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| More on page 2 | Major book events,
and some in Japan |
updated
20080924 |
Hello friends,
Random House - We are very happy to be able now to offer our viewers access to all paper and ebook products, specialized books and popular bestsellers from Random House. The website and shopping carts are for people with USA addresses and shipping is often free. If you are in Japan, you can also get these publications from local booksellers or from us at IMC. Great books from a fine publishing group.
OpenOffice annual conference - The Open Office group will hold its annual conference in BEIJING in NOVEMBER. This will be the first time OpenOffice has held its annual conference in Asia. See press release at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/08/prweb1177594.htm OpenOffice is a marvelous and free replacement for Microsoft Office.
EUROMARKET DAY FINDER new 2009 ed. coming in early October published by CoppClark is represented exclusively in Japan by IMC -- For two decades CoppClark was ably represented in Tokyo by Eastern Book Service. Due to a retirement and reorganization, EBS gave up the representation last year. IMC turned out to be the most compatible alternative and with encouragement from the former rep, IMC handled the 2007 edition of this unique back-office necessity. The annual Euromarket Day Finder is the only calendar specifically designed for Forward FX and Derivatives Markets. It is used extensively in the banking, securities, related trades and regulatory organizations around the world. IMC will be happy to answer questions from both renewal and new customers in Japan. More detail & easy-to-print PDF order form HERE. Email EDF/at\imcbook.net. For more info on CoppClark publications see their website. Renewal notices will be sent to all former buyers during September. The new edition will be distributed from the end of September or early October. Prepublication orders are being accepted immediately. If you do not now have Euromarket Day Finder, we will be happy to show you the 2008 edition at our office or we can visit your office anywhere in Tokyo. Useful for finding additional information, especially changes which may occur unexpectedly around the world, is free access for EDF 2009 customers to the goodbusinessday website. If you are unable to use the PDF page above, you will find the same info here as an html page. Or we can fax an order form to you. See our address and other contact details.
New Book by Donald Richie Coming soon. Watch for details here.
Book Covers on this website We show over 1,000 book covers on this website and we often add more. But, the cover on a book that we sell may differ from the cover shown on the website. Publishers sometimes change the cover even. Or, we sometimes show the cover of an older edition but link to the new edition (not the reverse). Especially in the case of Lonely Planet travel guides, editions change every two or three years in most cases. The edition number, publication date and the ISBN are important, not the cover picture.
Old Edition vs New Edition The style of a book is important. People, who have used and like Lonely Planet, will often buy a new LP book, and not the competing book of another publisher, simply because they like the style, the type of information contained and the arrangement. But sometimes there is no advantage to having the "newest" edition. The older edition is almost always cheaper (if still available in quantity) sometimes much cheaper. And the "new" edition is never new. You can be sure that prices have changed, restaurants and trendy things have changed since the writer visted the city or country. Ebooks are faster, but only in that they save printing and distribution time. At IMC we still have large stocks of some older editions. These are not used books. They may be a little shelf worn (in the box or on a shelf for 2 to 8 years) but the country/city is fundamentally thye same.today as it was a dozen years ago. If in our area of Tokyo, do visit us. You may save money.
eBooks and online not-for-free books and data Here at IMC we are dedicated to information, not to paper. There are a growing number of online information (and entertainment) publications that are not free. Instant delivery online, especially when also cheaper than paper, sounds great. IMC will soon offer products and ways to buy online products. What do you think?
IMC tries doing like Amazon - We sell books ... new books - old books - used books. We sell books to distributors, who sell to other wholesalers, who sell to libraries. The economics of selling slow-selling, small-printrun, low-price books are terrible. Amazon has a solution with its Marketplace program. It sets the terms and collects the money from the buyer. The author (small press or retailer) does the shipping, and then Amazon pays the author. IMC is not going to compete with Amazon and similar, but we will try to rationalize the way we sell books. If you are smart and have experience/ideas, we would like to hear from you. Yes, we are doing this to take advantage of some of the changes resulting from Yohan's problems. (But first we take a short Obon vacation.)
