After being incorrectly diagnosed with lung cancer, dissident Xingjian travelled his homeland China. A poetic & individualistic novel, & the defining literary experience of my teenage years.

The collection of short stories that brought the author fame, notoriety, literary acclaim & political vilification in his native China. Another visual artist who writes with an aesthete's sensibility.

A defining achievement of Asian Extreme cinema, this triptych of violent revenge is executed with remarkable beauty and sensitivity by director Park Chan-Wook.

An antidote to the predominant vacuity of manga translated into English, this mostly silent work details one man's wanderings throughout a meticulously draughted suburban landscape.

My introduction to Asian Extreme cinema. A television producer stages the titular audition to find a date. Prolific director Takashi Miike successfully juxtaposes romantic drama with horrific torture.

A funny & engaging portrayal of the 'gaijin' experience. The gorgeous photography of a darkling Tokyo would justify the price, even without the wonderful script and acting.

The ebb & flow of existence depicted through the story of a Buddhist monk, the stages of life represented by the four seasons (and a second Spring), all framed in a single lake setting.

Admittedly, I've only heard an excerpt performed by the author, but just that small taster promised freshness, vitality, and the perceptive visuality of an already-recognised documentary filmmaker.

Written by a great contemporary author not unfamiliar with Japan, this novel about a young man in Tokyo, despite its debt to Murakami, is typical Mitchell: complex, finely wrought, kinetic & engaging.

A superb action RPG charting the quest through a beautifully realised mythic world inspired by the aesthetics and history of Asia.

Not the highest order of translations, but this novel is a gripping little ghost story. With an unadorned prose style, Yamada relates the loneliness and longing of our contemporary society.

My personal favourite of Miyazaki's anime oeuvre, a tender coming-of-age story about a young witch who must start her career alone in an unfamiliar town, with the usual wonderful Ghibli animation.

Rawly shot to DV and based on a novel (and with an acting performance) by MianMian, this is a 'docu-drama' about the lives of young adults in Shanghai - drugs, nightclubbing, etc. Worth a watch.