The Dragon Sword And Wind (japanese)

When it comes to Japanese fantasy, there's a number of both older fantasy and modern works available. One novel that bridges the two is Dragon Sword and Wind Child by Noriko Ogiwara. The Dragon Sword and Wind tells a world steeped in myth, where gods and magic rule, where a boy and girl desperately fight to save their people and who, in the process, learn what it means to grow up.  It's a novel of imagination, of poetic beauty, and powerful emotions. Between the first and last page, deep themes of good, bad, and the many shades between are expertly explored. It's also a novel that's easy to digest for fantasy readers who are interested in exploring real Japanese culture and the mindset of the Japanese without the impingement of western ideas and ideals.  Too many fantasy books that 'explore the Far East' are in fact written by authors who are not of that culture, who bring an inherent western ideology, cultural morays and ideals into the setting and story. Not so with The Dragon Sword and Wind which is and remains quintessentially Japanese. Yet, despite the cultural differences, all those elements that make a captivating story for all cultures and peoples, are bound into the story. If you want to read some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese fantasy that's been rightly translated into English, The Dragon Sword and Wind is a classic and a good introduction to the greater body of Japanese fantasy that's available.