Book excerpt: The acclaimed book that demystified Japanese cuisine for home cooks returns with a newly designed cover as lovely as the photo presentations within. Over 90 exquisite recipes cover every aspect of modern Japanese meals from elaborate kaiseki dinners--to simply prepared noodle bowls for a casual family supper. The dozens of step-by-step technique illustrations make preparing even the most complicated dishes as easy as ichi, ni, san. Vibrant color photographs take fans of Japanese cookery on a culinary tour of the country, exploring the feasts and festivals, restaurants, sushi bars, street stalls, and even the temples for a taste of this intriguing land. Along the way discover why, as a result of their diet, the Japanese live longer than anyone else in the world. Itadaki masu! Enjoy.