With roots in zen and the way of tea, the timeless wisdom of wabi sabi is more relevant than ever for modern life, as we search for new ways to approach life's challenges and seek meaning beyond materialism.Wabi sabi is a refreshing antidote to our fast-paced, consumption-driven world, which will encourage you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and be gentler on yourself. It will help you simplify everything, and concentrate on what really matters.From honouring the rhythm of the seasons to creating a welcoming home, from reframing failure to ageing with grace, wabi sabi will teach you to find more joy and inspiration throughout your perfectly imperfect life. This book is the definitive guide to applying the principles of wabi sabi to transform every area of your life, and finding happiness right where you are.

    The originals are in the Riccar Art Museum in Tokyo, the world's largest and most celebrated collection of such prints. On account of their rarity and value, 87 of them have been designated Japanese National Treasures or Major National Cultural Heritage Items. The introductory essay, "Ukiyo-e - Origins and History", by the Curator of the Riccar Art Museum, Mitsunobu Sato, familiarizes the reader with the history of this art form. This is followed by the chapter "Cherry - Wood - Blossom", in which Thomas Zacharias, Professor at the Munich Academy of Art examines the technique, content and style of Japanese prints and their influence on European art at the turn of the century. The major section of the book consists of the 139 reproductions, grouped by artist, each accompanied by a detailed, sensitive commentary. Street scenes, lovers' trysts, festivals, portraits of courtesans and actors, landscapes and travelogues - these are the motifs of the ukiyo-e print. The dominant theme, however, is woman's beauty, the grace of her posture and attitudes, and the decorative aesthetics of her flowing garments. Amongst the most celebrated of the artists featured here are Utamaro, with his beautiful courtesans and geishas; Sharaku, with his portraits of actors on the kabuki stage; Hokusai, with his landscapes, among them the "36 Views of Mount Fuji"; and Hiroshige, with his "53 Stations on the Tokaido" and his "100 Views of Famous Places in and around Edo". The ten-page appendix includes a glossary of technical terms and biographies of all 43 artists.

    The book also includes descriptions of laquerware under candlelight, and women in the darkness of the house of pleasure.

    Into this tumultuous age of constant warfare came three remarkable individuals: Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598), and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616). Each would play a unique role in the re-unification of the disparate, fragmented collection of warring provinces which constituted Japan in the sixteenth and early seventeenth-centuries. This new narrative history of the sengoku era draws together the epic strands of their three stories for the first time. It offers a coherent survey of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568-1600) under both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, followed by the founding years of the Tokugawa shogunate (1600-1616). Every pivotal battle fought by each of these three hegemons is explored in depth from Okehazama (1560) and Nagashino (1575) to Sekigahara (1600) and the Two Sieges of Osaka Castle (1614-15). In addition, the political and administrative underpinnings of their rule is also examined, as well as the marginal role played by western foreigners ('nanban') and the Christian religion in early modern Japanese society. In its scope, the story of Japan's three unifiers ('the Fool', 'the Monkey', and 'the Old Badger') is a sweeping saga encompassing acts of unimaginable cruelty as well as feats of great samurai heroism which were venerated and written about long into the peaceful Edo/Tokugawa period.

    Often, a photographer will spend long days capturing photos only to return with a set of images that he or she is not completely satisfied with. Sure, the lighting and exposure may have turned out great, but the overall composition of the photos leaves something to be desired. In short, they lack that “wow” factor that they see in other photographers’ shots.Composition is the foundation in which great photography is built upon. A photo may be properly lit and contain good subject matter, but if it is doesn’t have good composition it will never be considered more than an amateur shot. How can you overcome this? We’ll teach you in this book. Finally, a Book on the Art of Photography that Teaches Tips and Tricks for Creative Composition! Our intention with this book is to teach you the tips and tricks professionals use to craft a great image design and learn how to incorporate these into composition that will lay the foundation for you to create amazing photos. Once you master the art of photography composition, you’ll know exactly what elements it takes to compose a great shot before you even touch the shutter button! As a result, it will free you up to concentrate on the other ingredients that go into making a beautiful photograph.Digital photography composition techniques you'll learn include: - How to develop the ability to see and shoot great digital photographs- Multiple ways in which to compose the best shot, regardless of subject matter- What the rule of thirds is and how to use it to your advantage- Where to place dominant vertical or horizontal subjects within the frame for maximum results- How to effectively use symmetry in photography- Understanding balance and visual weight within a photo- How to use lines in photography- How each type of line (horizontal, vertical, diagonal and curved) can be used to evoke a specific feeling within the viewer- How to instantly make a boring composition more dynamic- Ways in which to use different camera angles to add interest to a photo- How to master Out of Focus Foreground Framing, a signature style of many professional photographers- Unique ways to composing better backgrounds in any situation- How less can actually be more in photography- and much more!If you own a camera you owe it to yourself to learn how to master the art of composition in photography. The lessons taught in this book will provide you with knowledge you can use or the rest of your life as a photographer. Throughout this book you’ll find multiple examples of great photography composition that you can use for inspiration for your own shots. Secure your copy of this book and start your journey to better photography today!

