Japan Books

In The Japanese Way Of The Flower, Davey and Kameoka successfully collaborate to instruct the reader in the Japanese art of flower arranging and how it differs from Western floral art. The reader will learn simple meditation exercises to prepare for the process of composition; basic flower arrangements with color photos, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions; important Japanese aesthetic and spiritual concepts; the history of "kado" (The Way of the Flower) and its different stylistic schools; and where to find formal kado instructors and flower arrangement supplies. A very welcome addition to students of Japanese culture, interior decorators, florists, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in floral arrangements, The Japanese Way Of The Flower is an impressive, authoritative, and comprehensive introduction.

Flowers--not on, but as a spiritual path. This is the principle behind kado--widely known in the West as ikebana--the Japanese art of aesthetic flower arranging. The point is emphatically made that, as with other spiritual art forms, it is not the art itself that leads to awakening and profound realizations; rather, it is how we approach the practice that determines our growth. In kado, the simple meditation exercises prepare for the process of composition; a genuine understanding of harmony of mind and body and of the oneness of nature are essential to success. Fully half of the book is devoted to preparation--a thorough understanding of the concepts, and development of effective meditation techniques. A chapter expands on the fundamental principles of kado--harmony, asymmetrical balance, artlessness, impermanence, and oneness with the universe--and to the classification of arrangements. A final chapter guides the beginner in several simple arrangements, while appendices provide sources for supplies and a glossary. Lovely and elegant line drawings illustrate important points throughout.

This book is one of the few books on US Japanese-style gardens which compares and contrasts the real gardens of Japan with efforts to recreate the essence of their beauty in the western US. Beautiful Photos

Kendall H. Brown begins his history of Japanese-style gardens with a quote from James Rose to the effect that Japanese gardens outside of Japan are fakes. Brown's attitude is, however, more ambiguous than ambivalent. He seldom says he doesn't like something. His liking may be found between the lines. At the end of his history, Brown concludes that Japanese-style gardens are meant for play. It is pleasant to think of people having a smiling time in Japanese-style gardens . . . the wistaria, azalea, carp and waterfalls call for that. Nevertheless, Japanese in Japan are as out of touch with their past traditions as are Americans with their's. There is pleasure in knowing the symbolic uses of gardens in Japan and in their transplanted versions in the United States. Gardens in both countries should be more creative as is the case with "California Scenario" by Isamu Noguchi, the last garden Brown describes. (It is popular with skateboarders!) "Japanese-Style Gardens of the Pacific Coast" is a splendid book and the only book extant that gives the historical background of West-Coast Japanese-style gardens. Melva Levick's photographs whet the desire to see the gardens, if for no other reason than to see which is better . . . the photographs or the gardens. A small objection: If Brown had included acreages, one might be better able to compare the problems and successes of the individual gardens.

This novel is about the woman who transformed theatre in Japan and founded Kabuki. I was amazed to learn that "kabuki" originally meant strange and unconventional. Ironically, women were later forbidden to perform on stage in Japan. Centuries later, Sadayakko would have to reclaim the place of women in Japanese theatre by becoming popular in the West first. But it all started with one courageous and defiant woman named Okuni portrayed so movingly by Sawako Ariyoshi.

Lovely book for inside information of a Kabuki Dancer, from her side of the room. Delightful and mind opening. I believe this is a book that is
one from the heart. I liked it, it was an aid in my research of expressions of culture.

This book is good for both those with casual interest in Japanese culture and specific interests in the field of Buddhism. Special attention is paid to the relationship between religion and the traditional theatre forms of Noh and Kyogen.

This is a truly amazing study. I read it for a class I was taking on medieval Japan. The professor warned that this book was very dense and difficult to read, but I thought - No problem! It's under 200 pages, I'm a fast reader, I like the subject.

So let me restate: this book is a DENSE read. Every sentence has deep significance, and don't be surprised if you have to reread paragraphs several times, even if you're used to memorizing things with a once-over.

