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Kodansha
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Avatars and Antiheroes
Автор: Albertini Claudia Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2008 Страниц: 176 Дата загрузки: 12 мая 20112010-05-25
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Chinese contemporary art is currently enjoying a worldwide boom, fetching record-breaking prices at auction houses around the globe. The country's rapid transition from Communism to consumerism, and the dizzying changes brought about by urbanization, globalization and new technologies have created a fascinating explosion of art overwhelmingly concerned with the search for self-identity in a society that, from Confucius to Mao, has traditionally disregarded individualism for the collective good. Avatars and Antiheroes reflects the schizophrenic undercurrents of a nation in continuous fast-forward. From the Cynical Realism and Political Pop movements associated with the post-Tiananmen generation of artists such as Yue Minjun, whose grinning representations of himself as antihero seem to mock the revolutionary heroes of old, to the pop-culture generation spearheaded by Cao Fei, whose digital avatars live in a world without borders, this book showcases the work of the most important contemporary artists to emerge from China in recent years. Stunning full-color plates of the work of Chinas leading painters, photographers, sculptors, performance artists, video artists, and even a fireworks artist are complemented by insightful commentary from Beijing-based art specialist Claudia Albertini, who personally interviewed many of the artists featured.
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Tokyo Style File: A Shopping Guide
Автор: Nandan Jahnvi Dameron Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2007 Страниц: 256 Дата загрузки: 25 июня 20092010-02-29
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Though certainly a shopping paradise, Tokyo was once a daunting experience to even the most determined shopper from overseas. Though Japanese language guides abound, there was no help available in English. Now help has arrived: in this handy, extensively researched guide, the author shares her massive data base of shopping outlets, with descriptions of the shops, objective commentary, and other pertinent information and maps to over 600 shops in Tokyo. The alphabetic listing includes categories, cross-indexes and a Tokyo best list of particular favorites. The book also features easy-to-read maps of areas and shops. From the highest quality (and prices) of the biggest international brand names to tiny trendy fashion shops that cater to the Harajuku teenager, Tokyos shops are now readily accessible to anyone, from long-time resident to the first-time tourist.
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Seeing Japan
Автор: Whipple Charles Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2008 Страниц: 104 Дата загрузки: 25 мая 20112012-03-19
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A gloriously illustrated introduction to Japan today. Seeing Japan showcases the best of the country today with lavish, full-color photographs and lively text. Introduced here is everything from the natural beauty of the landscape to the everpopular traditional arts and customs, as well as the high technology for which Japan is renowned the world over. The islands of Japan form a crescent stretching from a subtropical twenty-four degrees north latitude to a subarctic forty-five degrees, the same range as from the state of Florida on the east coast of North America all the way up to Nova Scotia in Canada. Part I presents the tremendous range of landscapes and customs in the various regions of this extensive area, while Part II looks at the arts and traditions uniques to Japan that have developed over its long history. Part III gives essential background information on the country's history, language, and people. Seeing Japan is a wonderful primer for visitors, a cherished souvenir-and indeed a must for anyone with an interest in this fascinating country.
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A Geisha's Journey: My Life As a Kyoto Apprentice
Автор: Komomo Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2008 Страниц: 144 Дата загрузки: 20 декабря 20102009-06-11
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This is the story of a contemporary Japanese teenager who, in a search for an identity, became fascinated with the world of geisha, and discovered in herself the will and the commitment to embark on the many years of apprenticeship necessary to become one. It is also the story of a young Japanese photographer who grew up overseas, and who also was captivated by the traditional lives of these women who choose to dedicate themselves to their art. He began following and documenting the life of teenager Komomo as she studied and grew into her role. Naoyuki Oginos photographs follow Komomos entire journey, from her first tentative visits after finding the geisha house on the internet through her commitment to the hard schedule of an apprentice, learning arts that go back centuries, all the way to the ceremony where she officially became a geiko, as Kyotos geisha are known and beyond. From the cobbled streets where she walks in her elaborate dress to the inner sanctums of her dressing room, these pages offer a rare look at a unique, living art. The photographs are accompanied by autobiographical text and captions by Komomo, as she shares her thoughts and emotions, and describes the day-to-day existence of a Kyoto apprentice. It is an illuminating view of seven years in the life of a very special young woman.