18th Annual Jimbocho Book Festival, November 1 (Saturday) - 3 (Monday, national holiday), 2008 This is Japan's premier book matsuri for the public. This year it is a three-day event. It's fun. It's FREE. It attracts over 300,000 visitors. All of the book people in Tokyo's Kanda / Jimbocho district go all out to put on a great show. Publishers and bookstores put out their newest and best books. Rare books; dust covered gems, and more. Suzuran dori (street), starting near the Sanseido building, the center for about 200 vendors whose wagons display just about everything. We (imcbook) will have a cart in Suzuran or Sakura dori and we will be selling Lonely Planet travel guide books and more. Mostly previous editions but otherwise new. Half the original Yen price in most cases (except the new titles), and even better if you buy many. Of course you can buy these books at our office (Mon-Fri 10-4 and some Sundays), but the Jimbocho Book Festival is too much fun. Any negatives? If it rains the street wagons close for the day. The new and used bookstores will still be open and many of them have a good selection of English if you have the patience to search. 1) Click here to get a feel for Jimbocho Book Festival, see details of Suzuran dori 2) here.The pictures are scanned from the official 2007 promotion. Larger versions of the same pics (great on some computers and browsers but not on others) are 1a) here and 2a) here.
Do you need the leaflet shown through the links above? We will have some extra copies. Pick up what you need from the "FREE" box at our office, or send us fax us at 03-3876-3627.
Exhibit English books at the Jimbocho Book Festival - IMC has one wagon (outside in the street) usually, but this year some authors have expressed the desire to have their own cooperative display separate from IMC. Not free, but the cost is tiny. Sales might be good. The publicity might be better. IMC is not organizing this writer's wagon, but we are cooperating with PMP and other local authors and small presses. You may contact IMC if you would like to participate. Magazines as well as books are welcomed.
Tokyo International Book Fair - July 10 (Thursday) - 13 (Sunday) TIBF 2008 is finished and the 2009 event will be held in July 2009 aqt the same venue. Before then there will be several smaller book events and we hope to mention a few here. This is Japan's biggest book fair. We are not a fan of this event. Held during the hot, humid and rainy season at the oddly named and rather inconvenient Tokyo Big Sight. 99% Japanese companies showing off their newest publications and services. Over crowded on the weekend. The fair this year claims 770 exhibitors and participation from 30 countries. If you are just interested in seeing typical English books available in Japan, save time and go to Maruzen or Kinokuniya. If you are involved in book writing, illustrating, printing, publishing, distributing, retailing, etc, etc, and you have a day to spare, then we do recommend TIBF. http://www.bookfair.jp/english/ If you come to our office in Iriya, we will be happy to give you an invitation form (in Japanese). We don't guarantee that it will be helpful; however, gaijin are usually treated well though few staffr understand much English,
English books do have a special Bargain Corner at the back of the hall. Dozens of tables with great books at less than half the original retail price. Don't miss this chance to get a discount on Harry Potter or great academic book that you wanted but never could find.
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Coming in August INTERNATIONAL
PETROLEUM
ENCYCLOPEDIA 2008 Due to the many changes in the petroleum and energy climate during the past year and future expectations, this annual edition of IPE is being published about 6-weeks later than usual. Order now to ensure that you get your copies early. The annual IPE is the first source that interested professionals concerned with energy and related environmental matters refer to when they want to find and verify petroleum and activities and statistics in all countries of the world. The 2008 edition will follow the same format as past editions, a hardcover book of approx. A4 page size. New articles and analysis. New maps. Further details here. (A list of other recent PennWell energy/petroleum books and publications is here.) |
Environmental Performance Index A collaboration between Yale and Columbia universities resulted in this EPI data. And, one of the neatest websites we have ever seen. Most countries in the world are ranked. See the data here. Japan ranks better than most but not in the top 10.
| Alfa
list of over 1,000 travel guide books in-stock at IMC
Click here, find
the title
or topic of interest and then to see book details. This list is updated
weekly. |
Technical Books - Aerospace, Space
Dredging around our old databases we came across one of our best that was started over 20 years ago. The professional titles listed should be of interest to librarians and other researchers mainly in the aerospace fields. We will renew the data, eliminate some extraneous title listings, and add data on new space and aerospace publications soon. here
Our hotel page will give you some idea of what is available in Tokyo hotels. We don't sell these rooms and don't recommend any particular hotel except for the small Sakura Ryokan that is close to our office and friendly (in Taitoku near Asakusa).
Click on the banner at the top of the hotel page and you will be able to search on the booking engine for close to 20,000 hostels around the world; find what you want; book the room/bed; pay a small deposit with your card. This is the same booking engine that is used by one of the top publishers of travel guidebooks. We provide you with the link and hope to hear back from you if all goes well or you have a bad experience. Click here to go to the hotel page and then give the hostel engine a try. No risk. Just fun. But we do hope that, when you decide to really go, you will book through our pretty banner. Yes, we will make a few cents.