    Get ready for hundreds of pages filled with surprising revelations, inside information, obscure trivia, and universal cosmic destruction. This legend of localization doesn’t stink!

    By living the wabi sabi life, Westerners would be seeking to find peace and truth through nature, harmony and the little things. Readers can explore all aspects of this wondrous way of life: - Wabi sabi working - doing what one loves and not overdoing it; Wabi sabi eating - valuing the humble and familiar and savouring the exotic; Wabi sabi socializing - gleaning the lessons of the ancient tea ceremony; Wabi sabi creativity - enriching one's life by; valuing individual moments. The author serves as a highly eloquent guide on the reader's journey to a simpler, more fulfilling life

    Throughout his career he produced eight certified platinum albums and had numerous singles and LPs debut at No. 1 on the charts. This folio features Tupac's most successful works spanning his career. Titles are: R U Still Down? * Brenda's Got a Baby * California Love * Changes * Dear Mama * Do for Love * How Do U Want It * I Ain't Mad at Cha * I Get Around * I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto * Me Against the World * Papa'z Song * So Many Tears * To Live & Die in L.A. * 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.

    This handsome hardcover contains never-before-seen concept art, the full history of Hyrule, the official chronology of the games, and much more! Starting with an insightful introduction by the legendary producer and video-game designer of Donkey Kong, Mario, and The Legend of Zelda, Shigeru Miyamoto, this book is crammed full of information about the storied history of Link's adventures from the creators themselves! As a bonus, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia includes an exclusive comic by the foremost creator of The Legend of Zelda manga - Akira Himekawa!

    With a haunting emotional intensity, they offer glimpses of love lost and lives wasted. These three luminous, compassionate tales showcase the mastery and exquisite talent of one of Japan's most beloved writers.

    The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War pulls from many of Osprey's bestselling books on the subject in addition to the most recent research on the subject, including many sources from Japan, and is the most recent and accurate book on this fascinating force.Even after its setback at midway, the IJN remained a powerful force and inflicted sever setbacks on the US Navy at Guadalcanal and elsewhere. The Imperial Japanese Navy focuses on the Japanese ships which fought the battles in the Pacific including design details, where and when they were engaged and their ultimate effectiveness. In addition, the construction, design and service history of each ship from destroyer size on up is included. A comprehensive survey of the submarine force is also included. Modifications of each ship are covered making this a valuable reference source for Pacific War enthusiasts and historians, as well as ship modelers.A short history of the IJN during the Pacific War places all warship design and history in proper context. Finally, a chapter discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the IJN is included ultimately asking the question of whether the IJN really was a modern Navy which was fully prepared for the rigors of combat in the Pacific.

    • The Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z series combined have sold through more than one million GNs in the U.S. to date (BookScan). • Over 11.7million Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z videos & DVDs have sold through in the U.S. to date (VideoScan). • Every volume of the Dragon Ball series is still selling to this day.  There are 42 volumes total and they debuted in the U.S. in 2000! • Toriyama has a strong fan base in the U.S. • Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z have also spawned numerous video games, which consistently rank in the top ten in national sales. • A live action Dragon Ball Z movie is currently in production to be released theatrically in Spring 2009.Dragon Ball: The Complete Illustrations   A seminal series from a legendary creator. Dragon Ball, a wry update on the Chinese "Monkey King" myth, introduces us to Son Goku, a young monkey-tailed boy whose quiet life is turned upside-down when he meets Bulma, a girl determined to collect the seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and to get them she needs the help of a certain super-strong boy...

    In the decades since, people have asked endless far-ranging questions about this spectacular suicide. Christopher Ross wondered, What on earth happened to Mishima's sword? And so Ross sets off for Tokyo on a journey into the heart of the Mishima legend---the very heart of Japan. It was a country Ross knew well after nearly five years of living there--but nothing could have prepared him for this. While searching for the fabled sword, Ross encounters the rather startling range of those who knew Mishima...a world, or perhaps more accurately a demimonde, of craftsmen and critics, soldiers and swordsmen, boyfriends and biographers (even the man who taught Mishima hara-kiri). The trail Ross follows inspires a travelogue of the most eye-opening--and occasionally bizarre--sort, a window into the real Japan that is never seen by tourists and the occasion for digressions on, among other things, socks and the code of the samurai, nosebleeds and metallurgy... even how to dress for suicide. Mishima's Sword is a dazzling read--the perfect book for all those intrigued by things Japanese, from gangsters to Genji, from manga to Mishima.

    Back in print for the first time in nearly thirty years, here is Yoko Ono's whimsical, delightful, subversive, startling book of instructions for art and for life."A dream you dream alone may be a dream, but a dream two people dream together is a reality.""Burn this book after you've read it." -- Yoko Ono"This is the greatest book I've ever burned." -- John Lennon

    Describes the principles of wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic associated with Japanese tea ceremonies and based on the belief that true beauty comes from imperfection and incompletion, through text and photographs.