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Avatars and Antiheroes: A Guide to Contemporary Chinese Artists
Автор: Albertini Claudia Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 176 Дата загрузки: 12 апреля 20142013-04-25
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Chinese contemporary art is currently enjoying a worldwide boom, fetching record-breaking prices at auction houses around the globe. The country's rapid transition from Communism to consumerism, and the dizzying changes brought about by urbanization, globalization and new technologies have created a fascinating explosion of art overwhelmingly concerned with the search for self-identity in a society that, from Confucius to Mao, has traditionally disregarded individualism for the collective good. Avatars and Antiheroes reflects the schizophrenic undercurrents of a nation in continuous fast-forward. From the Cynical Realism and Political Pop movements associated with the post-Tiananmen generation of artists such as Yue Minjun, whose grinning representations of himself as antihero seem to mock the revolutionary heroes of old, to the pop-culture generation spearheaded by Cao Fei, whose digital avatars live in a world without borders, this book showcases the work of the most important contemporary artists to emerge from China in recent years. Stunning full-color plates of the work of Chinas leading painters, photographers, sculptors, performance artists, video artists, and even a fireworks artist are complemented by insightful commentary from Beijing-based art specialist Claudia Albertini, who personally interviewed many of the artists featured.
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The Unencumbered Spirit: Reflections of a Chinese Sage
Автор: Ying-ming Hung Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 224 Дата загрузки: 11 октрября 20132013-02-29
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We know almost nothing of Hung Ying-ming, except that he lived around the end of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and that he was extraordinarily well-read and cultured. The Unencumbered Spirit is his classic work, a tour de force offering wise words distilled through the fundamental teachings of Taoism, Confucianism and Zen Buddhism. Hung's poetic prose embodies the infinite transformations of the world's opposites, what the Chinese called yin and yang--good and evil, honesty and deception, wisdom and foolishness, heaven and hell. Wise, profound, spiritual, humorous, witty, and timeless, The Unencumbered Spirit is, in short, a book about putting greed and competition aside, about getting at the true, clear essence of things, free of distractions and encumbrances. It is a book about living without stuff, whether it be material, psychological, or spiritual. About living with simplicity and awareness. «It has been rare for one person to develop a thorough grasp of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, such is their profundity. But there have been a few. Among them, one person's work stands above the rest: namely, Hung Ying-ming's The Unencumbered Spirit. I can recommend this work to anyone interested in the way of the world's greatest sages, whose teachings can help us all to see into and to improve our own lives.» Bill Porter (aka Red Pine), from the Foreword
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The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi
Автор: Wilson W.S. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 288 Дата загрузки: 14 августа 20122013-09-24
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The Lone Samurai is a landmark biography of Miyamoto Musashi, the legendary Japanese figure known throughout the world as a master swordsman, spiritual seeker, and author of The Book of Five Rings. With a compassionate yet critical eye, William Scott Wilson delves into the workings of Musashi's mind as the iconoclastic samurai wrestled with philosophical and spiritual ideas that are as relevant today as they were in his times. Musashi found peace and spiritual reward in seeking to perfect his chosen Way, and came to realize that perfecting a single Way, no matter the path, could lead to fulfillment. The Lone Samurai is far more than a vivid account of a fascinating slice of feudal Japan. It is the story of one man's quest for answers, perfection, and access to the Way. By age thirteen, Miyamoto Musashi had killed his opponent in what would become the first of many celebrated swordfights. By thirty, he had fought more than sixty matches, losing none. He would live another thirty years but kill no one else. He continued to engage in swordfights but now began to show his skill simply by thwarting his opponents' every attack until they acknowledged Musashi's all-encompassing ability. At the same time, the master swordsman began to expand his horizons, exploring Zen Buddhism and its related arts, particularly ink painting, in a search for a truer Way. Musashi was a legend in his own time. As a swordsman, he preferred the wooden sword and in later years almost never fought with a real weapon. He outfoxed his opponents or turned their own strength against them. At the height of his powers, he began to evolve artistically and spiritually, becoming one of the country's most highly regarded ink painters and calligraphers, while deepening his practice of Zen Buddhism. He funneled his hard-earned insights about the warrior arts into his spiritual goals. Ever the solitary wanderer, Musashi shunned power, riches, and the comforts of a home or fixed position with a feudal lord in favor of a constant search for truth, perfection, and a better Way. Eventually, he came to the realization that perfection in one art, whether peaceful or robust, could offer entry to a deeper, spiritual understanding. His philosophy, along with his warrior strategies, is distilled in his renowned work, The Book of Five Rings, written near the end of his life. Musashi remains a source of fascination for the Japanese, as well as for those of us in the West who have more recently discovered the ideals of the samurai and Zen Buddhism. The Lone Samurai is the first biography ever to appear in English of this richly layered, complex seventeenth-century swordsman and seeker, whose legacy has lived far beyond his own time and place.
