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.

Kazari had long dreamed of being called by the Lady – she who had created Albatar as a sanctuary for the faithful following the Gorgone War. But Kazari never expected to be the one to take the amethyst of the Hunter, or to become one of the Lady’s elect, the select few who defended Albatar from the gorgones. Hunter training is hard, and nothing has prepared Kazari for the challenges ahead of her. Gorgones – evil demons, brought from Beyond by the Second King, and which corrupt those who worship them; destroying their minds, bodies and souls. And now rumours of evil, and gorgones, once more abound, heralding what might be another approaching war. As a Hunter, one of those whose exploits are legend within Albatar, Kazari must play her part as her homeland’s defender. But how can she, a short girl from a remote village, live up to those legends? Will the Lady’s gifts to Kazari be enough to help the Hunters to defend Albatar in the oncoming war? And will she master them in time to make a difference? Or will she even survive?

Entertain your friends and family with sushi that looks as fantastic as it tastes! As the world's appetite for Japanese sushi continues to skyrocket, the Sushi Art Cookbook introduces readers to the art of creating sushi that looks as fantastic as it tastes! Author Ken Kawasumi--principal lecturer at the Japanese Sushi Institute--is the pioneering chef behind Kazari Maki Sushi. The designs revealed by slicing the sushi logs into delicious morsels can be understated or refined, expressive or playful--whatever suits the occasion! A sushi cookbook like no other, this guide to decorative Kazari Maki Sushi includes: Instructions on how to prepare sushi rice, ingredients, and garnishes Essential sushi rolling and pressing techniques 85 designs from simple to sophisticated Detailed color photographs, documenting step-by-step assembly Anyone can create these simple-to-sophisticated sushi recipes and designs: Chrysanthemum Bunny Clown Smiley-Face Panda Cherry Blossom Guitar Penguin Bonsai Tree Samurai and much more!

This completely new encyclopedic reference for the Japanese sword contains about 2,500 entries, many of them illustrated by photos and drawings. The Encyclopedia of Japanese Swords is an A-Z general encyclopedia covering each and every part of the sword: the blade, the mountings, the fittings, and all their different interpretations. Further, this encyclopedia also explains the literal or etymological meaning of each Japanese term and provides an even deeper insight into the subject.

This book begins with the understanding that, in addition to its aesthetic qualities, Asian art and material artifacts are expressive of cultural realities and constitute a 'visible language' with messages that can be read, interpreted, and analyzed. Asian art and artifacts are understood in their contexts, as 'windows' into cultures, and as such can be used as a powerful pedagogical tool in many academic disciplines. The book includes essays by scholars of Asian art, philosophy, anthropology, and religion that focus on objects held in ASIANetwork schools. The ASIANetwork collections are reflective of Asian societies, historical and religious environments, political positions, and economic conditions. The art objects and artifacts were discovered sometimes in storage and were sometimes poorly understood and variously described as fine art, curiosities, souvenirs, and markers of events in a school's history. The chapter authors tell the stories of the collections, and the collections themselves tell stories of the collectors. This volume is intended for use in many disciplines, and its interpretive structures are adaptable to other examples of art and artifacts in other colleges, universities, and museums. An online database of some 2000 art objects held in the ASIANetwork schools' collections supplements this book.