Collection: Shop Asian

After breaking a "curse" on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series!

Strong-armed into getting out more, Maomao attends a spooky soiree where court ladies share spine-tingling tales of terror as a diversion from their daily toil. While there are plenty of chills to go around, the thrills are perhaps few for the skeptical Maomao...until the evening takes an eerie turn! And still more thrills await when Jinshi requests Maomao's presence on a hunting trip. All is not as it seems when court intrigue and subterfuge are in play however, and before the hunt can even begin, master and servant find themselves in a very tight spot and uncomfortably close quarters when the opening banquet goes awry...

The prewar history of the Japanese intelligence community demonstrates how having power over much, but insight into little can have devastating consequences. Its postwar history--one of limited Japanese power despite growing insight--has also been problematic for national security.

In Special Duty Richard J. Samuels dissects the fascinating history of the intelligence community in Japan. Looking at the impact of shifts in the strategic environment, technological change, and past failures, he probes the reasons why Japan has endured such a roller-coaster ride when it comes to intelligence gathering and analysis, and concludes that the ups and downs of the past century--combined with growing uncertainties in the regional security environment--have convinced Japanese leaders of the critical importance of striking balance between power and insight. Using examples of excessive hubris and debilitating bureaucratic competition before the Asia-Pacific War, the unavoidable dependence on US assets and popular sensitivity to security issues after World War II, and the tardy adoption of image-processing and cyber technologies, Samuels' bold book highlights the century-long history of Japan's struggles to develop a fully functioning and effective intelligence capability, and makes clear that Japanese leaders have begun to reinvent their nation's intelligence community.

Images of the Buddha are everywhere--not just in temples but also in museums and homes and online--but what these images mean largely depends on the background and circumstance of those viewing them. In Behold the Buddha, James Dobbins invites readers to imagine how premodern Japanese Buddhists understood and experienced icons in temple settings long before the advent of museums and the internet. Although widely portrayed in the last century as visual emblems of great religious truths or as exquisite works of Asian art, Buddhist images were traditionally treated as the very embodiment of the Buddha, his palpable presence among people. Hence, Buddhists approached them as living entities in their own right--that is, as awakened icons with whom they could interact religiously.

Dobbins begins by reflecting on art museums, where many non-Buddhists first encounter images of the Buddha, before outlining the complex Western response to them in previous centuries. He next elucidates images as visual representations of the story of the Buddha's life followed by an overview of the physical attributes and symbolic gestures found in Buddhist iconography. A variety of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and other divinities commonly depicted in Japanese Buddhism is introduced, and their "living" quality discussed in the context of traditional temples and Buddhist rituals. Finally, other religious objects in Japanese Buddhism--relics, scriptures, inscriptions, portraits of masters, and sacred sites--are explained using the Buddhist icon as a model. Dobbins concludes by contemplating art museums further as potential sites for discerning the religious character of Buddhist images.

Those interested in Buddhism generally who would like to learn more about its rich iconography--whether encountered in temples or museums--will find much in this concise, well-illustrated volume to help them "behold the Buddha."

Sun is ready to leave his village in China for America, the
place known as Gum Saan, Gold Mountain. His father warns
him, though, that passage will not be easy. Because of the 1882
Chinese Exclusion Act, new immigrants like Sun are detained
at Angel Island until they are called to take a difficult oral
exam before they can "land" - leave Angel Island and go
ashore. On the boat, Sun had studied maps of his village and
memorized facts about his ancestors. But as the weeks pass in
detainment, the map's compass points swirl in his memory, and
Sun worries that he will lose his direction and be turned away.
The oil paintings are rich with historical details in this vivid
recounting, based on the author's father-in-law's experiences, of
a disturbing chapter in Chinese American history.

"Reminiscent of All Quiet on Western Front and The Red Badge of Courage. . . . A breathtakingly original work."--San Francisco Chronicle

Twenty-eight-year-old Quan has been fighting for the Communist cause in North Vietnam for a decade. Filled with idealism and hope when he first left his village, he now spends his days and nights dodging stray bullets and bombs, foraging scraps of food to feed himself and his men. Quan seeks comfort in childhood memories as he tries to sort out his conflicting feelings of patriotism and disillusionment. Then, given the chance to return to his home, Quan undertakes a physical and mental journey that brings him face to face with figures from his past--his angry father, his childhood sweetheart, his boyhood friends now maimed or dead--and ultimately to the shattering reality that his innocence has been irretrievably lost in the wake of the war. In a voice both lyrical and stark, Duong Thu Huong, one of Vietnam's most beloved writers, powerfully conveys the conflict that spiritually destroyed her generation.

"If it is a crime to take an unflinching look at the reality of war and life under a totalitarian regime, and to do it with great art and mastery, then Duong Thu Huong, is gloriously guilty."--The New York Times Book Review

A new horror/comedy about adorable threats in a post-apocalyptic world!

A virus spreads across the world, transforming all humankind into wild, slavering, furry beasts: cats, to be precise. Those few survivors who remain human take refuge in the dark corners of the earth as they fight back against the feline horde. Kunagi, a man with no memory of his past yet a deep knowledge of cats, struggles to hold on with only his wits and a will to survive. Yet the virus transmits merely through cuddles, and Kunagi finds kitties so hard to resist! Is his willpower strong enough to withstand this hair-raising cat-tastrophe?

ARRIVALS OUT OF THE BLUE!

Melissa and Hurbert are off to the capital! They've left Blue behind to teach him independence. But independence means he can make his own decisions, and it doesn't take him long to decide to head to the capital on his own. Melissa's status as Blue's surrogate mother makes both of them targets for the nobles' political games and not all of them are fans of dragons. Things are about to heat up!

