brought a minstrel show with him who performed "blackface"), and some of the media's portrayals of black people in both the US and Japan. He also discusses his latest book: Words By Baye, Art By Miki: Crafting a Life Together with Affection, Creativity, and Resilience.

Podcast host Amy Chavez talks with Michael Pronko, a Tokyo-based writer of murder, memoir, and music. Today, we're going to talk about Pronko's fiction, as well as his nonfiction books, including his most recently released Tokyo Tempos.

Amy Chavez talks with Paul Martin about his new book Japanese Swords and Armor: Masterpieces from Thirty of Japan's Most Famous Samurai Warriors.

Burritt Sabin began his professional career in Japan as a journalist and quickly moved into writing and historical research. In today's podcast he and host Amy Chavez discuss Yokohama, one of the first Japanese ports to open to foreign trade in the 1850s, and Kamakura, which in 1185 was established as the seat of Japan's military government.

Amy Chavez speaks with Lesley Downer, an expert on Japanese culture and history who writes both fiction and non-fiction. Her novels transport readers to the intriguing world of 19th-century Japan, while her non-fiction takes us along the Narrow Road to the Deep North with poet Matsuo Basho; behind the scenes of the Japanese geisha community; and into the intrigues of the richest family in Japan. Today, she discusses her just-released The Shortest History of Japan: From Mythical Origins to Pop Culture Powerhouse, a concise yet detailed account of Japanese history.

Amy Chavez talks with Robert Whiting about his recently released book Gangsters, Fraudsters, Dreamers & Spies: The Outsiders Who Shaped Modern Japan (Tuttle, April, 2024). The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press. Check out their books on Japan at www.stonebridge.com.

In this episode of the Books on Asia podcast, host Amy Chavez talks to author John Stevens about his new book The Lotus Moon: Art and Poetry of Buddhist Nun Otagaki Rengetsu (Floating World Editions, Aug. 2023). The Books on Asia Podcast is sponsored by Stone Bridge Press. Check out their books on Japan at www.stonebridge.com