This is a great volume of *home cooking* recipes. It has great pictures to help guide you a bit and information on uncommon (in this country) ingredients. I have tried several recipes and while I don't consider them *fast cooking*...what i mean is I wouldnt necessarily start cooking them after a long days work... I don't see them as long or overly invovled.

Once you stock up on the traditional ingredients, flavorings, spices cooking this way is much easier. And much less time consuming... There are a good number of recipes that, once the intitial ingredients are purchased, are very economical (featuring eggs, rice, chicken thighs)

The feel of the book is very good. The pages are smooth and easy to wipe up if you have to, the spine is sturdy (an issue i have with non-spiral cook books) and hasnt broken on me even after two or so years of reading and using. A big plus for a cook book. Excellent quality pictures

Personally, I like more recipes for cook books...i find this book a bit thin. Even so, I think its a great addition to a collection and probably a great first japanese cook book.

My Japanese mother is now elderly and no longer able to cook my favorite dishes, so I needed a Japanese cookbook if I ever wanted to eat homestyle cooking again. This book is wonderful! This is your basic everyday cooking, not fancy restaurant foods (even though they are delicious enough for a restaurant). Recipes are very easy to follow (in addition to helpful hints in preparing them) and there are beautiful color photographs of what the final dish is to look like. I started off with the basics - two different recipes of Japanese pickles - my mother loved them! What better compliment could you ask for!

I've lived in Japan for several years and have been looking for a cookery book that could show me how to make simple everyday dishes I've enjoyed so often in Japanese homes. From Niku-jaga (a meat and potato dish) to tempura (vegetables or fish deep-fried in batter) to zoni (soup with rice cakes), not to mention sushi, all the home basics are included here. There are lots of photos showing you both the final product and key steps in preparation. The introductory section also has photos of commonly used basic ingredients such as fresh ginger and wasabi (Japanese horseradish) with tips and explanations on how to prepare and use them in dishes. A practical, well-thought out book.

This three-volume set is a must for anyone seriously interested in Japanese painting. There are entries on 235 works in the Powers Collection by Japanese artists of many different schools, including Zen Masters, haiku poets, literati, ukiyo-e masters, and eccentrics. These mini-essays are well written, thorough, and fascinating. Professor Rosenfield consistently includes valuable information on the artist and subject, plus analysis of the style, for each painting. In addition, the third volume contains longer biographies of the artists and other helpful infomation such as seal photographs, a useful index, and a full bibliogfraphy. Most of all, however, this set of books makes the art come alive within the context of an early modern Japan that welcomed individualism, leading to some of the most poetic, dramatic and evocative painting in East Asian history. This set of books can be read for pleasure, as well as serving as a vital resource in the field of East Asian art.

If you thought why spend a significant price for a book concentrating on a private collection of Japanese painting, take into account the following: 1) the collection is superb, covering a number of styles and cultural backgrounds, from Zen to nanga, from tea to Rimpa. 2) The scholarship, research, reading and traslation that went into the text is exemplary, I'd say even touching. Every piece of art is complemented with an interesting analysis of its form and content, the cultural influence that it sprang from, the poetic or religious sources that it connects to, or the social and political significance of the work and its authors. The book is a treasure trove of knowledge about Japanese art and culture in the Early Modern Era, and I find the price exceptionally well justified by hours of pleasure and learning that this book provides. If you are a dealer, collector or just seriously interested in Japanese painting, make sure you own this book before it becomes a collector's item.

Left alone to my own vices one afternoon at a friend's loft, I happened upon A Haiku Garden which I devoured with delight and then made an excuse for my friend to invite me over again.

The woodcut reproductions are priceless and a source of inspiration to a non-artistic poet. A wonderful "tea table" book and a perfect gift. In fact, I plan to buy a copy for myself!

I recommend this wonderful book for the inspiration it gives. The poetry is accessible and charming. The reproductions of woodcuts are beautiful. Anyone who would like to try writing Haikus as a meditation, or for fun will find that it starts to happen almost automatically.

A magnificent survey and original interpretation of the concept of "women's literature" in modern Japan, demonstrating its significance in the life and work of twentieth-century Japan's most important woman writer, Hayashi Fumiko (1903-51).

Utilizing an impressive array of Japanese sources, Ericson interprets the crystallization in the 1920s of the category "women's literature" by considering both literary aesthetics and the social dynamics of authorship.

Two translations of Hayashi's work -- Diary of a Vagabond, and Narcissus -- demonstrates its originality and power, rooted in the clarity and immediacy with which Hayashi is able to convey the humanity of those occupying the underside of Japanese society.

A wonderful juxtaposition of woodblock prints paired with haiku poems.The book divides the creatures into categories based on their actions so we have "walkers" and "fliers" and "crawlers" and "swimmers".

Issa, of course, is well-represented since he dealt with creatures in so many of his haiku. However, the inclusion of lesser-known haijin is certainly welcome. Has anyone not related to the following:

There's nothing
he doesn't know --
the cat on the stove

Fusei

Lovingly crafted and published, this book makes a thoughtful and classy gift.
I have recommended this volume to many friends and I recommend
it to you.

