A Geek In Japan is a lavishly illustrated collection of short articles on a wide array of topics on contemporary Japanese culture and many of its ancient traditions. This links to Amazon and it's just $10.99 on Kindle and $12.63 in paperback.

The Japanese Mind is a collection of essays written by Japanese graduate students under the guidance of the editor, Roger Davies. There are short essays on everything from "aimai (ambiguity) to "chimoku" (silence in communication) to "zoto" (gift giving). Highly recommended; Helen has used this twice for college courses. This links to Amazon and it's just $9.99 on Kindle and $11.39 in paperback.

Japanese Culture An introduction to Japanese history and culture. This fourth edition includes expanded sections on numerous topics, among which are samurai values, Zen Buddhism, the tea ceremony, Confucianism in the Tokugawa period, the story of the 47 ronin, and mass culture in contemporary times. It is used at UC for the Introduction to Japanese Culture course. This links to Amazon and it's just $14.16 on Kindle and $12.00 paperback.

The Tea Ceremony Written by contemporary tea masters, The Tea Ceremony takes a clear and comprehensive look at the sources and inspiration of this ancient discipline. The authors trace the practice from its earliest origins to the present day, considering in detail the individuals who helped it evolve. They discuss all the elements of the ceremony-including art, architecture, incense, flowers, and the influence of Zen-and show how readily the study of tea can serve as a spiritual path to greater insight and calm. This links to Amazon and it's $34.26 hardcover and $17.35 paperback. Docents will recognize some of the photos from our tea ceremony cart.