Loved The Samaurai`s Garden. It isn`t about a samaurai, but about a boy who is half chinese and half Japanese, who goes to live with his father in Japan. The time is right before WW2. Great book.

Meilssa, The Samurai`s Garden is written by the same author as The House on Blossom Street. I think I have read about all of Gail Tsukiyama`s books but Samurai`s Garden is my favorite.

Kakuzo Okakura's little book called The Book of Tea has been in print since it first appeared in English in 1906. It's a classic on the tea ceremony and zen.
For anyone interested in Murakami, there's a new essay, "The Running Novelist," by him that appeared in the New Yorker of June 9&16. he describes how he opened a jazz bar in Tokyo, then left that to become a writer, and how he became a distance runner as well.

Not bookworms, Ekscrunchy, but tea drinkers! See how Leo has jumped right in after my post about The Book of Tea (well, almost 10 months after). He obviously has witnessed hopelessly hooked consumers of green tea writhing on the streets (or tatami) in delirium and wants to help them.

36 views of Mount Fuji!

Will,that is hysterical! He was intervened and just got out of treatment, hence his rather late-on-the-scene arrival here.

Of course WE now look like the nuts since the post has been removed!

(A post about how to do an intervention)

The Road to Sata is a great read.....

I also loved Shogun by James Clavell

Also "Japan Through the Looking Glass by Alan Macfarlane

My favourite "WE JAPANESE".......best obtained on the net. Very informative ..myths,legends,customs,superstitions,ghost stories,fairytales,religions,history,heros,tyrants ,oragami,flower arranging,dress,samurai....the list goes on.
There are three volumes.