Tuttle Publishing

The incredible splendors of some of the worlds' most recognized architectural feats are brought to life within the pages of Origami Architecture. With this book, some card stock paper, and a hobby knife, anyone can build spectacular re-creation's of the most famous buildings in the world. It gives instructions and templates for 16 buildings, including the Parthenon, the White House, the Eiffel Tower, the Chrysler building, and the Forbidden City. There are over 900 photographs detailing the cutting and assembling of the pieces, most without using glue or tape. Once the structure is attached to the base not only will does it look amazing, but it can be folded up and taken anywhere. For the would-be architect, the papercraft hobbyist, or a model builder, Origami Architecture will provide hours of activity with impressive results.

In today's busy world, the lives of ancient tea masters, living in mountainside huts and picking tea leaves fresh off wild plants, may seem so inapplicable to our hectic lives as to be for our purposes mere myths. The Way of Tea shows modern readers how you can bring this serenity to your daily life. You don't need a mountainside hut or hours for endless contemplation; just a few quiet moments with a steaming cup of your favourite tea. Aaron Fisher, noted tea expert and author, shows readers how in the modern world the way of tea does not need to be some sombre religious ceremony held in dimly lit halls by a bunch of solemn monks chanting between sips, but can instead be a path for anyone to experience and share inner peace, relax the ego, and be free and open-an excellent recipe for a life well lived.

A fun and engaging way to learn, My First Book of Chinese Calligraphy is an excellent introduction to China and one of China's most recognizable arts for young people. Join Mimi as she takes the first steps towards learning this magical art. Dive in, and explore: How Chinese words first began, thousands of years ago; How to draw the 8 strokes; with them, you can write anything; What «radicals» are…and how to unlock their secrets; How to use the brush, the paper and ink to enjoy writing in Chinese. The included interactive CD-ROM enables learners to play creative games to see, hear and try Chinese writing; listen to the pronunciation of the Chinese characters; observe calligraphers in action and print the characters to create practice pages.

Filled with light and simplicity and existing in close harmony with the natural world, Japanese interior design has long been renowned for its spare beauty, utility and grace. More and more people outside of Japan have come to appreciate its tranquil allure, and are incorporating uniquely Japanese features into their homes. Whether you're remodeling your house, redesigning your apartment, or just looking for a book of design ideas, Japan Homeis a beautiful and indispensable resource full of practical information, shopping resources and of course, inspiration.

In this book, designer Stephen Skinner discusses various common themes of feng shui — such as water, alignments, mountains, and wind, — and demonstrates these concepts in 26 houses, restaurants and galleries in London, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The selection is highly varied, and includes famous interiors such as designer Kelly Hoppen's home and the Bam Bou restaurant in London; a Chinese mansion on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong; the Tamarind Hills Thai restaurant in Kuala Lumpur and the Kek Lok Si temple in Penang, Malaysia.

Weapons, particularly bladed ones such as swords, are enjoying a renaissance of interest from every source, from collectors to laypeople. The samurai, a glorified figure in Japan and the West, employed a variety of weapons, not least of which was the sword. Samurai Weapons details how and why their arsenal included not only the sword of popular lore, but also a variety of other tools, including concealed weapons, improvised fighting tools, fans, truncheons and pole arms. The author succinctly describes the society of Japan, how and why the samurai class arose, and the place that samurai held in that society through the centuries, focusing in particular on the various weaponry, how these weapons were used and why. In addition, Samurai Weapons highlights the influence these weapons and fighting styles had on many different schools of Japanese martial arts.

Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, whether your stay will be long or short, your visit to China will be more pleasurable and effective if you understand your host culture and how to work within it. Etiquette Guide to China is a vital guide for visitors to the world's newest financial superpower. Learn the essentials of interacting, such as how to address people you meet, if you should bow or shake hands, and how to behave out on the town, in the boardroom or when attending a wedding. Filled with practical advice on minding your manners in China, Etiquette Guide to China will be the most indispensable item you'll carry on your trip.

Chinese Art is a guide to the meanings behind the hundreds of common motifs and symbols found in all forms of Chinese art. A thorough examination of the diverse usage of natural symbols, colors, numbers, inanimate items and personages, Chinese Art communicates the deeper messages to be found in Chinese decorative art. It is an excellent reference for collectors, museum-goers and students of Chinese art, culture and history.

