I quite like this book. There's a picture for each of the recipes, fifty odd of them. There are however some problems which prevent the book from being really useful.

The recipes are quite short, a page or less each. There's not much in the way of hints and tips, meaning that trial and error is required with some dishes. But I've still no idea firm my "white dumplings" really should be. I'm learning to make some assumptions, due to the instructions brevity, such as "cook for three minutes" means "cook for three minutes over a medium heat".

I bought this book because I liked the concept, but a book three times this size is needed to do the subject justice.

This is a wonderful book, even for those not knowledgeable about Japanese cooking. The photography is inspiring, and made me want to try every recipe! The recipes are clearly written, easy to follow, and the dishes come out as expected. The authors have provided additional useful information at the top of each recipe, including helpful hints, possible substitutions and modifications, and food history and lore.

My husband is Japanese American, and he actually was the one who chose this book. As a testament to the authenticity of the book, my husband's comment after I made a few of the recipes was: "Just like mamma use to make!"

My wife and I received this book as a gift from a Japanese exchange student 3 years ago. She used it to cook Japanese meals for us and now we use it at least once a week ourselves. We have purchased several other Japanese cookbooks since, but this is the very best we have seen. These are recipes that the Japanese actually prepare for themselves every day. Just an easy to understand cookbook with very delicious recipes. The photos of each recipe are also well photographed and appetizing.