

In the beginning, the story goes, two gods conjured the islands out of primordial chaos with the tip of a sacred spear. The ‘Great Eight-Island Country’, Japan has always followed its own unique path, often alone through centuries of deliberate isolation. Contact and conflict with other nations has often taken the form of flashpoints of social and technological shock: firearms, trade ships, electric light, atom bombs. Yet despite the challenges that have beset it from outside and from within, Japan has maintained and expanded its singular and compelling culture for thousands of years. Today it’s a key player on the world stage, a technological powerhouse, and an icon of non-aggressive international policy. Amid its hi-tech cities, ancient shrines call the faithful to venerate heavenly gods and the spirits of the land. Glittering technological marvels vie with traditional folklore, foodways and ceremonies to beguile visitors; ancient buildings still hide in the shadows of the new. Take a journey into the history of this fascinating island nation and discover some of the people, events and beliefs that have shaped the land of the rising sun.

After Dinner Conversation publishes compelling “what if” scenarios of original philosophy and ethics short stories across genres with accompanying discussion questions for friends, family, and students. Imagine the “trolley problem” written as a short story! Topics include ethics, metaphysics, aesthetics, moral relativism, and political and economic philosophy among others.

Embark on a breathtaking adventure with Lifestyle Bookazine’s new edition! Explore 101 travel locations, from the serene Halong Bay in Vietnam to the historic Jerusalem. Immerse yourself in the beauty of Mandalay and the allure of Tahiti.

FOR KIDS WHO LOVE HORSES AND PONIES. Young Rider entertains pony-mad youngsters with a fun-filled mixture of riding tips, horse-care hints, celebrity features, pen-pal pages, contests and beautiful color photos. Young Rider is the only glossy, full-color equestrian magazine for young people published in the USA. Age range is 8-15.

Woman’s Weekly magazine inspires you to get creative with irresistible cookery, fantastic home, gardening and craft ideas. With fiction you can’t put down and heart-warming real life, a subscription to Woman’s Weekly magazine guarantees hours of great reading every week.

What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision is the world’s leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home cinema products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the best equipment for your cash, with the magazine’s advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies.

Every week TV Times talks to the biggest stars and goes behind the scenes of the nation’s favourite shows. Exclusive photo shoots and interviews, the latest TV news, unrivalled soaps coverage, pages of film reviews, the best of the day’s viewing previewed and rated – plus 42 pages of easy-to-read listings make TV Times the essential and comprehensive guide to the week’s TV.

Today’s Quilter is the first magazine to take a completely fresh look at the world of traditional quilting, packed with 100 glorious pages of reading pleasure.

Enjoy over 60 beautiful gardens a year with The English Garden. Every issue features country, city, cottage and coastal gardens, with advice on how to recreate them. Be inspired by articles written by the country’s top garden designers and discover the best plant varieties for your garden, chosen by expert nurserymen and plantspeople.