A Year In Japan
by Kate T. Williamson

$19.95 plus shipping/handling

The Land of the Rising Sun is shining brightly across the American cultural landscape. But the only way for a Westerner to get to know the real Japan is to become a part of it. Kate T. Williamson did just that, spending a year experiencing, studying, and reflecting on her adopted home. In her stunning watercolors and piquant texts, she avoids the usual cliches to focus on some lesser-known aspects of the country and culture. She explains the terms used to order various amounts of tofu, the electric rugs found in many Japanese homes, and how to distinguish a maiko from a geisha. She observes sumo wrestlers in traditional garb as they use ATMs, the wonders of "Santaful World" at a Kyoto department store, and the temple carpenters who spend each Sunday dancing to rockabilly. Color.