Our book collection in Japanese

Reading expands our vocabulary while strengthening our grammar and spelling. It allows us to let our imagination run wild and to delve into the worlds hidden between the pages. All this makes that, through reading, we can reach goals that would be very difficult to achieve by other means such as learning a language. Here is our book collection in Japanese, so that you can find your motivation in them.

Kyoto Hanamachi Book

This book is for all those who are interested in the world of Geisha and Maiko.

Hanamachi or Kagai, whose literal translation is “the flower city”, is the term used by the inhabitants of Kyoto to refer to the districts where the Geisha and Maiko attend the Susheki parties. It is at these parties that they entertain guests with dances, songs and other traditional arts in Japan.

Currently, in Kyoto we can find six Hanamachis of different origins and each with its own characteristics. Most of them predate the Edo period (1603 – 1868).

In this book you will find photos of the Geisha performing in these Hanamachis in Kyoto, on the different festivities celebrated during the four seasons of the year.

The parks of Japan. From East to West

These books from our collection of books in Japanese are gem for all lovers of Japanese parks and gardens. Their pages allow us to travel through the national and quasi-national parks of Japan through beautiful photographs.

In the first one we will be able to discover up to 35 parks located in the East of the country and in the second one we will travel to the West of Japan to see the 48 parks that are in the area.

Both books are published by the Japan National Parks Association.

Beautiful Japanese River

Takao Otsuka was born in Tokyo in 1949, where he grew up next to the Shimanto River. This fact is probably what made him develop his passion for Japan rivers, which this book offers us the opportunity to enjoy.

In it, Otsuka takes us into the waters of 150 Japanese rivers through a photographic compilation. A total of 900 photos, with which he also introduces us to the beauty of the flora and fauna that color the basins of these rivers.

Kyoto, it’s scenic beauty with verses

Kyoto has been enshrined in song since the old Heian times. This book presents a compilation of Kyoto songs sung mainly by modern poets.

It contains a large number of modern works, including works by the Japanese poet Otagaki Renji, the Tanka works of the Kyoto-based novelist Junichiro Tanizaki, those of the philosopher Nishida Kitaro and the economist Kei Kawakami.

Kyōto Kōyō Meisho

In Japanese, there is a word for the changing color of tree leaves in autumn, “kōyō.”

This color of the leaves, red and yellow, found in the landscapes and streets of Kyoto, has served over the years as a source of inspiration for poems and songs.

The most representative tree of the kōyō in Kyoto is undoubtedly the Maple, especially the Acer palmatum and its small leaves. This representation is such that the Japanese maple is also known as Takao Kaede, the place name of the city of Kyoto.

It is certainly a place to visit and this book, from our collection of books in Japanese, introduces us with its beautiful photographs to the streets and gardens of the city.

Japanese garden. Form and Flow

The Nika Prize winner (1956) and student of the prestigious Mirei Shigemori, Haruzo Ohasi, takes us with this book to learn more about the aesthetics of Japan gardens.

In this first volume, we will find photos and information of the dead garden, Iwakura, Kamiike, Ishigumi, the bridge, Suhama and the planting area.

We encourage you to lose yourself among the pages of our collection of books in Japanese, an entertaining way to expand your knowledge and discover more about Japan culture.

You may also be interested in…

International Day of the Book at Mistral Bonsai