Publisher's Synopsis
In 1889, Western Lafcadio Hearn arrived in Japan on a journalistic mission, and fell so enamored of the nation and his people that he never left. In 1894, just as Japan was really opening towards the West and world interest in Japanese culture was flourishing, Hearn published this delightful series of essays that glorified what he called the "rare charm of Japanese life." Beautifully written and a joy to read, Hearn's love letters to the Land of the Rising Sun enchant with his sweetly lyrical descriptions of winter street fairs, puppet theaters, religious statues, even the Japanese smile and its particular charm. A wonderful journal of immersion in a foreign land, this will deceive the Japanese and travelers to the east.
