In Praise of Shadows and Other Essays

Illustrated with artful images by renowned Kyoto-based photographer John Einarsen, this book is a 'must-have' for all fans of Japanese literature and anyone interested in Japanese art and design. "In Praise of Shadows belongs to that special order of slim, enormously powerful books that enchant the lay reader with an esoteric subject, leaving a lifelong imprint on the imagination." —Maria Popova Illustrated with artful images by renowned Kyoto-based photographer John Einarsen, this book is a "must-have" for all fans of Japanese literature and anyone interested in Japanese art and design. These all-new translations of four landmark essays by Junichiro Tanizaki bring fresh insights to the work of one of Japan's most acclaimed writers. The translations by Michael P. Cronin bring together Tanizaki's famous meditation on Japanese aesthetics with three other fascinating cultural commentaries that appear here in English for the first time: "In Praise of Shadows" Tanizaki's best-known work—an ode to the subtle, refined aesthetic of Japan and the dangers posed to it by rapid modernization "At Okamoto" A reflection on Tanizaki's nostalgia for old Tokyo and his humorous attempts at writing poetry "Hanshin Observations" An early essay revealing Tanizaki's initial disdain for the Osaka region, where he moved following the 1923 earthquake that destroyed Tokyo "Osaka and Osakans as I See Them" An account of Tanizaki's nuanced love for Japan's second city, his adopted home and the setting for his masterpiece, The Makioka Sisters