{"product_id":"japan-book-dorothy-britton-9784770024787","title":"Japan","description":"Japan is alive with much more than tradition. Cities reverberate with the whirl of crisscrossing trains, pulsating neon, and hurry-scurrying crowds. High-tech skyscrapers rise from the rice paddies. Rural festivals unleash a torrent of raw energy in an otherwise tranquil countryside. And ancient volcanoes-after snoozing for centuries-awaken with a thunderous roar to remind the islands' inhabitants of the mighty forces of nature. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBeneath all the frenetic forward motion of present-day Japan lies a foundation built on over a millennium of recorded history and a vast legacy of artistic and cultural traditions. The Japanese often pause to reflect on their past-for there lies the key to their national identity, so often obscured in today's confusing web of satellites and semiconductors. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe contemporary color schemes, time-honored traditions, and dynamic natural beauty of Japan come to life in this lavishly illustrated book. Geisha and robots, Fuji and fine arts, shrines and skyscrapers-they're all here. An illuminating foreword by Mike Mansfield, former U.S. senator and ambassador to Japan, precedes a gallery of over 140 color photographs that highlight the nature, modern life, traditional arts, and contemporary culture of Japan. Accompanying the collage of photos are essays by author-poet Dorothy Britton, journalist Frederick Hiroshi Katayama, art historian Martha J. McClintock, and architect Azby Brown, who offer incisive perspectives on the country, its arts, and its people. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThrough word and picture, this one volume brings together the contrasting faces of Japan. From the legendary cherry blossoms of Yoshinoyama to the colorful kitsch of urban architecture, \u003cem\u003eJapan: A Living Portrait\u003c\/em\u003e captures the eclectic synthesis of things past, present, and future that makes this island nation so endlessly fascinating.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50404656021777,"sku":"CIN4770024789G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50597999018257,"sku":"GOR005105325","price":13.96,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/4770024789.jpg?v=1751253655","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/products\/japan-book-dorothy-britton-9784770024787","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}