2024 Publisher Reisedepeschen
A look behind the veil:
How does the last remaining inhabitant save his mountain village? Why is a woman creating life-size dolls and setting them up in her valley? And what makes the people of Hatoyama the happiest in Japan?
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This is my most personal book to date. These true stories are based on encounters from more than 15 years of research and have never been published in this form before.
"Japan, who are you?"
Swiss Newspaper NZZ
“In the book “Japan, wer bist du?”, photojournalist Fritz Schumann does not describe a country glorified by cherry blossoms and kimonos, but tells stories of people in dwindling rural communities and tensions between past and present.”
JAPANDIGEST
“With “Japan, who are you?”, author Fritz Schumann has successfully created a body of work that shows readers a new side of Japan.”
Newspaper neues deutschland
“Fritz Schumann observes, asks cautiously. In this way, the reader learns a lot about this country, beyond what is published in the daily press. The result is a readable, illuminating and beautiful book.”
Business Traveler
“Fritz Schumann, known for his award-winning stories and documentaries, dives deep into the soul of Japan and shares personal encounters, moving moments and surprise discoveries of places. A must-read for anyone who wants to discover and better understand Japan beyond the clichés and tourist attractions.”
In the Media
In Collaboration
Susanne Willems
Auschwitz
Die Geschichte des Vernichtungslagers
Verlag edition ost 2016
Frank Schumann
Denkmale der Befreiung
Spuren der Roten Armee in Deutschland
Verlag Neues Leben 2020
Winnie Adukule
Flucht
Was Afrikaner außer Landes treibt
Verlag Neues Berlin 2016
@thehangrystories
“I haven't read a book in a long time that has inspired me so much. Absolutely recommended reading!!!”
Anja Dinger
“It's one of the best books I've read about Japan.”
SiWel
“I was captivated by every story. I got to know Japan without ever having been there.”
Elisa H.
“The writer impressively demonstrates what well-founded and long-term research can be.”
@wandaring_japan
“The world needs more books about Japan like this! Simply inspiring!”
tachauch
“This is one of the best books about Japan”
More books by Fritz Schumann
A cultural guidebook
Japan explained in 151 words: from A like Ainu, to Z like Zen. From Kyushu in the south to Hokkaido in the north - stories from modern Japan, ancient Japan and the conflicts in between.
Published by Conbook 2013 (6th edition)
Japan 151
No more Hiroshima
A city observed through history:
Hiroshima 1945, when the atomic bomb fell.
Hiroshima 1987, when my father visited and the year I was born.
And Hiroshima in 2010, when a nuclear power plant was scheduled to be built there and only one island was fighting against it.
Published by Das Neue Berlin 2010
On March 11, 2011, a quake triggered a tsunami that caused the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to partially melt down. Six months later, it seemed like Japan has moved on.
For this book, I talked with people from a protest movement, accompanied a group of volunteers and traveled to the edge of the restricted area around the nuclear power plant.
Published by Das Neue Berlin 2012