That said, this book was so good that it gets 5 stars despite the difficulty of reading it. LaFleur deftly weaves together strands from medieval forms of Japanese Buddhism (specifically Tendai and Shingon) during the Kamakura and Ashikaga bakufus with earlier cultural tendencies from Heian times right through to the flowering of new cultural ideas in Tokugawa Japan. He does not shy away from appreciating art or fine points of theology on their own terms, but also does not hesitate to show how the two blended together and shaped one another.

I personally enjoyed the sections on the Hojo-Ki by Chomei more than his sections on No and Kyogen, but that's personal preference. You will also gain a new understanding of major poets and monks of the era, such as Chomei, Basho, and Zeami. Rather than try and define such difficult concepts as yugen, he illustrates them through use of those individuals and their own efforts at definitions.

Read a chapter at a time or all at once, a great book.

THIS IS A VISUALLY LOVELY BOOK BUT I WOULD HAVE ENJOYED SOME ACOMPANING TEXT. HAD I READ THE EDITORIAL REVIEWS CLOSER I MIGHT HAVE NOTED THAT THE NATURE OF THE BOOK WAS PICTORIAL...HOWEVER...OVERALL, I ENJOY THE BOOK (ONCE I GOT USED TO THE FORMAT) AND CHOSE NOT TO RETURN IT. IN THE FUTURE I WILL READ REVIEWS CLOSER THO. MY VIEWS OF JAPANESE DESIGN ,IS, AS ALWAYS, AWE. THE SIMPLICITY OF THESE DESIGNS HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT ELEGANCE COMES WITH RESTRAINT IN DECORATION.

This beautifully put together piece shows me time and again that in graphic design, less is usually "more." The book illustrates through timeless Japanese design that one well-placed form is more powerful than 10 ill-placed ones. Katachi will teach you as a designer to give more by giving less. It's a must have for anyone looking to broaden their skill-set.

Nice book, explains various techniques used in this flower arranging art.
I liked the techniques of creating decorations using more than one vaze side by side and the ways they are connected with flowers.

This book is a pleasure to read and look at even if you don't do flower arranging. The illustrations are beautiful and the writing is clear and direct. I bought multiple copies and gave them to clients for holiday presents, and it was very well received.

I bought this dictionary in the early nineties when I was a student in Tokyo. Today, I am still in Japan, married to a Japanese woman, but still continue to use this dictionary. It is so helpful, even though there are translation softwares on my computer. The Editor in Cheif is probably a genius. His work has helped/benefited many students and people like me.
I will try to add more details here when I have the time.

If you know Japanese, it's a blessing to have this dictionary. If you don't, you'll surely improve your language skills by looking up words in Kenkyusha. Not only is it made for people who translate, but it is a wodnerful tool for those who want to know in-depth informations about a certain word, or phrase: it has many examples, a thing which I personally appreciate, because it helps see the words in the right context. Difficult kanji's are spelled out in the examples, another thing that makes me appreciate the care of the editors. And you can find lots of important katakana romanizations, that's a blessing! The annexes are also very useful: one containing the katakana spelling for European/US names (authors, artists, famous people), one with Chinese names and their spelling and another one, which is wonderful: titles of famous books/novels. Another thing: next to each technical term, one has a reference (one kanji), describing the field to which this word "belongs". This is really a very useful info, because when the same word has two different meanings, I can select the one I need. Great dictionary!

William Reed has tried to define and teach the meaning of KI so that we in the west can learn. The first part of the text helps us undersatnd KI, develop KI and pratcie KI. There are a series of excericses and a section on KI meditation. The second part of the text goes into KI development in the Japanese Arts (Shodo, Aikido, Kiatsu, Go, Noh and the Tea Ceremony). And the third part, Ki in our ever changing world. A must have book.

Like William Reed, I spent over 10 years in the Orient learning martials arts from men who had dedicated their life to the practice. This book ranks among the best written concerning ki. The ideas put forth are universal, and can be assimilated by a broad minded and discerning person. Enjoy this book, I certainly did and continue to do so everytime I pick up my copy.

