From a thatched roof farmhouse occupied by a Zen priest to Tadao Ando's experimental 4X4 House, Shigeru Ban's conceptual Shutter House, and a beautiful homage to bamboo in the form of a home, this book traverses the multifaceted landscape of Japanese living today. It also includes a list of addresses and a glossary of terms, such as tatami.

A trenchant analysis of modern-day Japan explores the negative side of the country's economic prosperity, such as the destruction of old cities and the construction of drab new ones, and the attendant collapse of its tourist industry. Reprint.

Product Description: Originally written in Japanese, this passionate, vividly personal book draws on the author's experiences in Japan over thirty years. Alex Kerr takes us on a backstage tour, as he explores the ritualized world of Kabuki, retraces his initiation into Tokyo's boardrooms during the heady Bubble Years, tells how he stumbled on a hidden valley that became his home...read more