This Japan travel guide features dozens of beautiful photographs and insightful commentary. Japan: Land of Beauty and Tradition takes the reader on a sweeping tour of this always enticing and often surprising country. From the gaudy exuberance of the Sensoji temple to the tranquility of Ryoanji's stone garden, from Kyushu's tropical shores to Hokkaido's arctic slopes, from rice fields and iris gardens to castles and monasteries, this book presents page after page of graphic testimony that Japan continues to be a land of exquisite beauty and rich tradition. Dozens of stunning, full-color photographs by one of Japan's leading landscape photographers are accompanied by a text that provides concise historical and cultural descriptions of the delightfully varied islands that make up Japan.

This Japanese design and interior decorating book focuses on the traditional country homes of rural Japan From Japanese antiques to home and garden design, Japan Country Living is a delightful introduction for art and furniture lovers. In over 450 full-color photographs this book presents Japan as it was yesterday, and describes the metamorphosis of he traditional country lifestyle into a viable alternative for today's city dwellers. Japan Country Living is an appreciation of the Japanese countryside and its skilled artisans. It is an invaluable source of ideas for those wanting to add touches of nature and beauty to modern urban living.

Featuring full-color photographs and illustrations thoughout, this book presents a comprehensive guide to Japanese culture. The richness of Japan's history is renowned worldwide, and the cultural heritage that its society has produced and handed down to future generations is one of Japan's greatest accomplishments. Introduction to Japanese Culture presents an overview, through 68 original and informative essays, of Japan's most notable cultural achievements, including: Holidays and Festivals--Learn how the Japanese celebrate shogatsu (New Year's Day), hanami (the Cherry Blossom Festival), and more. Drama and Art--Discover yakimono (pottery), shodo(calligraphy), haiku poetry, kabuki, and karate Cuisine--Open your eyes to foods from kome (rice) to raw fish. Home and Recreation--Explore subjects ranging from board games like "Go" to origami, kimonos, and Japanese gardens. The Japan of today is a modern, 21st-century society in nearly every regard. Even so, the elements of an earlier age are clearly visible in the country's arts, festivals, and customs. This book focuses on the essential constants that remain in present-day Japan and their counterparts in Western culture. Edited by Daniel Sosnoski, an American writer who has lived in Japan since 1985, these well-researched articles, color photographs, and line illustrations provide a compact guide to aspects of Japan that may puzzle the outside observer at first. Introduction to Japanese Culture is a wonderfully informative primer on the cultural make-up and behaviors of the Japanese, and is certain to fascinate students, tourists, and anyone who seeks to know and understand Japanese culture, etiquette, and history.

When modern primary schools were first founded in Japan and Egypt in the 1870s, they did not teach art. Yet by the middle of the twentieth century, art education was a permanent part of Japanese and Egyptian primary schooling. Both countries taught music and drawing, and wartime Japan also taught calligraphy. Why did art education become a core feature of schooling in societies as distant as Japan and Egypt, and how is aesthetics entangled with nationalism, colonialism, and empire? Beauty in the Age of Empire is a global history of aesthetic education focused on how Western practices were adopted, transformed, and repurposed in Egypt and Japan. Raja Adal uncovers the emergence of aesthetic education in modern schools and its role in making a broad spectrum of ideologies from fascism to humanism attractive. With aesthetics, educators sought to enchant children with sounds and sights, using their ears and eyes to make ideologies into objects of desire. Spanning multiple languages and continents, and engaging with the histories of nationalism, art, education, and transnational exchanges, Beauty in the Age of Empire offers a strikingly original account of the rise of aesthetics in modern schools and the modern world. It shows that, while aesthetics is important to all societies, it was all the more important for those countries on the receiving end of Western expansion, which could not claim to be wealthier or more powerful than Western empires, only more beautiful.

This beautifully photographed Japan travel pictorial features all the most famous sites in Japan along with extensive notes and even maps. Shop along tree-lined streets filled with exclusive boutiques, stroll in ancient temple grounds, strike a business deal on the thirty-second floor of a chrome-and-glass skyscraper, get swept up in the crowds, or sip sake with newfound friends in a bustling neighborhood pub. Tokyo—once a maze of rice-paddies and quiet wooded villages called Edo—is now a tableaux of old and new, where wooden houses meet modern skyscrapers on streets with no names. Welcome to the gateway of the twenty-first century.

Despite being one of the most influential forms of Japanese Buddhism, the Pure Land tradition, and notably its impact on the development of Japanese cultural history, has often been overlooked outside Japan. Taking into account recent scholarship on orientalism and occidentalism, this book, written from the perspective of the Study of Religions, provides an analysis of the impact that the Pure Land tradition, in particular Shin Buddhism, has exerted on mainstream forms of artistic expression (especially creative arts, literature and the tea ceremony) in modern and contemporary Japan.

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.

Are you dreaming of embarking on a life-changing adventure in Japan? "Journey to Japan" is your ultimate companion to navigate the intricate process of moving to and living in this culturally rich and captivating nation. Whether you are an aspiring expatriate, a student seeking higher education, or an adventurer seeking new horizons, this comprehensive guide provides you with the insights, tools, and resources to make your transition to Japan a seamless and rewarding experience. Journey to Japan takes you on a captivating exploration of the country's fascinating history, diverse culture, and awe-inspiring natural landscapes. From the iconic cherry blossom festivals and vibrant summer matsuri to the serenity of Zen meditation and the intricate art of sushi-making, this book delves into the essence of Japan's unique way of life. Chapter by chapter, you'll delve into the practical aspects of planning your move to Japan, from understanding visa requirements and budgeting financial considerations to researching accommodation options and employment opportunities. Learn the nuances of Japanese language and cultural etiquette, and discover the most effective language learning methods to facilitate your integration into daily life. With invaluable tips on navigating essential services, such as healthcare, transportation, banking, and grocery shopping, you'll be equipped to thrive in your new environment. Discover the best strategies for building a supportive network, making genuine connections with the local community, and embracing Japan's diverse lifestyle and traditions. The journey doesn't end there—celebrate your growth, honor your experiences, and reflect on your unforgettable moments in Japan with practical advice for saying goodbye and embracing the next chapter of your life. Engage with the cultural richness, explore the beauty of Japan's arts and traditions, and maintain a sustainable lifestyle as you continue your journey beyond borders. Journey to Japan is more than just a guidebook; it's your companion for an extraordinary voyage. Embrace the wonders of Japan as you embark on a life-changing expedition filled with self-discovery, personal growth, and unforgettable memories. Take the first step on your adventure today, and unlock the door to a world of possibilities in the Land of the Rising Sun.

While a slender body is a prerequisite for beauty today, plump women were considered ideal in Tang Dynasty China and Heian-period Japan. Starting around the Southern Song period in China, bound feet symbolized the attractiveness of women. But in Japan, shaved eyebrows and blackened teeth long were markers of loveliness. For centuries, Japanese culture was profoundly shaped by China, but in complex ways that are only now becoming apparent. In this first full comparative history of the subject, Cho Kyo explores changing standards of feminine beauty in China and Japan over the past two millennia. Drawing on a rich array of literary and artistic sources gathered over a decade of research, he considers which Chinese representations were rejected or accepted and transformed in Japan. He then traces the introduction of Western aesthetics into Japan starting in the Meiji era, leading to slowly developing but radical changes in representations of beauty. Through fiction, poetry, art, advertisements, and photographs, the author vividly demonstrates how criteria of beauty differ greatly by era and culture and how aesthetic sense changed in the course of extended cultural transformations that were influenced by both China and the West.