Robert R. Gray

Whispers of the Departed
by Robert R. Gray

Jisei（辞世）is often translated as “death poem” but that misses the nuance of the original Japanese. The characters don’t mean death; they mean “farewell to the world.” In their final moments, samurai sometimes wrote farewell poems to express their last thoughts and reflections on life.

Whispers of the Departed gathers the farewell poems of samurai and the wives of samurai across seven centuries of history. Each poem is presented in the original Japanese alongside the English translation, with background on the writer and circumstances of the poem.

Kakusei-Mushin
by Manaka Unsui
translated by Robert R. Gray

Manaka Unsui had spent over 50 years training in kobudo (traditional martial arts), when he decided to pursue the deeper truths behind these classical lineages.

A central idea shared across many schools was mushin—a state of “no mind,” considered the essence of martial arts mastery. To better understand this mindset and back it up with scientific research, he became a research student at the University of Tsukuba.

The End of Anxiety
by Manaka Unsui
translated by Robert R. Gray

Blending centuries of Japanese warrior wisdom with modern sports performance psychology, Manaka Unsui offers a bridge between tradition and contemporary science. He combines the old and the new for improved performance in all areas of life.

THE END OF ANXIETY explores a variety of methods for staying calm under pressure, including mindfulness, autogenic training, kakusei-mushin, and more. Manaka Unsui shows how each of these skills can be developed to reduce anxiety and create a calm, focused spirit.

月刊秘伝 2026, March
十手：武士警察の権威と制圧の武器
(Jitte: The Samurai Police Weapon of Authority and Control)

月刊秘伝 2025, September
武道における密教の影響
(Mikkyo Influence on Martial Arts)

月刊秘伝 2024, November
寺から道場へ：侍と武道における禅の影響
(From Temples to Dojos: Zen’s Influence on Samurai and the Martial Arts)

月刊秘伝 2024, April
押尾川旭（元関脇豪風）インタビュー
(An Interview with Akira Oshiogawa—Former Sekiwake-ranked Sumo Wrestler, Takekaze)

月刊秘伝 2023, May
実戦古武道自然館館長・間中雲水インタビュー
(An Interview with Manaka Unsui—Founder of the Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan)

March 2026 Issue:
Jitte: The Samurai Police Weapon of Authority and Control

September 2025 Issue:
Mikkyo Influence on Martial Arts

April 2024 Issue:
An Interview with Former Sumo Wrestler, Akira Oshiogawa (Takekaze)

May 2023 Issue:
An Interview with Manaka Unsui, Founder of the Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan

42 Stories Anthology Presents: Book of 42²
(This anthology includes my 42-word microfiction story about a homeless vampire in Tokyo)