We like to be helpful and think that our hotel page and the hostel link are. If they are also popular, we will upgrade them. Your comments will be most welcome.
Pacific Island countries and territories
PACIFIC magazine this month published information on such island groups as Cook Islands, CNMI, Vanuatu, and many more. We decided to create a webpage using the PACIFIC magazine data as a starter and then to do some searches to add and check all. Great links whether you just want some basic info before you take a quickie to Guam or Saipan, or whether you wonder about the commercial or living opportunities in Papua New Guinea or Tonga. See the page here. Since we wrote the above, the paper version of the magazine has been halted. The online version is, of course, faster and in this case the best way to cover the vast area of the Pacific.
Tokyo - Here and How
This is the new and definitive guide book to Tokyo for expat resident families, women, children and men. IMC now distributes this excellent book to Kinokuniya (both Shinjuku stores), Maruzen (main store in Marunouchi, across from north exit Tokyo Station, and Nihonbashi branch across from Takashimaya), Tower Records (Shibuya), Yurindo (Landmark, Yokohama), National Azabu Supermarket, Aoyama Book Center (Roppongi), and THH is also available at our Iriya office. Those who know Tokyo and Japan will find that this new book greatly supplements, updates and adds to info previously found in Being A Broad in Japan, Living in Japan, TELL and other info sources aimed at English-speaking residents and others who come on extended study or work stays. THH is also available from Amazon.com and from Amazon.co.jp.....MORE INFO here
Books and Travel Japan - our new blog
Maybe this makes no sense but I thought we might try our hands at blogging again. The purpose is publicity for IMC, what we do, to get relevant input from anyone who sees the blog and responds, and finally (and most importantly) to make this Iriya area better known. http://booksandtraveljapan.blogspot.com/. We started it but have little time to add stuff. We would very much like for readers to add book news info.
Losing Kei by Suzanne Kamata
$14.95 (+), 2008, 195pp, 152x227mm, 270g, 978-0-9728984-9-2
Told with tenderness, humor. and an insider's knowledge of contemporary Japanese family life. The story of a young American woman who comes to Japan, marries a Japanese man, has a son (Kei), .... Few books in English look honestly at the realities of Japanese family/social life, and far fewer with a real and caring understanding of the further complications when cultural expectations clash. An enjoyable read that will also educate. More here.
Japanese Bookstores
Around the World
We have started a list of Japanese booksellers overseas. A small list that we will add to in future. Branches of chains such as Kinokuniya, independent stores, and others. here
Outdoor Activity Books We have just created a list of books for those who cycle or dive and snorkel. More books in the areas of climbing, hiking and walking will be added and this may become a very big list eventually. Links with Amazon or other places for more info. Nice cover photo of each book. We have these books in stock. See list here
500+ JAPAN books There are perhaps over 70,000 Japan books in the Amazon.com (USA) database; so, with Amazon's help we at IMC (imcbook) put together a "store" with over 500 titles. The result is a rather ramshackle collection of titles with themes from arts and crafts to literature and lifestyle to martial arts and researching and remembering past wars. A little boring clicking through the pages but each cover pic-with-title makes it easy to understand. If you buy a book, you will be buying through an Amazon cart, not from us at IMC. Shipping will be from Amazon or from an Amazon Marketplace seller (mostly in USA but not always). Most of the books listed are low cost popular titles published several years ago. astore1 is here In general, the main books on our IMC book website will not be found in our Amazon astore. The astore thus can give you a whole new perspective on the many many Japan-related books that are available. Faster than random searching and can be a lot of fun.
Our best list of TRAVEL Guide Books and more Why, why yet another list of travel guides and maps etc? Using 364 key categories .... continents, country names, etc .... we have listed each available book under one or more categories. The edition number and publication dates show which books are new. The publisher is usually indicated (AULO = Lonely Planet, UKBT = Bradt, etc.). The ISBN provides a link to Amazon where you can easily find more info including such details as number of pages, page size, etc. You will not be able to decipher the series of numbers that follows the publication year, but as a general rule the numbers give some indication of our sales in the past. A book that is "0,0,0" and published this year is probably not yet being sold by us but will be soon. An old book would not be listed that way as that would indicate the book is permanently out of stock, probably out-of-print. Books of that sort are quickly dropped from our lists. The Japan page is long because it includes literature, poetry, business and other non-travel books. NOW EXPANDED AND IMPROVED. « See the list here » and click on the destination country or territory that interests you (USA for all U.S. books, UK for England, Scotland, etc). In most cases you will see several books listed that relate directly to the place you will visit or study, Some are new, some older, some broad and others very specific. Some territories/dependencies are listed under the parent country. The new books are on the shelf or can be ordered at popular English book stores throughout Japan. IMC also supplies books by mail to anywhere in the world. Older editions of travel guides, if still in stock, are sold at reduced price at our Iriya office. Lonely Planet books tend to have a short lifespan because travelers may be more interested in hotel and restaurant info than in basic country or city data. If you are studying, but not immediately going, you may get better value by buying the older edition. Ask IMC if you have any questions.
