The Land of the Rising Sun -- Shrines -- Harmonizing with nature -- Farming-based groupism -- Burial Mound culture -- Buddhism's profound impact -- The Nara capital and the Great Buddha -- The Shosoin -- Beautiful old Kyoto -- The life-style of the nobility -- The world of Genji Monogatari -- Buddhist statues -- The rise of the samurai -- Arms and armor -- The culture of the warrior class -- Wabi--aesthetic ideal -- The beauty of Noh -- Zen and meditation -- Public entertainments -- Currency -- Encounters with the west -- Three leaders of the samurai -- Opulent art of Momoyama -- Castles -- Tea ceremony and flower arrangement -- The age of the shogun -- The closing of the country -- Peasant-based work ethic -- A tale of three cities -- Genroku bourgeois culture -- Kabuki and Bunraku -- Martial arts and Sumo -- Kasei culture and Ukiyo-e -- Japanese gardens -- Traditional houses -- Modernization-cum-westernization -- The dawn of modern culture -- The Pacific War and Asianism -- A practical guide to the living traditions of Japan -- Japanese rites of passage -- Annual events -- The Imperial institution -- Traditional Japanese cooking -- Forethought and miniaturization -- Gestures and actions -- Guests and gifts -- Seasonal variations and harmony with nature -- Life of a salaried employee -- Education in Japan -- The Japanese government -- Mass media -- Japanese [language] -- Glossary of culture and history.