I teach art and have had many requests to teach anime. I don't draw in the anime/manga style and struggled to do so. Christopher Hart's book is a great tie-in or introduction to Fantasy Manga. His style is similiar to mine in that it is a bit more cartoony than traditional anime/manga style. While some people might criticize the book for that, I think it's an awesome book with lots of color pictures. It even had some tips and tricks I didn't know. It would be useful for a beginner or a resource for someone more experienced. If you are looking to draw like someone else or in the more traditional style of anime/manga then this book is not for you. But if you are looking to develop your own style or like the more Americanized look to your anime/manga drawing then I would highly recommend it!

Motivating for the young beginner cartoonist. My kids loved this easy to follow instructive book. Fantasy goes wild with just a few tips and direction. Beginning with the basic figures, adding hair styles, eye shapes & general body posture brings the magna life & character. Many examples to follow or just be inspired by makes this book a fantastic entertaining guide to manga drawing

"Kokoro" is a difficult word to translate from Japanese to English. Heart, Spirit, Way of Being...it is all of these things. Rather than attempt a direct translation, Lafcadio Hearn offers a selection of stories focusing on Japanese inner life, so that by the end you will understand kokoro.

The stories follow Hearn's particular interests of Japanese folklore and the vanishing culture of which he found himself a part in post-Meji Japan. Each story is a slice of life focusing on Japanese character, morals and feelings. This is what the Japanese people care about, what they think is important, what is inside.

The selected tales are non-judgmental and non-orientalist. This is no attempt to explain or highlight the "strange" Japanese, but merely a record and an illumination, in the best sense of the term.

The collected stories:

"At a Railway Station"
"The Genius of Japanese Civilization"
"A Street Singer"
"From a Traveling Diary"
"The Nun of the Temple of Amida"
"After the War"
"Haru"
"A Glimpse of Tendencies"
"By Force of Karma"
"A Conservative"
"In the Twilight of the Gods"
"The Idea of Pre-Exsistance"
"In Cholera Time"
"Some Thoughts about Ancestor Worship"
"Kimiko"

Not to be confused with Natsume Soseki's novel by the same title, Lafcadio Hearn's "Kokoro" is a magnificent collection of essays, vignettes, memoirs, and meditations on Japan in the 1890's. Very much a product of the mid-Meiji period, these masterfully-written little literary pieces are nonetheless timeless. Each piece is quite different from the rest, and yet almost all of them manage to start from everyday incidents or obvious observations and gradually spiral inwards to some deeply moving and startling insight into Japanese attitudes, values, and worldviews; more than once this seemingly methodless method allows Hearn to share with the reader certain common opinions and normal spiritual orientations held by average Japanese folks--the kinds of things usually taken for granted and so unarticulated, hence least amenable to documentation and scholarship (especially of the time, but even today). And Hearn does all this with an unpretentious erudition and an understated and balanced sympathy for his subject that, along with his literary flair for wonderfully clear and flowing prose, places his writings here in a category far above the rest. With him we can find none of the unintentional strains of condescension and orientalism so typical of folklore and religious anthropology, for while he's looking with the surprised gaze of the outsider with one eye, his other eye is that of the insider feeling very much at home where he is. The resulting view is visionary--but in subdued and shadowy tones.

Appendix on an Appendix: in addition to the fifteen excellent essays forming the main body of "Kokoro", there's an extensive appendix featuring Hearn's translations of three popular folk ballads: "The Ballad of Shuntoku-Maru", "The Ballad of Oguri Hangwan" and "The Ballad of O-Shichi, the Daughter of the Yaoya". These are fascinating on a number of levels. They provide a tantalizingly fleeting glimpse of plebian drama, remarkable in its very lack of remarkableness. There's a certain sociological angle, as the versions of these oral ballads collected and translated by Hearn are those recited by mountain outcastes in the area of today's Shimane Prefecture. Religiously the first two ballads are key in understanding popular attitudes concerning pilgrimage in Japan--the first demonstrating a creepy (almost voodoo) edge in Kannon faith at Kiyomizudera Temple, the second delightfully exaggerating the rejuvenating benefits of Kumano and its sacred hot springs. Meanwhile, the third ballad is a straightforwardly melodramatic retelling of a true story better known to us today in a more refined and literary version as found in the novelist Saikaku's "Five Women Who Loved Love" of 1686.