JUNGLE CROWS: a Tokyo expatriate anthology
Believe it or not, expats in Tokyo and throughout Japan don't just work for embassies, corporate giants, or teach English. Every couple years the writers assemble some of the best recent stories, poems, comments and assorted bits and pieces, and they publish a best selling book that is a sure sellout. The latest in this irregular series is a 227-page paperback titled JUNGLE CROWS. Tokyo is the jungle, and the writers are the familiar crows that peck at the garbage bags before the cleaners come. As a longtime Tokyo subway and train commuter (plenty of reading time) I found several gems in JUNGLE CROWS. The book is now available on Amazon.com, coming soon on Amazon.co.jp, Maruzen, Kinokuniya, Yurindo, Tower Records, from us at IMC, at Tokyo's English lit events (small but frequent), and from PMP the publisher. here
Try Trinomial
We have started a list of Japanese booksellers overseas. A small list that we will add to in future. Branches of chains such as Kinokuniya, independent stores, and others. here
Outdoor Activity Books We have just created a list of books for those who cycle or dive and snorkel. More books in the areas of climbing, hiking and walking will be added and this may become a very big list eventually. Links with Amazon or other places for more info. Nice cover photo of each book. We have these books in stock. See list here
500+ JAPAN books There are perhaps over 70,000 Japan books in the Amazon.com (USA) database; so, with Amazon's help we at IMC (imcbook) put together a "store" with over 500 titles. The result is a rather ramshackle collection of titles with themes from arts and crafts to literature and lifestyle to martial arts and researching and remembering past wars. A little boring clicking through the pages but each cover pic-with-title makes it easy to understand. If you buy a book, you will be buying through an Amazon cart, not from us at IMC. Shipping will be from Amazon or from an Amazon Marketplace seller (mostly in USA but not always). Most of the books listed are low cost popular titles published several years ago. astore1 is here In general, the main books on our IMC book website will not be found in our Amazon astore. The astore thus can give you a whole new perspective on the many many Japan-related books that are available. Faster than random searching and can be a lot of fun.
Our best list of TRAVEL Guide Books and more Why, why yet another list of travel guides and maps etc? Using 364 key categories .... continents, country names, etc .... we have listed each available book under one or more categories. The edition number and publication dates show which books are new. The publisher is usually indicated (AULO = Lonely Planet, UKBT = Bradt, etc.). The ISBN provides a link to Amazon where you can easily find more info including such details as number of pages, page size, etc. You will not be able to decipher the series of numbers that follows the publication year, but as a general rule the numbers give some indication of our sales in the past. A book that is "0,0,0" and published this year is probably not yet being sold by us but will be soon. An old book would not be listed that way as that would indicate the book is permanently out of stock, probably out-of-print. Books of that sort are quickly dropped from our lists. The Japan page is long because it includes literature, poetry, business and other non-travel books. NOW EXPANDED AND IMPROVED. « See the list here » and click on the destination country or territory that interests you (USA for all U.S. books, UK for England, Scotland, etc). In most cases you will see several books listed that relate directly to the place you will visit or study, Some are new, some older, some broad and others very specific. Some territories/dependencies are listed under the parent country. The new books are on the shelf or can be ordered at popular English book stores throughout Japan. IMC also supplies books by mail to anywhere in the world. Older editions of travel guides, if still in stock, are sold at reduced price at our Iriya office. Lonely Planet books tend to have a short lifespan because travelers may be more interested in hotel and restaurant info than in basic country or city data. If you are studying, but not immediately going, you may get better value by buying the older edition. Ask IMC if you have any questions.
