A delightful invitation to explore the history of Japan, its legends, the objects of everyday life, the people and artists who have shaped its identity, and much more.

How does sushi arrive on Japanese tables? What does a sumo wrestler’s daily routine look like? And again, where do manga come from? What does a geisha do? How does the monster Godzilla relate to the history of nuclear power in Japan, from the atomic bombs of 1945 to the Fukushima plant destroyed by the 2011 tsunami? And what does Hello Kitty’s tell us about kawaii culture and all things ‘too cute’? This book is a sentimental map among the Japanese words that tell a social, political and cultural history of the country, alongside an attempt to piece together the revealing details of the changes: the transition from Edo to Tōkyō, from fiefdom to modern Japan, from the refinement of the imperial court to the sobriety of the military clans, and then the eating habits. A discovery of Japan through eleven pathways in a personal cross between linguistic reconnaissance and enjoyable storytelling and even giving us the pleasure of drinking a cup of tea while discovering the secrets of Zen Buddhism aesthetics!