A beautiful book. Great drawings, and the story is written in Japanese and English.

My son is 1 going to be 2 soon and we enjoy reading this book together. He talks about the book sometimes during the day, specially when we walk in the park. He says "grandpa in the tree." I know he is talking about this book ...

I originally had to read this book for a Japanese History class, and found it incredible. In the 1930's it was standard practice to take a written confession from prisoners before execution, but this one stood out and has survived to the present day for its insight and honesty. This is a person who, after unthinkable suffering acheived not only complete self-realization but the ability to communicate it to others. It's also facinating because, despite so much spilt ink about understanding the conservative Japanese psyche, this is one of the only non-fiction works which effectively and honestly tackles communal mentality and social hierarcy without over-complicating the issue. But beyond that, it is an incredible story not unlike a true-to-life Japanese version of Ellison's Invisible Man. It is a crime that this book is not well known.

This was a pretty interesting book. I read _The Waiting Years_ three years ago and had always intended to read more of Enchi's novels, for some reason or another it took me over three years to read the next one.

_Masks_ is a very interesting, but also very strange little book. The book revolves around two men, Tsuneo Ibuki and Toyoki Mikame, who are both highly educated and intelligent men, but all of their intelligence and education is thrown out the window when it comes to the widow, Yasuko Tagano.

Tagano is a very pretty young woman who decided to remain with her mother and law instead of returning to her family after her husband's death in an avalanche. She shows interest in both me, but is unwilling to commit to either. The men believe that she is being controlled by her mother-in-law, Mieko. That remains to be seen. Very good book, and should be an interest to those who enjoy reading _The Tale of Genji_

I first studied this writer in college (with her book, The Waiting Years). I expected Masks to be similar, but it was extremely different. It is more modern and twisted. The story revolves around two women, one older and one younger (the younger is the widowed wife of the older woman's son). However, their relationship is not straight-forward; they have a psychic, almost sexual, connection. They use this connection to play with the hearts of the men around them. I found the descriptions in this book particularly striking; there is a party scene with the release of fireflies that I can still very clearly visualize. It was extremely enjoyable to delve into the dark depths of the two women. Just like in the story, the men are inconsequential. This is a great read for those who prefer things a bit uneasy and weird.

This book ought to be turned into a movie. Merchant Ivory could do it --& so could Hollywood...anyway--this is a most readable story--deep in every respect. Who are these women: The mother in law--the daughter in law--the twin--the young wife--the maids? Who hatched the scheme? Who really wants to be with whom? How do you replace a dead son--husband--brother? Where do dreams and reality intersect? The characters and we are investigating the spirit world--communication beyond the grave and outside language. And the masks-the perfect metaphor-serene, quite, beautiful, culturally pure-who wears them and why--are they just a part of the ancient culture--like the women's outward appearance--something that adheres to formal requirements--or is something much more complex behind the masks--like the results of the women's activities?

There is plenty to ask--and the book doesn't necessarily TELL YOU the answers--you are left to think about many, many questions. Some people have written that this book is about angry women. I think that is an interesting idea--but I don't see anger I just see women working within the confines of the culture they live in to get what they want. Is that anger or is that how power is actually wielded in the everyday world of men & women's relations. I think the later--but you need to read the book to answer that question for your self. This book is well worth the time to read. The story alone is compelling--the questions it raises will stay with you.

This book took my breath away. Fumiko Enchi describes the life of Tomo, who deals with her adulterous husband with amazing strength. In a complex marriage of love and hate, Tomo is sent to choose a concubine for her husband, find a husband for the other concubine he doesn't want, and worry about his affair with her daughter-in-law. While she may seem like a cold and unfeeling woman who is a stickler to tradition, Enchi shows the reader the gentle, compassionate side of Tomo. Tomo in the end is finally able to defeat her husband in an intelligent, almost classy manner.

What strikes me about the book is the way Enchi explains the motivations and fears of each of the characters. Even though I couldn't stand Tomo's husband, Yukitomo, at least I understood why he treated his wife so coldly. As in reality, everyone has different layers. The plot of the book is also interesting.

Do not wait to read the "The Waiting Years"!

I had to read this class for a course, and I am so glad that I did. It is a wonderful depiction of how life was for a Japanese woman during the late 19th century. It is a story of a strong woman who kept her life going no matter what got in the way. Enchi is a beautiful writer!

It was more of an intro to Japanese literature for me and i found some similiarities in african polygamous setting i empatised with Kin and was heartbroken myself.
Fumiko Enchi is extremely deep and has portrayed in the story the power of love to bear all things

"Haiku People" combines the elegance of traditional Japanese haiku with the beauty of Japanese woodblock prints (in color and black & white). The design of the book especially nice - it is a pleasure to look at. The book includes brief backround information on the poets and artists, as well as an introductory essay on the multiple interpretations of haiku. The poems are divided into subjects of childhood, maturity and old age. Some of the translations are not my favorites, but others I do prefer. The book is a good introduction to haiku because it contains many of the great masters of haiku as well as other noteworthy works by anonymous poets.