Matthews Hamabata got off to an unpromising start when he first arrived in Japan to study influential business families. An unmarried, third-generation Japanese

"The life of Shibue Io and her family, a kind of Japanese Buddenbrooks, may be unknown in the West, but her rich and engaging story marks the intersection of a

From casual to formal, the kimono shape has endured for centuries as an internationally recognized icon of Japanese life and culture. With 18 original designs,

Often considered an exotic garment of “traditional Japan,” the kimono is in fact a vibrant part of Japanese modernity, playing an integral role in literatur

The book explores the use and meaning of the kimono in America and traces the transformation of the garment from its ethnic origins, through its many appearance