Count Dracula is reborn as a katana-wielding young vampiress in a new, never-seen-before action manga set in a gritty, alternate-history Europe. Fans of cinematic, gory, supernatural alternate histories, like Vampire Hunter D, Hellsing, and Dance in the Vampire Bund, will want to sink their fangs into BLOOD BLADE.

Made in Japan, published in English!

Having narrowly escaped being blown to pieces, Count Vlad squares off against the mercenaries known as Grace and Gramps. However, what began as a battle to the death takes an unexpected turn when the pair end up joining the band of travelers. Count Vlad soon stumbles across none other than the Justiciar, the man who had him executed in the distant past. The Justiciar then recounts the tragic story of his imprisonment and his son's death. Yet he may not have been entirely forthcoming, as Count Vlad and friends soon learn when they cross paths with a young assassin...

Return to the magical and thrilling world of Britannia with this new adventure from the creator of The Seven Deadly Sins, the manga that inspired the No. 1 hit Netflix Original Anime!

Percival has always lived with his grandfather on the idyllic, remote God's Finger. And though Percival loves the simple life, he longs for adventure. That is, until adventure comes knocking at his door, tearing away everything he's ever known and leaving him alone in the world. Now Percival has no choice but to go out into the world and see what it holds... after all, it's his destiny! Four Knights of the Apocalypse is a new story in the world of The Seven Deadly Sins, but can be enjoyed totally on its own!

Can a single slime build the ideal society? Find the answer in this hit manga tie-in to the two-season streaming anime sensation. This large-sized omnibus edition includes Vol. 4-6.

Mikami's middle age hasn't gone as he planned: He never found a girlfriend, he got stuck in a dead-end job, and he was abruptly stabbed to death in the street at 37. So when he wakes up in a new world straight out of a fantasy RPG, he's disappointed but not exactly surprised to find that he's facing down a dragon, not as a knight or a wizard but as a blind slime demon. But there are chances for even a slime to become a hero, and maybe even build a country where the rejects and outcasts can find a place to belong...

Experience the isekai sensation that helped inspire the hit anime in a definitive, large-sized omnibus edition, including Vol. 4-6.

A high school girl's chance encounter with an enigmatic female classmate whose musical aspirations were complicated when an accident almost completely took her hearing leads to the slow blossoming of love. Perfect for fans of yuri series like Whisper Me a Love Song and sweet, sophisticated romances like A Sign of Affection.

NEW CHALLENGES

One day while having lunch in the Literature Club room, Kanon learns about a surprising club tradition from Miura-sensei. Every year, club members spend summer break writing something for the school's literature contest. Miura-sensei surprises Kanon even further by complimenting her writing and encouraging her to enter something for that year's contest. Though Kanon is initially reluctant, countering that she has never written a story before, she later finds herself mulling over everything that's happened since she lost her hearing and met Saki. Could there be a story in there somewhere? Meanwhile, Saki gets roped into playing piano for the upcoming choir contest. Now she just has to find the perfect song...and hope her classmates can accept Kanon in the choir.

Exorcists Rokuro and Benio unleash serious supernatural action while purifying the world of monsters.

The Twin Star Exorcists are destined to end the war with the monstrous Kegare...but at what price?

What is Gabura's true identity, and who will be willing to sacrifice everything to prevent him from killing their beloved? Meanwhile, Chinu offers Rokuro a tempting yet perilous deal to save Benio...

Based on the popular video game, this manga's phantom thieves will steal your heart!

After being arrested and having to transfer to a new high school in Tokyo, Akira Kurusu is given the goal of rehabilitation and awakened to a new power--the power of one's true self, a Persona. Using his Persona and the mysterious navigation app Mementos, Akira and his friends take on the role of Phantom Thieves, saving people from the twisted desires of those around them.

Praised as heroes of the people, the Phantom Thieves are at the peak of their popularity--that is, until the untimely, gruesome mental shutdown and death of Haru's father, the CEO of Okumura Foods, during a live TV press conference. Popular sentiment quickly turns against the Phantom Thieves, decrying them as criminals and murderers. To lay low and play the role of model students, the group takes on the role of running Shujin Academy's cultural festival, where they hope to invite detective Goro Akechi to their school and glean information from him. But this turns into its own odd twist of fate, and a new, unexpected Phantom Thief joins the crew.

Fe del Mundo's sister dreamt of becoming a doctor--a big dream for a girl in the Philippines in the early 1900s. When her sister dies, young Fe vows to take her place, a promise she carries with her the rest of her life. In 1936 she becomes the first woman and first person of Asian descent to study at Harvard Medical School. When WWII begins in the Pacific, Fe faces a choice: remain in Boston, where she is safe, or return to the Philippines, where she is needed most. Fe follows her vision and returns home to care for the American and British children forced into the internment camp at Santo Tomas. Beautiful color drawings bring to life this gentle and courageous character, her family and her patients. The story of the courageous Dr. Fe del Mundo, recipient of the Elizabeth Blackwell Award for distinguished women "whose life exemplifies outstanding service to humanity," and the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize, will inspire children to pursue science and medicine in the service of humanity.

With Duke Ergi's help, Navier and Heinrey successfully escaped to the Western Kingdom! But many of the people of Heinrey's homeland do not take kindly to news of Navier's arrival, in light of their loyalty to the former queen, Krista. With her reputation on the line, Navier must navigate a new political minefield, riddled with dangers even within the palace. And when Krista insists Navier and Heinrey leave their wedding preparations to her, it begs the question--just what are her true intentions...?

In the face of corporate greed and reprehensible actions, a bond of respect has formed between young executive Yi Su-in and union activist Gu Go-sin. Seeing what his employers are capable of, Yi joins Gu in trying to establish a union for the company's employees. But despite the unacceptable working conditions, the workers are reluctant to go through with it...until they witness a shocking situation involving one of their fellow employees.