The richness of Japan's history is renowned worldwide. The heritage of culture that its society has produced and passed on to future generations is one of Japan's greatest accomplishments. In , you'll read an overview, through sixty-eight original and informative essays, of Japan's most notable cultural achievements, including: The Japan of today is a fully modern, Westernized society in nearly every regard. Even so, the elements of an earlier age are clearly visible in the country's arts, festivals, and customs. This book focuses on the essential constants that remain in present-day Japan and their counterparts in Western culture. Edited by Daniel Sosnoski, an American writer who has lived in Japan since 1985, these well-researched articles, color photographs, and line illustrations provide a compact guide to aspects of Japan that often puzzle the outside observer. is wonderfully informative, a needed primer on the cultural make-up and behaviors of the Japanese. This book is certain to fascinate the student, tourist, or anyone who seeks to know and understand Japanese culture, Japanese etiquette, and the history of Japan.