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Warriors of Art: A Guide to Contemporary Japanese Artists
Автор: Yamaguchi Y. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 176 Дата загрузки: 12 апреля 20142013-04-25
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Recently the West has been inundated by a steady flow of images from manga, anime, and the video games that are a key part of todays Japanese visual culture. At the same time, Japanese contemporary artists are gaining a higher profile overseas: many Westerners are already familiar with Takashi Murakamis brightly colored, cartoonlike characters, or with Junko Mizunos grotes-cute Lolita-style girls. Perhaps less familiar are the absurd fighting machines of Kenji Yanobe, the many disguises of Tomoko Sawada, or the grotesque fairytale landscapes of Tomoko Konoike. Warriors of Art features the work of forty of the latest and most relevant contemporary Japanese artists, from painters and sculptors, to photographers and performance artists, with lavish full-color spreads of their key works. Author Yumi Yamaguchi offers an insightful introduction to the main themes of each artist, and builds up a fascinating portrait of the society that has given birth to them: a Japan that still bears the scars of atomic destruction, a Japan with a penchant for the cute and the childish, a Japan whose manga and anime industries have come to dominate the world. Warriors of Art takes its title from a phrase used to describe Taro Okamoto (1911-1996), perhaps the first truly influential contemporary artist to emerge in postwar Japan, who fought to bring modern art to a wider audience. Following in Okamotos footsteps, the forty artists featured in this book are a new generation of warriors, attacking our senses with a shocking mix of the cute, the grotesque, the sexy, and the violent, forcing us to sit up and take notice of their vision of Japan.
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Almost Transparent Blue
Автор: Murakami R. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 128 Дата загрузки: 21 августа 20122011-06-21
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Almost Transparent Blue is a brutal tale of lost youth in a Japanese port town close to an American military base. Murakami?s image-intensive narrative paints a portrait of a group of friends locked in a destructive cycle of sex, drugs and rock?n?roll. The novel is all but plotless, but the raw and often violent prose takes us on a rollercoaster ride through reality and hallucination, highs and lows, in which the characters and their experiences come vividly to life. Trapped in passivity, they gain neither passion nor pleasure from their adventures. Yet out of the alienation, boredom and underlying rage and grief emerges a strangely quiet and almost equally shocking beauty. Ryu Murakami?s first novel, Almost Transparent Blue won the coveted Akutagawa literary prize and became an instant bestseller. Representing a sharp and conscious turning away from the introspective trend of postwar Japanese literature, it polarized critics and public alike and soon attracted international attention as an alternative view of modern Japan.
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The Bamboo Sword and Other Samurai Tales
Автор: Fujisawa S. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 256 Дата загрузки: 27 апреля 20142011-12-30
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The eight stories that comprise this collection were all written in the 1970s and 80s, yet vividly evoke early 17th-century Japan, when peace finally reigned after centuries of warfare. It was a period of upheaval and change as the rulers carved out their territories and clan politics were full of intrigue, rivalry and betrayals. The samurai were still valued for their swordsmanship, and were a cut above the peasants, artisans, and merchants in the social hierarchy. Without battles to fight, however, they struggled to retain their sense of pride and meaning in life as they devoted themselves to mundane jobs, marriage and family. The occasional flash of the sword and samurai discipline were tempered by the unexpected intrusion of human interaction. Sympathies, conspiracies, kindnesses, enmities-all kinds of odd relationships were formed and conflicts resolved in surprising ways. These tales are colorful, atmospheric, exciting, tender, violent and gently ironic. The Bamboo Sword and Other Samurai Tales is published as part of the Japanese Literature Publishing Project (JLPP), which is run by the Japanese Literature Publishing and Promotion Center (J-Lit Center) on behalf of the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan.
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Crossfire
Автор: Miyabe M. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 416 Дата загрузки: 06 мая 20132013-04-12
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Young, pretty Junko Aoki has an extraordinary ability she can start fires through sheer force of will. When she begins using her gift of pyrokinesis to take the law into her own hands and punish violent criminals, her executions attract the attention of two very different groups: the Guardians, a secretive vigilante organization that tries to recruit her, and the arson squad of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Soon the police are on Junkos trail, most notably Detective Chikako Ishizu, a rationalist who must come to terms with the existence of paranormal forces. As Junkos crusade against evil escalates and she finds it harder to control her power, we are taken on a breathtaking and brutal journal through the urban landscape of Tokyo. . .a journey that challenges us, along with Chikako, to think about whats right and whats wrong in the name of justice.
