World Languages: Learn Japanese!

Ikigai is a Japanese phenomenon commonly understood as "your reason to get up in the morning." Ikigai can be small moments: the morning air, a cup of coffee, a compliment. It can also be deep convictions: a fulfilling job, lasting friendships, balanced health. Whether big or small, your ikigai is the path to success and happiness in your own life.

Ketchell has compiled a realistic guide to constructing more than 20 outstanding Oriental garden features. Detailed directions combine with impeccable illustrations, and Ketchell's informed explanations of construction techniques, material requirements, tools, and equipment make even the most intricate design attainable.--Booklist.

The revered Iron Chef shows how to make flavorful, exciting traditional Japanese meals at home in this beautiful cookbook that is sure to become a classic, featuring a carefully curated selection of fantastic recipes and more than 150 color photos.

"Netsuke are exquisite reminders of three centuries of Japanese life. In tiny sculptural masterworks, most under two inches high and originally destined to keep the cord attached to a gentleman's snuffbox from slipping through the belt of his kimono, the myths, legends, and cultural history of Japan is recorded. Tiny Buddhas, grinning female poets of the sixteenth century, monkeys, jesters, and craftsmen beam their imperishable cheerfulness toward the viewer, taking the mystery of the ages in their tiny strides. Netsuke: Japanese Life and Legend in Miniaturesfeatures over seventy of these superb artifacts, along with fascinating background on the figure and the object or idea it represents. "

Manga is more than a genre in the comics field: it is a vital creative medium in its own right, with hundreds of millions of readers worldwide, a host of graphic styles, and a rich history now spanning seven decades. Now for the first time, that history is told by an award-winning expert in the field. Covering topics from Akira to Mazinger Z, this book is fully illustrated throughout, and photos of key creators accompany accessible sidebars and timelines.