An accessible compendium of the most important aspects of Japanese arts, culture and history, for quick reference or a longer, in-depth read, for actual and armchair travelers alike..

This friendly guide offers concise but detailed demystifications of more than 85 aspects of ancient and modern Japan.

It can be read in sequence, or just dipped into, depending on the moment's need. Explanations go much deeper than a typical travel guide and cover 1,500 years of history and culture, everything from geisha to gangsters, haiku to karaoke, the sun goddess to the shogunate . . . and anime to Zen.