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Shadow Family
Автор: Miyabe M. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 208 Дата загрузки: 17 августа 20122014-03-18
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In Shadow Family, Miyuki Miyabe draws readers into the amorphous world of Internet chat rooms-a world of people from all walks of life attracted by the possibility of being whomever they want to be. Police investigating the murder of a middle-aged office worker discover e-mail correspondence on the victim's computer that indicates he had been a regular participant in an Internet chat room, as the «father» in a fantasy «family.» Meanwhile, a female detective is assigned to protect the dead man's real-life daughter who complains of being stalked. As the real daughter confronts her father's alternate life, we are pulled into a psychological drama that pits reality and illusion against each other in astonishing ways.
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Kodokan Judo
Автор: Kano Jigoro Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2011 Страниц: 264 Дата загрузки: 18 мая 20142013-05-22
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Judo, or the Way of Gentleness, an ideal form of physical exercise and a reliable system of self-defense, was specially created from traditional Japanese martial arts. This book by the creator of Kodokan judo is uniquely comprehensive and the most authoritative guide to this martial art ever published.
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Karate Fighting Techniques
Автор: Kanazawa Hirokazu Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2011 Страниц: 192 Дата загрузки: 15 июня 20132015-03-16
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This title teaches all the various kumite techniques, and presents a systematic approach to applied kumite that is designed to provide essential information for match-style kumite and tournament kumite.
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Aikido The Complete Basic Techniques
Автор: Shioda G. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2011 Страниц: 224 Дата загрузки: 11 октрября 20142012-12-30
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This book is a basic technical syllabus for the Yoshinkan system. It is actually a reformatted translation of the Japanese-language volume “Aikido Kihon-waza” from the late 1970’s. I cannot speak to the completeness of the coverage, but perhaps someone from Yoshinkan could address this. I can say that there are many exercises and basic techniques discussed at length here, along with numerous variations. It is a sizeable volume. There are sequential b/w photographs, many of which are the same as the ones in the original Japanese offering (featuring Gozo Shioda), and others more contemporary (with Yasuhisa Shioda). There are numerous variations discussed, so the reader can begin to understand the diversity that exists within each of the basic core techniques. Techniques are named in English, Romanized Japanese, and Kanji, which adds a nice touch. I was a little disappointed that no new information was presented here, but some would say that there is really no new information to write about, and I suppose I could agree with that logic. Perhaps I was hoping for some insight that Yasuhisa Sensei could call his own, but that might be for a different book. This is, after all, a volume devoted to purely technique. It’s a bit dry on the read, but most tech manuals are. The paper and construction in this hardcover volume are of good quality, as is usually the case with a Kodansha offering. The type is a bit small, but still readable. Availability is good from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. Pricing is reasonable for a hardback book.
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House of the Sleeping Beauties and other stories
Автор: Kawabata Y. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2010 Страниц: 160 Дата загрузки: 26 февраля 20122012-05-06
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From Japan's first Nobel laureate for literature, three superb stories exploring the interplay between erotic fantasy and reality in a loner's mind. «He was not to do anything in bad taste, the woman of the house warned old Eguchi. He was not to put his finger into the mouth of the sleeping girl, or try anything else of that sort. With his promise to abide by the rules, Eguchi begins his life as a member of a secret club for elderly gentlemen who have lost their sexual powers. At an inn several hours from Tokyo they indulge in their last pleasure: lying with beautiful young girls who are sleeping nude when the men arrive. As «House of the Sleeping Beauties» unfolds in Kawabata's subtle prose, the horrified reader comes to see that the sexual excitement is a result not of rejuvenescence, but of a flirtation with death. The three stories presented in this volume all center upon a lonely protagonist and his peculiar eroticism. In each, the author explores the interplay of fantasy and reality at work on a mind in solitude-in «House of the Sleeping Beauties» the elderly Eguchi and his clandestine trips to his club; in «One Arm» the bizarre dialogue of a man with the arm of a young girl; in «Of Birds and Beasts» a middle-aged man's memories of an affair with a dancer mingled with glimpses of his abnormal attachment to his pets. All of these stories appear in English for the first time outside of Japan. «Of Birds and Beasts» written in the early 1930's, is one of Kawabata's earlier works, while «One Arm» and «House of the Sleeping Beauties» the latter hailed by novelist Yukio Mishima as the best of Kawabata's works, are among his later works.
