About the author: Lesley Downer is an author, journalist, and historian. She has written four books and lives in London.
The book’s opening lines are catchy and poetic.
The story of Japan begins with a dance.
The scope of the book covers the period from 14,500 BCE to the bustling, high-tech nation of today. All the elements from Japanese culture such as manga comics, zen, haiku, martial arts, shogun, video games, and Ikigai find a place in this informative and eye-opening book that tells you all you’d like to know about this island nation.
With black and white pictures, the use of poetic language in places, this book is interesting and tells the stories well.
Ancient tales are brought to life as are modern practices in this book that packs a lot in a few pages. Japan is most famous for the Kamakura, and this is covered in a chapter. Be it Buddhism in Nara or the Meiji restoration or Basho – everything finds a place here. Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are often side by side.
Link to book