JUNGLE CROWS: a Tokyo expatriate anthology
Believe it or not, expats in Tokyo and throughout Japan don't just work for embassies, corporate giants, or teach English. Every couple years the writers assemble some of the best recent stories, poems, comments and assorted bits and pieces, and they publish a best selling book that is a sure sellout. The latest in this irregular series is a 227-page paperback titled JUNGLE CROWS. Tokyo is the jungle, and the writers are the familiar crows that peck at the garbage bags before the cleaners come. As a longtime Tokyo subway and train commuter (plenty of reading time) I found several gems in JUNGLE CROWS. The book is now available on Amazon.com, coming soon on Amazon.co.jp, Maruzen, Kinokuniya, Yurindo, Tower Records, from us at IMC, at Tokyo's English lit events (small but frequent), and from PMP the publisher. here
Try Trinomial
New Travel
Guidebooks Books - New cover pics
Here we just show you what some of the newest LP and other books look like. China +, Japan & Korea +, Thailand, Singapore +, compact Encounter city guide series, World Food and Healthy Travel guides, Outdoor Activity guides, Diving & Snorkeling guides, the big books to Europe and a long list of Phrasebook & Language / Culture guides. You will see the book covers and usually there is a link for more info. Most of these books are always in stock at IMC. Also, check the list of expat books below. Books by some of the finest English writers working in or on Japan today.
New list of books by expat authors and Japanese who write in English. It is important to make paper and online "lists"; so I have been doing just that. Some of these books belong in the "Japan" corner of a bookstore (if the store has such a corner), others in whichever culture/literature section is appropriate for the store or library. This list is intended to show what we at IMC are selling. Please look at these books. You may actually benefit by buying one (or more). If not from us, then buy from Maruzen, Kinokunia, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or from any intelligent bookseller who knows Japan & East Asia. If he doesn't have these books and is disinterested in trying to get them, look for a better store or come to us. Expat Japan - English Novels, Stories, Poetry and Nonfiction.
Here we just show you what some of the newest LP and other books look like. China +, Japan & Korea +, Thailand, Singapore +, compact Encounter city guide series, World Food and Healthy Travel guides, Outdoor Activity guides, Diving & Snorkeling guides, the big books to Europe and a long list of Phrasebook & Language / Culture guides. You will see the book covers and usually there is a link for more info. Most of these books are always in stock at IMC. Also, check the list of expat books below. Books by some of the finest English writers working in or on Japan today.
New list of books by expat authors and Japanese who write in English. It is important to make paper and online "lists"; so I have been doing just that. Some of these books belong in the "Japan" corner of a bookstore (if the store has such a corner), others in whichever culture/literature section is appropriate for the store or library. This list is intended to show what we at IMC are selling. Please look at these books. You may actually benefit by buying one (or more). If not from us, then buy from Maruzen, Kinokunia, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or from any intelligent bookseller who knows Japan & East Asia. If he doesn't have these books and is disinterested in trying to get them, look for a better store or come to us. Expat Japan - English Novels, Stories, Poetry and Nonfiction.
Miscellaneous Websites - Japan & English
We frequently stumble across websites that have relation to Japan. They may not relate to anything that we do or that interests us, but we feel we should remember them. A small start but I know this list will grow and grow. here
We frequently stumble across websites that have relation to Japan. They may not relate to anything that we do or that interests us, but we feel we should remember them. A small start but I know this list will grow and grow. here
| IMC
will take a Summer Vacation --- closed August 11 - 15
On Monday, August 11 we will open in order to send out packages and to
process fax and email orders. That done we will leave and return on
Monday, August 18. Both book trade and other customers are urged to send their orders on or before Friday, August 8 ... the sooner is the better. If you have questions, problems, or special needs, contact IMC. |
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| Here
are a few of the Japan books we stock at IMC. Most here are Lonely
Planet. We have added the popular Fodor, Frommer, Insight, Bradt and
other books. All books are
available at major bookstores selling English books, at our office in
Iriya (near Ueno and Asakusa) where we have over 500 travel guides, and
you can order by fax or email .... see address details at http://imcbook.net/address.htm.
Only IMC distributes both the most popular and the specialized travel
guide books. Tell us what you need. If it is not on the shelf, we can
probably get it for you within one or two weeks. |
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Sign up to get news from IMC by email You do not need or want a daily email from IMC, but perhaps you are in the USA and are interested in books relating to Japan, or you are in Japan and interested international petroleum technology. We promise no more than two emails per month per subject, perhaps far fewer. Sign up here. Our older collected and address book lists will be phased out as we develop the new free news subscription service.