Against a background of historical, cultural and social change comes Chinese Dress, a comprehensive and sumptuously illustrated book examining the extraordinary range of Chinese dress. Skillfully weaving together everything from court and formal costumes through to the working attire of the lower classes and the latest fashions of New China, Chinese Dress tells the story of the evolution of Chinese clothing. The first section details attire worn during the Qing dynasty by the emperors and their consorts, as well as the mandarins, merchants, and their womenfolk, both Manchu and Chinese. The following sections pay particular attention to the dramatic changes in clothing that took place in China from the Republican period, including rural dress and children's wear, through to dress in New China from 1949 to the present day. An engaging and original text, Chinese Dress is the essential reference for costume historians, fashion designers and collectors, as well as lovers of beautiful clothes everywhere.

Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, is more than simply putting flowers in a container. It is a disciplined art form in which the arrangement is a living thing where nature and humanity are brought together. Ikebana: The Art of Arranging Flowers, a classic Ikebana text, has now been completely updated for modern readers. Written by Shozo Sato, a well-respected and renowned Ikebana expert, this book presents a fascinating overview of the history of Ikebana to present day, and introduces classic Ikebana styles such as Rikka, Seika and Moribana to Freestyle. The reader is familiarized with the tools of Ikebana and the basic Ikebana flower-arranging techniques. Simple and detailed instructions guide Ikebana enthusiasts through the process of making dozens of stunning arrangements.

For the art enthusiast, the doll collector, as well as the casual reader, the world of Japanese dolls is a fascinating one. For centuries, Japanese doll artisans created spectacular works of art, invested with both significant cultural meaning and elemental beauty, encased in the deceptively simple body of a doll. In Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo, Alan Scott Pate, the leading American expert on Japanese dolls, answers the many and varied questions surrounding how to collect these amazing artifacts. What types of dolls are available for the collector of today? What are some of the features and characteristics that will help collectors identify the dolls they find and evaluate them? Who were some of the earliest collectors in Japan, Europe and the United States? How do we preserve and care for these invaluable artifacts from Japan's past? Focusing on the 18 most widely collected, obtainable and affordable antique and vintage Japanese dolls, this book is a cornucopia of information for collectors of all levels and interests.

Eclectic, baroque and sophisticated such are the characteristics of the lifestyle resorts and extravagant private residences crafted by the renowned Bensley Design Studios in Bangkok and Bali. The 27 resorts and homes featured in Paradise by Design are set amidst resplendent tropical gardens and spread from China to India to Bali. Focused in Asia Pacific, these buildings are unconventional, sensual and hold a special reverence for the tropical climate. Focusing not only on the architecture of the buildings, but also the landscape design, interior design, horticulture and fine arts and crafts found within and without these buildings, Paradise by Design transcends the traditional and details an inclusive look at some of the most stylish and diverse homes and resorts in Asia.

Asia's Legendary Hotels features some of the region's most historically significant hotels, from the Taj Mahal in India to the Raffles Hotel in Singapore to the Railway Hotel in Hua Hin. The result is a showcase of unique establishments where the past is not only present, but celebrated-and where one can discover what it was like in the golden age of travel — when a hotel was more than merely a collection of rooms and a restaurant or two.

Asian Bar and Restaurant Design is a selection of more than 40 sleekly designed and wonderfully executed bars, restaurants and clubs from across Southeast Asia. Representative of a new wave of interior design and architecture that combines Eastern aesthetics and materials with Western know-how, these designs are sure to excite insiders of the hospitality industry, foodies, interior design aficionados and people who love beautiful and well-designed spaces.

Chinese style, long considered staid and traditional, is moving rapidly in a new and innovative direction. The pioneering spirit of a new China is manifesting itself in cuttingedge design and architecture as an insatiable appetite for creative new directions leads designers to infuse their work with a fresh vision. The traditional aesthetic values of elegance, subtlety and proportion are still evident, but modern materials and techniques now form the cornerstones of new design movements. China Living presents a fascinating overview of China's diverse design landscape today. From modernist mountain villas to high-rise condominiums, and from artistic retreats in former industrial buildings to refurbished courtyard homes, the array of lifestyle and design options in China is as varied as the country itself. By unveiling the most exciting homes in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, three of the world's most dynamic cities. China Living exemplifies different facets of an emerging identity that is uniquely Chinese and yet has global appeal.