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Best Aikido
Автор: Ueshiba Kisshomaru Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2011 Страниц: 192 Дата загрузки: 15 июня 20132015-03-16
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At last, the complete and authoritative introduction to all the fundamentals of Aikido, coauthored by the two direct successors to the Founder of the martial art, Morihei Ueshiba. Coauthors Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Moriteru Ueshiba, son and grandson of the Founder, seek to carry on his legacy and to share with the millions of men and women around the world practicing Aikido today the most important techniques and principles of the art. This book is the quintessential training aid for all Aikido practitioners-whether beginning or advanced-who wish to further their understanding of the forms and spirit of Aikido. Underlying the forms, or physical techniques, are the spiritual principles of Aikido, which are based on the notion of ki, or «life force.» Ki is the fundamental element to understanding Aikido. But as the authors explain, it cannot be learned merely by watching a demonstration or reading a book. Rather, one must come to experience it through practice, in unifying body and mind. Best Aikido helps guide the practitioner to this goal. It offers step-by-step instruction that will complement knowledge learned in the dojo. The text is illustrated with a wealth of never-before-seen photographs that feature Aikido master Moriteru Ueshiba demonstrating the fundamental techniques of the art. Best Aikido is authorized by the Aikikai Foundation, the central organization set up by Morihei Ueshiba.
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Snow, wave, Pine: traditional patterns in Japanese design
Автор: Hibi S. Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2008 Страниц: 196 Дата загрузки: 09 февраля 20102010-07-21
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An important, but often overlooked, part of the world of Japanese arts and crafts is the array of beautiful, stylized motifs that have traditionally been used to decorate a huge range of objects. Snow, Wave, Pine takes a close look at some of the most classic of those patterns, enabling the reader to recognize and appreciate these motifs wherever they appear, and providing inspiration to anyone interested in design or arts and crafts. The first half of the book introduces seventy-five important patterns, as depicted on a variety of objects. Seeing the «lotus blossom» or «flowing water» patterns, for instance, on antiques including brocaded kabuki robes, lacquerware trays, and metal sword guards throws into relief the patterns themselves, rather than the objects, making possible a new level of understanding and enjoyment. The informative text describes how each pattern arose, and the significance it had in terms of art, religion, and even politics. The reader has a sense of being empowered to look at any Japanese art, craft or design form with a new and educated eye. The second half of the book shows a rich and dynamic selection of more than one thousand family crests. Crests are very stylized motifs whose variety and artistry are remarkable. With a minimum of lines, they are able to express the essence of such forms as a pair of facing crows with wings outstretched; the rounded back of a monkey viewed from behind as it sits hunched over, alone; or the elegant single counter-clockwise whorl. Despite being hundreds of years old, they are extremely modern in their sensibility. Lavishly illustrated with over 450 color plates, and with text and photos alike by experts in the traditional Japanese arts, Snow, Wave, Pine is a treasurehouse of information for anyone interested in design forms or in Japanese culture.
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Japanese for All Occasions: Mastering Speech Styles from Casual to Honorific (+ CD-ROM)
Автор: Kamiya Taeko Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2011 Страниц: 200 Дата загрузки: 24 июля 20122016-08-27
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In Japanese, register — the way you change your words according to who you are speaking with — plays a key role. The rules of register in Japanese are far more complicated than they are in English, but until now there hasn't been a book that lays it all out in an accessible format. Japanese for All Occasions is a much-needed introduction to this bewildering aspect of the language. Through 57 dialogues, veteran teacher Taeko Kamiya shows learners how the Japanese change their way of speaking depending on the social setting or their relationship with the listener, with examples ranging from casual to super polite. Chapters are ordered according to function (Introducing People, Identifying Things, etc.) so that learners can absorb the most common sentence patterns used in daily life at the same time that they study casual, polite, and honorific styles. Each one presents three similar dialogues that show contrasting styles of speech. Detailed notes explain the grammar or usage at work in the dialogues, and quizzes at the end of each chapter allow learners to test their understanding. Best of all, the book comes with a free CD containing all the dialogues, narrated by professional Japanese actors. For intermediate students and above.
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Nobu: The Cookbook
Автор: Matsuhisa Nobuyuki Жанр: Kodansha Издательство: Kodansha Год: 2013 Страниц: 200 Дата загрузки: 25 июня 20152015-07-28
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With his multinational and ever expanding empire of thirteen restaurants, Nobu Matsuhisa has become one of the most talked-about international restaurateurs and arguably the world's greatest sushi chef. In his first, long awaited book, Nobu: The Cookbook, Matsuhisa reveals the secrets of his exciting, cutting-edge Japanese cuisine. Nobu's culinary creations are based on the practice of simplicity the art of using simple techniques to bring out the flavors in the best ingredients the world's oceans have to offer and on his unique combinations of Japanese cuisine and imaginative.
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