This selection of new work by some of Japan's most eminent observers and artists offers a richly nuanced perspective on the complex relationship between Japan and the U.S. in the long aftermath of war. "The war haunts everything. It is the blot that names: zainichi, hibakusha, Okinawan, nisei, renunciant, POW, comfort woman, Merikan, juri. War s occupation will control and censor every outcome, will obliterate the aftermath of starvation, black markets, and prostitution, will reinstate the zaibatsu and create an economic miracle and subservient ally. The artists and writers here were and are the born-into recipients of all this. This is their memory." -- Karen Tei Yamashita , author of I-Hotel , National Book Award Finalist "This engaging anthology of short fiction, essays, poetry, photography, and more illuminates the interconnected past of the U.S. and Japan, from WWII up to 2011's earthquake. Ryuta Imafuku's essay, Nagasaki. And Scattered Islets of Time, is a walk through the suspended reality of post-atomic Nagasaki, accompanied by Shomei Tomatsu's powerful photos of burn victims, detritus, and seared bamboo stalks. Deni Y. Bechard's story, The Deleted Line, tells of Yukio, a translator who censors a textbook regarding the Battle of Okinawa and is subsequently reprimanded by an old karate master, who explains that to erase the past is like saying we must let go of our minds, of our spirits. The Emperor and the Mayor is Stephen Woodhams' candid interview with Hitoshi Motoshima, former mayor of Nagasaki, who was castigated by some for blaming Emperor Showa for Japan's role in WWII. Hiroshi Fukurai's Disaster Memories investigates the radioactive threat of the recently damaged Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, and Noboru Tokuda's beautifully illustrated diary from his stint as a young soldier in the Imperial Army during WWII is particularly moving. McKenzie's (MacGregor Tells the World) collection is a stunning testament to a country's literal rise from the ashes--casual readers and academics alike will find many of these selections rewarding and informative." Photos & illus. (Sept.) --Publishers Weekly "Written with the authority of eyewitnesses and empiricists, this anthology presents a portrait of Japan and Okinawa that is impossible to erase from memory." --The Japan Times --The Japan Times This engaging anthology of short fiction, essays, poetry, photography, and more illuminates the interconnected past of the U.S. and Japan, from WWII up to 2011's earthquake. Ryuta Imafuku's essay, Nagasaki. And Scattered Islets of Time, is a walk through the suspended reality of post-atomic Nagasaki, accompanied by Shomei Tomatsu's powerful photos of burn victims, detritus, and seared bamboo stalks. Deni Y. Béchard's story, The Deleted Line, tells of Yukio, a translator who censors a textbook regarding the Battle of Okinawa and is subsequently reprimanded by an old karate master, who explains that to erase the past is like saying we must let go of our minds, of our spirits. The Emperor and the Mayor is Stephen Woodhams' candid interview with Hitoshi Motoshima, former mayor of Nagasaki, who was castigated by some for blaming Emperor Showa for Japan's role in WWII. Hiroshi Fukurai's Disaster Memories investigates the radioactive threat of the recently damaged Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, and Noboru Tokuda's beautifully illustrated diary from his stint as a young soldier in the Imperial Army during WWII is particularly moving. McKenzie's (MacGregor Tells the World) collection is a stunning testament to a country's literal rise from the ashes--casual readers and academics alike will find many of these selections rewarding and informative. Photos & illus. (Sept.) --Publishers Weekly Written with the authority of eyewitnesses and empiricists, this anthology presents a portrait of Japan and Okinawa that is impossible to erase from memory. --The Japan Times Elizabeth McKenzie was the recipient of a Japan US-Friendship Commission Fellowship in 2010. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly , the Pushcart Prize anthology, Best American Nonrequired Reading , and The New York Times , among others. She is the author of Stop That Girl and MacGregor Tells the World , and is co- editor of the Chicago Quarterly Review . Used Book in Good Condition