Kaiseki, the cooking associated with the tea ceremony, is Japan's most sublime cuisine. Every effort is made to perfectly accommodate aroma, flavor, color, texture & serving ware to the season, guests & occasion. The techniques & principles that enable one to create a sense of harmony through a meal are given in this book.

The past few years have shown a growing interest in cooking and food, as a result of international food issues such as BSE, world trade and mass foreign travel, and at the same time there has been growing interest in Japanese Studies since the 1970s. This volume brings together the two interests of Japan and food, examining both from a number of perspectives. The book reflects on the social and cultural side of Japanese food, and at the same time reflects also on the ways in which Japanese culture has been affected by food, a basic human institution. Providing the reader with the historical and social bases to understand how Japanese cuisine has been and is being shaped, this book assumes minimal familiarity with Japanese society, but instead explores the country through the topic of its cuisine.

The world's most comprehensive, well documented, and well illustrated book on this subject, with 445 photographs and illustrations. Plus an extensive index.

Random House 1977Zen History,Haiku, Ceramics, Archery, Landscape Garden, Stone Garden, Ink Landscape Scroll, Zen Architecture, Sword, Katana, No Theater, Noh Theater, Japanese Tea Ceremony, Flower arranging, Ikebana, Zen Ceramic Art, Raku, Shino, Ryoanji-ji 'Highly recommended'The Center for Asian Studies'A connoisseur'NYC-FM'Hoover provides an excellent introduction

Enchanting and enigmatic, chanoyu (Japanese tea ritual) has puzzled western observers since the sixteenth century. Here is a book written by a tea practitioner that explains why over twenty million modern Japanese — and a small but dedicated group of non-Japanese — follow "The Way of Tea." Meticulously researched, An Introduction to Japanese Tea Ritual is clearly written and illustrated, and includes an extensive glossary.

"Through his innovative approach to cooking, Kunio Tokuoka reinvents the classic dishes of Kaiseki without deviating from the extraordinary history and tradition of Japanese cuisine. In this book, he shares the inspiration behind his dishes with reference to the seasons, art, natural history and culture of Japan and through the exquisite photographs, he gives a glimpse of the beauty and creativity of his extraordinary restaurant." --Heston Blumenthal, Chef de Cuisine/Owner, The Fat Duck restaurant Kaiseki had its origins in the sixteenth century as an accompaniment to the Japanese tea ceremony. Over time, it has evolved into a highly formalized, artistic cuisine that celebrates the seasons by using only fresh, natural, local ingredients. Today, what we know as "kaiseki" owes much to Teiichi Yuki, founder of Kitcho restaurant in Kyoto and the creator of a contemporary version of this traditional cuisine. Kitcho continues to be world-renowned as the high temple of kaiseki; and its current chef and owner (and Yuki's grandson), Kunio Tokuoka, is revered for his innovative and exquisite interpretations of kaiseki dishes. Now, with this book, readers will get a look behind the well-guarded doors at the secrets, recipes, presentation techniques, and philosophy of one of the world's premiere restaurants. Chef Tokuoka stands at the top of his profession. Yet his approach to cooking is remarkably simple. How can he draw the best flavors for a hearty stock? How can he cook a fish dish so that it becomes a transforming experience for even the most jaded diner? Answer: Simply by finding the optimum way to prepare or cook each ingredient so as to draw out peak flavor. Over and over again, he demonstrates how he has reinvented an old technique or created new dishes to astonish loyal patrons. At Kitcho, a full-course meal is a multisensory experience to be savored on many levels. It can be a revelation. It can change the way people think about food. This book will do the same. From innovative cooking techniques to an artist's touch in food arrangement, Kitcho: Japan's Ultimate Dining Experience reveals every aspect of entertaining in the Japanese mode through brilliant photography; the chef's recipe notes; and essays on cooking, food arrangement, Japanese aesthetics, food philosophy, and the exquisite Japanese art of entertaining at the table, penned by Nobuko Sugimoto, one of Japan's leading food writers.