The author of this work, an architect and ornamentalist by profession with a solid knowledge of manufacturing, went to Japan after the Meiji Restoration to observe what an ordinary traveller would not notice. The result is an absorbing and informative work on all aspects of building and the decorative arts for which we shall be always in his debt. From temples to carpentry tools, from candlesticks to theatre design, all are displayed and described here.

During his travels in Japan with Henry Adams in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the doyen of American impressionist painters, La Farge, wrote with amazing sensitivity his observations about the whole of Japanese society at the time.

Written during the Meiji Period, the pivotal period in the history of Modern Japan, this work offers a view of Japanese women and girls at the turn of the century.

Kwaidan are what Lafcadio Hearn called stories and studies of strange things -- eerie tales which convey the enduring mystery of traditional Japanese culture and the world of the samurai. In this volume, de Benneville's rendition of the Yotsuya Kwaidan of Shunkintei Ryuo paints a picture of life in the capital city of Edo among samurai of the highest class, jostling for power at the court of the Shogun. At the heart of the story is the Lady of Tamiya, a daughter of the samurai who is sold by her brutal husband into the floating world of the brothels, from which she escapes only in death....

Reveals the hidden world of the geisha of the famous Yoshiwara quarter of Tokyo, the 'nightless city'. This book provides description of the various aspects of geisha life, including the history of the geisha, life stories of famous geisha, the decoration of the teahouses, the different grades of courtesans, and their costumes and hairstyles.

First published in 2006. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This charming volume presents a rare opportunity to view the gardens of Meiji Japan from the inside, as seen through the eyes of an official of the Imperial Household in 1928. In Japan, the garden is considered a barometer of the nation's prosperity and character, and different periods in history have produced different kinds of gardens. Harada gives brief summaries of them all, including the Edo period (1603-1867), when professional gardeners first took over the design of gardens from priests, and reveals a few of the subtle distinctions that the Japanese use to distinguish between different...

Begins with a study of core Shinto rituals as revealed in ancient texts, which embody the deepest and oldest traditions of Shinto belief in divinity, national destiny and, above all, Japan's special favoured status as 'the country of the gods', beliefs that endure today behind the facade of Japan.

This work shows how the Mahayanistic views of life and the world differs markedly from that of the Theravada, which is generally taken as Buddhism by occidentals, to explain how the religion of Buddha has adapted itself to its environment in the Far East.

This volume details the various indoor and outdoor features of traditional Japanese homes. It describes all aspects of Japanese domestic architecture, from the tiles used on the roofs to the mats used on the floors, from the layouts of the rooms to the housewares used to fill them.