Our updated and easy to use list of travel guide books here - Why is this list good, better, best. Well, it includes a huge number of fine books separated in easy-to-navigate regions. We work with many of the best travel books, so our in-office database is current and daily being updated. We don't force you, or even strongly encourage you to buy from us. Our focus in "international" and "independent" travel. Thus there are lots of local travel books that we don't list. Our focal point is JAPAN, so we include the best on Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto, etc. Both foreign residents and Japanese travel the whole world, so we include all major world destinations, the latest book on each. We have several other lists of travel books on this website, but I suggest you look here first.
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Masako's
Story ..... new, now available at IMC and at your bookstore The true story of a Japanese family devastated by the A-bombing of Hiroshima. The English edition published by ahadada Books, July 2007. The original Japanese version published by Maruzen, 2003. The author, Masako's daughter, is an award winning haiku and tanka poet. Soon available at Tower Records, Maruzen, Kinokuniya, Yurindo and other fine retailers throughout Japan, from ahadada Books in the USA and Canada, from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp, and at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. more here |
Member's Suggested Books
This is a new group of books that we stock, that are very good quality and that we offer at excellent prices. More info on each book than is in our usual lists. Price is listed for both Japan and overseas customers. And, we toss in an Amazon link that will suggest several other books on the key topic. Books are in English but we may also add description and other info in Japanese. here
Travel by Freighter to/from Japan For strictly personal reasons we decided that the next time we leave Japan, we would like to go by boat. No fancy cruise ships. Cheap, tolerably comfortable and decent food, any nationality freighter or ferry will do. Destination? Los Angeles. Singapore. Vladivostok. Shanghai. North Korea. Alaska? A Google search shows that people do travel freighter, and a friend promised to recommend the travel agency he uses. Your thoughts and experiences are welcomed. We will put up a webpage soon and will be happy to include links and stuff. The webpage will be here.
New Lists of Travel Guide Books plus books by expatriate and Japanese authors. These lists differ from our usual lists in being more up-to-date. In total there are over 1,000 titles. Though not detailed in themselves, the lists contain a link for every title to Amazon. A good deal for us because we don't have to explain everything about each book. Good for Amazon (USA or Japan) because you just may order from them. These books are also available on the shelf or on order at all major English bookstores throughout Japan. If you are in Hokkaido or Kyushu and want to order from your local bookstore or university coop, do. They can get the book quickly from us at IMC.
Yohan,
trips and falls hard - Yohan, for the past
60-something years has been the biggest importer/distributor in Japan
of English magazines and books. With several offices around Japan
and most recently a fine headquarters in Tokyo's trendy Akasaka Mitsuke
district, though dwarfed by Japan's major distributors of Japanese
publications (Tohan and Nippan), Yohan (shortened from "Western
Publications Distribution Agency") made the mistake of trying to
do business the old way in this era of the internet, DVDs and other
trendy entertainment and information products.
UPDATE
AUGUST 6/7, 2008 Yesterday there was a
meeting of creditors. The lawyers handling this
are said to be earning a fee of something Like $400,000 (any numbers I
give are rough and unconfirmed). Yohan's total debt over $50,000,000
and that is what scared their creditors (Mizuho Bank). Not big money
these days, but huge to my way of thinking. We only make about $1 when
we sell a book. Bookstores appear befuddled. They need the magazines
that Yohan distributed each week (Time, Newsweek, etc). These are
traffic builders, especially the women's magazines. They hope/think
that something will spring forth from the ashes of Yohan. Perhaps a
Shin Yohan (New Yohan) owned and managed by smarter people. Certainly
many of Yohan's (now fired) sales staff will be trying to put something
together to at least salvage their own lives. Getting a new job is not
terribly easy now. I have visited a number of bookstores (pick up some
new business?). I have also contacted others in the
book/news/information business. The best reporting I have seen was by
Terry Lloyd on Terry's Take. Two great disappointments were the press
people of the American Embassy; they did not seem to know anything,
didn't care, and were unhappy at getting a telephone call. Similarly,
Kodansha International's sales department was unresponsive at receiving
a strange telephone call. Kodansha was once a 50% owner of Yohan and
most distribution in Japan has been handled by Yohan. Before going home
yesterday, I revisited the Yohan head office. The lights were off, the
door shut, some unopened packages and mail inside the door, somebody
was inside. Mr Kanno (new president coming from Mizuho Bank) may have
been inside but will the book trade be able to wait for the banker to
settle all the legal/money problems?JAPANESE にほんご
New
Manga in English 
