Vanishing Japan: Traditions, Crafts & Culture [Paperback]

Elizabeth Kiritani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1995

In Vanishing Japan, Elizabeth Kiritani sets out to record the vanishing phenomena of what was once daily life for the residents of working-class neighborhoods in Japan

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (June 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080481967X
• ISBN-13: 978-0804819671
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,072,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saving the past from disappearing completely, December 11, 2000

By 

James R. Hoadley "Nagano Jim" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vanishing Japan: Traditions, Crafts & Culture (Paperback)

Elizabeth Kiritani should be familiar to anyone who has lived in Japan for a while. She has become noted for her knowledge of traditional Japanese culture, and this book is an excellent example of the author's deep knowledge of the subject. In great detail, accompanied by simple but clear illustrations, she explains things that were once common, but are rapidly disappearing. One of the most interesting segments for me was the section on traditional thatched-roof houses. They are plentiful in Nagano, where I live, but I didn't imagine that any were left in Tokyo. Not only does the author interview a person that makes thatched roofs, but she gives an interesting and detailed account of life in a thatched roof home, both from point of view of the older generation who can't imagine anything else, and the younger generation who aren't as enthusiastic. Like all other developed nations, Japan's traditional crafts are rapidly disappearing, as young people become accustomed to convenience and expediency. Kiritani has preserved, in text form at least, an important part of Tokyo's and Japan's cultural history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, October 2, 2008

By 

M. Hoyt (boise, id) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vanishing Japan: Traditions, Crafts & Culture (Paperback)

This book is written by my cousin and is illustrated by her husband - excellent book, easy reading and very interesting. Must read before visiting Japan!!