Ichigensan is a novel which can be enjoyed on many levels - as a delicate, sensual love story, as a depiction of the refined society in Japan's cultural capital Kyoto, and as an exploration of the themes of alienation and prejudice common to many environments, regardless of the boundaries of time and place. Unusually, it shows Japan from the eyes of both an outsider and an 'internal' outcast, and even more unusually, it originally achieved this through sensuous prose carefully crafted by a non-native speaker of Japanese. The fact that this best-selling novella then won the Subaru Prize, one of Japan's top literary awards, and was also nominated for the Akutagawa Prize is a testament to its unique narrative power. The story is by no means chained to Japan, however, and this new translation by Takuma Sminkey will allow readers world-wide to enjoy the multitude of sensations engendered by life and love in an alien culture.

Travel back in time to the early days of Magic: The Gathering!

It’s the nineties at Tokiwagi Middle School. And for gamers like Hajime Kano, after the release of Magic: The Gathering, nothing will ever be the same again!

The year is 1998. The prophesied “end of the world” is nipping at the planet’s heels along with the cold winds of winter. After an intense game of Magic with his best friend Kurushima, Hajime makes a promise with him that he intends to keep—to meet each other at one of the biggest tournaments in Kyoto. However, when Emi gets upset with Hajime at karaoke, he finds himself weathering more than just the icy cold of winter.

An accurate quantitative picture of electric field distribution is essential in many electrical and electronic applications. In composite dielectric configurations composed of multiple dielectrics, anomalous or unexpected behavior of electric fields may appear when a solid dielectric is in contact with a conductor or another solid dielectric. The electric field near the contact point may become higher than the original field not only in the surrounding medium but also in the solid dielectric. Theoretically it may become infinitely high, depending on the contact angle. Although these characteristics are very important in a variety of applications, they have been clarified only recently using analytical and numerical calculation methods, and this is the first book to cover these new findings.

Electric Fields in Composite Dielectrics and Their Applications describes the fundamental characteristics and practical applications of electric fields in composite dielectrics. The focus is on the field distribution (and the resultant force when appropriate) near points of contact. Applications include insulation design of high-voltage equipment with solid insulating supports, utilization of electrostatic force on dielectric particles in electrophotography and electrorheological fluids, and others. Electric Fields in Composite Dielectrics and Their Applications also explains the calculation methods used to analyze electric fields in composite dielectrics.

This thesis focuses on understanding the growth and formation mechanism of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), an issue it addresses by investigating the dense interstellar medium that is assumed to be a crucial component of the fuel for SMBHs. The thesis also offers unique guidance on using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) research. The author presents the three major findings regarding SMBH formation and growth: (1) The development of a new diagnostic method for the energy sources in galaxies based on submillimeter spectroscopy, which allows identification of accreting SMBHs even in obscured environments, (2) the discovery that the circumnuclear dense gas disk (CND), with a typical size of a few tens of parsecs, which plays a crucial role in governing the growth of SMBHs, and (3) the discovery that the mass transfer budget from the CND to the central SMBHs can be quantitatively understood with a theoretical model incorporating the circumnuclear starburst as a driver of mass transfer. The thesis skillfully reviews these three findings, which have greatly improved our understanding of the growth mechanism of SMBHs.

Hawaii, 7th December 1941, shortly before 8 in the morning: Japanese torpedo bombers launch a surprise attack on the US Pacific fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The devastating attack claims the lives of over 2,400 American soldiers, sinks or damages 18 ships and destroys nearly 350 aircraft. The US Congress declares war on Japan the following day. In this vivid and lively book, Takuma Melber breathes new life into the dramatic events that unfolded before, during and after Pearl Harbor by putting the perspective of the Japanese attackers at the centre of his account. This is the dimension commonly missing in most other histories of Pearl Harbor, and it gives Melber the opportunity to provide a fuller, more definitive and authoritative account of the battle, its background and its consequences. Melber sheds new light on the long negotiations that went on between the Japanese and Americans in 1941, and the confusion and argument among the Japanese political and military elite. He shows how US intelligence and military leaders in Washington failed to interpret correctly the information they had and to draw the necessary conclusions about the Japanese war intentions in advance of the attack. His account of the battle itself is informed by the latest research and benefits from including the planning and post-raid assessment by the Japanese commanders. His account also covers the second raid in March 1942 by two long-range seaplanes which was intended to destroy the shipyards so that ships damaged in the initial attack could not be repaired. This balanced and thoroughly researched book deepens our understanding of the battle that precipitated America's entry into the war and it will appeal to anyone interested in World War II and military history.