The cuisine of the Middle East has always had its devotees, and eating at Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish or Greek restaurants has delighted many people in recent years. But relatively few have tackled these dishes in their own kitchens. Now, with The Complete Middle East Cookbook, anyone can produce delectable meals from the exotic worlds of Homer, Omar Khayyam and the Arabian Nights. Author Tess Mallos provides carefully tested recipes set out in easy-to-follow steps, with many of the dishes illustrated in eighty superb color photographs. Including regional dishes from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan, Cyprus and Kuwait, to name a few, this is the definitive book for anyone interested in Middle Eastern cooking

Many books have been written about batik, but Grand Batik Interiors is the first that highlights the debut of batik in the world of interior design, presenting a fresh new perspective on this most ancient of crafts. Grand Batik Interiors records batik's journey from its traditional context into the world of modernity. It examines the way this cloth, with its deeply embedded, multi-layered meanings, has been re-created to become relevant to a modern lifestyle, including its use in the garment, fashion and interior design industries.

Korea Style reveals the intrinsic elements of Korean design; simplicity, moderation, constraint, and a deep respect for all things natural. Despite the filtering of Japanese and Western design ideas into Korea over the millennia, the peninsula has maintained its own identity and is gaining recognition for its own particular «style». Spatial, spiritual and material qualities are reflected in the simple beauty of its architectural design, while classic objects that immediately distinguish themselves as being uniquely Korean are used with distinctive flair in interior decoration. Korea Style is the first book devoted to the country's architecture and interior design-featuring twenty-two exceptional homes, studios and public and heritage buildings. Ranging from vernacular to cutting-edge creations, all are a celebration of the country's natural landscape, arts and crafts and architectural heritage juxtaposed with a drive towards invention, experimentation and individuality.

Photography in Japan 1853-1912 is an authoritative and unique visual record of Japan's metamorphosis from a feudal society to a modern, industrial nation. The 350 old and rare images in this book, most of them published here for the first time, not only chronicle the introduction of photography in Japan, but also demonstrate how early photographic images are vital in helping to understand the dramatic changes that occurred in Japan during the mid-nineteenth century. Taken between 1853 and 1912 by the most important Japanese and foreign photographers working in Japan, these photographic images, whether sensational or everyday, intimate or panoramic, document a nation about to abandon its traditional ways and enter the modern era. This is the first book to document the history of photography in Japan in a comprehensive and systematic way.

This book features Japanese inns, or ryokan, both old and new-from inns with a history dating back a thousand years to modern inns with the latest facilities that nonetheless capture the spirit of old Japan. Each of the properties has been handpicked by the authors for their strong design aesthetic, commitment to service and purity of their spring waters. The photographs showcase the resorts at their best, and accurately express the unique architectural design of each ryokan. Each chapter begins by introducing the area surrounding the inns and their spas, or onsen, and provides a background of its local history, culture and traditions, as well as the natural environment. The text provides information on the design and development of each ryokan, and descriptions of the owners and their clientele. For those planning a visit to an onsen, this book provides contact details and information on the number of rooms, type of facilities and food, as well as vital information on travel and booking procedures and whether English is spoken. For those fascinated by Japanese culture and design, this book is an absolute delight.

Super Potato Design is the first full-length book to present the built work and conceptual ideas of the internationally renowned Japanese design firm Super Potato, founded by Takashi Sugimoto. Super Potato's powerful designs for the interiors of restaurants, shops and hotels, as well as Takashi Sugimoto's designs for tea ceremony spaces and utensils, are richly complex compositions of materials which create simple, strong spaces. By finding contemporary expression for important concepts present in traditional Japan and combining materials in unexpected ways to create exciting spaces, Super Potato's work has had a significant impact on interior design in Japan and around the world.

No other country in the world offers such an incredible range of luxury spa and wellness destinations than Thailand. Thailand's Luxury Spas takes you inside this alluring world and reveals the best facilities and spa treatments, new trends in relaxation and holistic wellness therapy, plus well-researched information on Thai traditional healing and herbal lore. Thailand's Luxury Spas is your ticket on a journey to an unforgettable spa experience.

»Heavenly Fragrance» introduces the art of using Asia's most aromatic cooking ingredients to prepare food with wonderful fragrances to excite both the palate and sense of smell. Since over three quarters of what we taste in fact comes from smell, the aromas produced by our food are vitally important to the enjoyment that comes from eating. Inspired by fond memories of fragrant cooking since her childhood days, author Carol Selva Rajah has included in this book a collection of new and traditional Southeast Asian dishes for anyone wishing to serve the best flavors of the East at home. With chapters on aromatic herbs and flowers, aromatic fruits and nuts, and aromatic spices, pastes and seasonings, these recipes will incite the senses and inspire the soul.

Shunju: New Japanese Cuisine takes you on a tour of the restaurants and philosophy at the forefront of Japan's cooking revolution. Just as Alice Waters changed the way Americans thought about food, Takashi Sugimoto has revolutionized the act of dining in Japan.