Nobody writes about the old (and yet still preserved in a very few places) culture of Japan as Alex Kerr. He wrote the book in Japanese originally, won the most famous Japanese literary prize for it, and only then translated it into English. It is a passionate description of Japan gone. A book such as this demands special treatment, so I decided to use several reproductions of Japanese woodblock prints inside, and the book itself is printed on high-quality smooth paper and hardbound.