a new voice in Japanese literature makes its debut here in Medoruma's first full-length work in English; bears some resemblance to Kenji Nakagami in the toughness of his prose and grappling with minority issues novel is a fictionalized event but very close to actual experience. It sheds light on current Okinawan attitudes towards US military bases still on the island, still in the news even in May 2016 (huge ongoing protests over rapes and murders and other crimes committed by troops and US contractors) author Medoruma himself just recently in the news when arrested thisspring at a protest in Okinawa over the planned relocation of the US military base raises important questions about war memory, especially the memories of the powerless and victimized Medoruma’s experimental use of point of view, language, and creative storytelling challenge the assumptions of readers of contemporary Japanese literature

Hawaii, 7th December 1941, shortly before 8 in the morning: Japanese torpedo bombers launch a surprise attack on the US Pacific fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. The devastating attack claims the lives of over 2,400 American soldiers, sinks or damages 18 ships and destroys nearly 350 aircraft. The US Congress declares war on Japan the following day. In this vivid and lively book, Takuma Melber breathes new life into the dramatic events that unfolded before, during and after Pearl Harbor by putting the perspective of the Japanese attackers at the centre of his account. This is the dimension commonly missing in most other histories of Pearl Harbor, and it gives Melber the opportunity to provide a fuller, more definitive and authoritative account of the battle, its background and its consequences. Melber sheds new light on the long negotiations that went on between the Japanese and Americans in 1941, and the confusion and argument among the Japanese political and military elite. He shows how US intelligence and military leaders in Washington failed to interpret correctly the information they had and to draw the necessary conclusions about the Japanese war intentions in advance of the attack. His account of the battle itself is informed by the latest research and benefits from including the planning and post-raid assessment by the Japanese commanders. His account also covers the second raid in March 1942 by two long-range seaplanes which was intended to destroy the shipyards so that ships damaged in the initial attack could not be repaired. This balanced and thoroughly researched book deepens our understanding of the battle that precipitated America's entry into the war and it will appeal to anyone interested in World War II and military history.

This book aims at making readers develop a better understanding of electrostatic fields using the form of problems and puzzles (summarized as "questions" hereafter) and answers, instead of tedious explanations in ordinary textbooks. The book is filled with the questions with unexpected answers and questions often misunderstood or rarely completely understood, most of which are original. The questions in the book look simple and very easy to answer at a glance; nevertheless, once students try to solve them, they will find that the questions are really tough nuts to crack. Teachers can also use the questions in the book in their classes. Not only from an academic or an educational point of view, the book is useful also to engineers working in such fields as electrical discharges and their applications, high voltage equipment in DC and AC circuits as well as electrostatic devices. This is because the book introduces various practical applications related to electrostatic fields. The original ideas of the book are based on the following Japanese book written by one of author; T. Takuma: Panorama of Electric Fields (in Japanese) IEE, Japan, 2003. This English version of the book has been thoroughly revised and improved with several new questions added.

This thesis focuses on understanding the growth and formation mechanism of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), an issue it addresses by investigating the dense interstellar medium that is assumed to be a crucial component of the fuel for SMBHs. The thesis also offers unique guidance on using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) research. The author presents the three major findings regarding SMBH formation and growth: (1) The development of a new diagnostic method for the energy sources in galaxies based on submillimeter spectroscopy, which allows identification of accreting SMBHs even in obscured environments, (2) the discovery that the circumnuclear dense gas disk (CND), with a typical size of a few tens of parsecs, which plays a crucial role in governing the growth of SMBHs, and (3) the discovery that the mass transfer budget from the CND to the central SMBHs can be quantitatively understood with a theoretical model incorporating the circumnuclear starburst as a driver of mass transfer. The thesis skillfully reviews these three findings, which have greatly improved our understanding of the growth mechanism of SMBHs.

Craft your own stylish accessories worthy of a high-end boutique with this collection of 21 macram bags, belts, and straps. From durable market totes to cross-body boho bags, there's a purse for every occasion. After mastering basic macram techniques, discover how to add special details, such as wooden handles, metal buckles, and zippers, to elevate the style and function of your designs. With its assortment of small-scale projects, this book is great for beginners, but also provides fresh inspiration for veteran macram enthusiasts looking to create wearable art.