MORE CHERRY BLOSSOM READS
04.04.18
The Cherry Blossom Festival by Ann McClellan: Lavishly illustrated and fact-filled, The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration is a fascinating and informative look into one of the world's greatest festivals. From Tokyo to Washington, D.C. these exuberant festivals celebrate the ethereal and glorious springtime blooming of the ancient cherry blossom tree and its role today as an instrument of diplomacy, landscape enhancement and eternal sign of spring and romance.
Hardboiled and Hardluck by Banana Yoshimoto: In Hardboiled, the unnamed narrator is hiking in the mountains on an anniversary she has forgotten about, the anniversary of her ex-lover’s death. As she nears her hotel—stopping on the way at a hillside shrine and a strange soba shop—a sense of haunting falls over her. Perhaps these eerie events will help her make peace with her loss. Hard Luck is about another young woman, whose sister is dying and lies in a coma. Kuni’s fiancé left her after the accident, but his brother Sakai continues to visit, and the two of them gradually grow closer as they make peace with the impending loss of their loved one. Yoshimoto’s voice is clear, assured, and deeply moving, displaying again why she is one of Japan’s, and the world’s, most beloved writers.
The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon: Written by the court gentlewoman Sei Shonagon, ostensibly for her own amusement, The Pillow Bookoffers a fascinating exploration of life among the nobility at the height of the Heian period, describing the exquisite pleasures of a confined world in which poetry, love, fashion, and whim dominated, while harsh reality was kept firmly at a distance. Moving elegantly across a wide range of themes including nature, society, and her own flirtations, Sei Shonagon provides a witty and intimate window on a woman's life at court in classical Japan.
The Sound of Cherry Blossoms by Martin Hakubai Mosko and Alxe Noden: Part garden design philosophy and part Zen Buddhism, this book eloquently shows us how the principles of garden design are the same guidelines we can follow to design our life. Intentional living is the subject of design. When we approach our work in the garden, or in our life, through the practice of contemplative design, we can elevate the whole; we can unite the spiritual with the ordinary; we can join heaven and earth.
Dandelions by Yasunari Kawabata: In this tantalizing book, Kawabata explores the incommunicability of desire and carries the art of the novel, where he always suggested more than he stated, into mysterious and strange new realms. Dandelions is the final word of a truly great master, the first Japanese winner of the Nobel Prize.
A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie: Called "the dean of Japan's arts critics" by Time magazine, Richie takes us from the inception of Japanese cinema at the end of the nineteenth century, through the achievements of Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, and Ozu, then on to the notable works of contemporary filmmakers.
Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival by Ann McClellan and Ron Blunt: This stunningly beautiful record of the nation's biggest springtime festival – the National Cherry Blossom Festival – is a breathtaking illustrated memory of the beauty and fragility of spring. Every year, millions of people from across the country gather in our nation's capital to revel in the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms. This book is a valuable keepsake for visitors of the festival for years to come. Capturing the true essence of spring, award-winning photographer Ron Blunt's striking photography captures the beauty of the festival for all to have the chance to experience the splendor of the blooming cherry blossoms through his photography.
The Gardens of Japan by Helena Attlee and Alex Ramsay: The Gardens of Japan is the perfect introduction to Japanese gardens. Helena Attlee captures the essence of Japanese garden style, and outlines its history. She then explores 28 of the great Japanese gardens in detail, explaining their character and nature. Alex Ramsay's superb photographs, specially taken for The Gardens of Japan, illustrate every aspect of the gardens.
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