The Connoisseurs Book of Japanese Swords

Book Description

Recently Japanese swords have gained enormous popularity as art objects with collectors and enthusiasts around the world, but until now much of the most detailed information on the subject has been available only in Japanese. This comprehensive guide to the appreciation and appraisal of the
blades of Japanese swords provides, at last, all the background that readers need to become true connoisseurs.

The book is organized along historical lines for the sake of clarity and convenience, and its approach is always practical. Broad discussions of each tradition within the Gokaden focus on the features that distinguish specific schools and smiths-the various kinds of jihada, hamon, boshi, and
hataraki favored in different periods and regions-making this an invaluable reference tool for all enthusiasts, especially those who wish to take part in kantei-kai, or sword appreciation meetings. Each section closes with an easy reference chart summarizing the distinctive features of the work of
various schools and smiths.

The chapter on terminology gives advice on what to look for when examining the different parts of a blade, again making reference to the unique features of particularly significant smiths. The chapter on care and appraisal of blades tells precisely how to handle blades and what to expect at a sword
appraisal meeting, including an explanation of all the various responses that a judge may give in response to a bid.

Richly illustrated throughout with more than 550 of the author's own painstaking oshigata illustrations-sword tracings onto which details are penciled in by hand-The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords is easily the most informative and comprehensive guide to the blades of Japanese swords ever to
appear in English.

Kokan Nagayama, who is widely recognized as one of the foremost living sword polishers, compiled the notes for this book over the course of many years spent teaching the arts of polishing and appraisal.

Nagayama-sensei is widely recognized as one of the foremost living sword polishers and is a veteran teacher of both polishing and appraisal. Here in one accessible volume he distills the store of knowledge he has gained over a lifetime of intensive research.

"Nagayama-sensei and his senior pupils have for many years now taken an enlightened approach to study of Japanese swords outside of Japan. They have been of great assistance to collectors here in Great Britain and in other countries, traveling and living abroad, organizing exhibitions, teaching us
and polishing our swords, always in an altruistic spirit. This translation is another example of this same approach. In the past we have often struggled on our own or in small groups to gain an understanding of this peculiarly Japanese cultural asset, and with many of the definitive books on the
subject still untranslated, a wealth of information has in the past been inaccessible to the non-Japanese reader. The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords will be of great help in making educated judgments at kantei sessions, and will be an invaluable and constant reference work."
-From the Foreword by Clive Sinclaire
Chairman of the Token Society of Great Britain

Customer Reviews:

essential.......2007-03-12

This book is essential for all that want to take a closer and deep knowledge on japanese swords. Complete and easy to use.

The Connoisseurs Book of Japanese Swords.......2006-11-09

This book must be the most informative (almost too much) but easy (as possible considering the subject) to read book I have ever owned. It really does have everything you need to know if you are thinking about purchasing a sword. I live in Japan, and when I showed my book to the shop owner I am friends with he was very impressed. Even with a language barrier we were able to communicate about certain features of swords that he was selling in his shop. A must buy if you have any interest on the subject.

Buy it or you'll be sorry!.......2004-01-14

This book contains more info than one could even imagine! In fact, that's all I'm going to say becuase it would take to long for me to even give you even a basic idea! I will tell you this: If you don't have this book in your library then you are missing out big time!!!!! Oh, by the way, the illustrations are awesome too!!!!

Enjoy and make sure that you have a weekend free to read.... you'll need it ;-)

Amazing detail.......2002-05-12

I'm not really into sword collecting, but I nonetheless found
this book to be fascinating. Two-thirds of it is pure reference
material related to particular sword makers and that part would be
invaluable to collectors, but it is not of general interest. The
descriptions of the history of swordmaking and the attributes of
the craftsmanship, however, stands on its own as interesting reading.
One comes away with a much greater appreciation of the art form.

An excellent piece of work!.......2000-08-24

The Connoisseur's Book is exceptionally detailed and not to mention very aesthetically pleasing. The book itself has the feel and look of a high-quality encyclopedia. As should be expected, the information inside is very well detailed. It is an excellent book and I very strongly recommend it, particularly if you are ready to start deeper in-depth studies of Nihonto. For a novice, I would probably suggest the books by Sato and Yumoto. But this is what I feel would be a step beyond those.

Absolutely marvelous. Well written, very clear, of course as was mentioned in another review it sorta lacks photographs, but that's quite OK, as the illustrations do an excellent job of portraying things.

For those of you who are more passively interested, this book will be overkill and unnecessary when you can do well with the aforementioned books, but if you are serious...this book is a splendid piece of work that will be VERY enjoyable for you to delve into. Not only for information, but as a good read.

Book Description

From shopping in London to squatting in Amsterdam, and from Times Square in New York to downtown Sao Paulo, Strangely Familiar explores the vitality and variety of cities and architecture, presenting intriguingly unexpected perspectives on life in cities worldwide.

Emphasizing a new angle on architecture which highlights cultural and spatial analysis, each essay in this book tells an individual tale of the city, showing how architecture and urban space intersect within the lives of city dwellers throughout the world. This unique collaborative effort of many of the world's foremost theorists and critics of art, architecture, cultural studies, sociology, history and geography, Strangely Familiar will strikingly appeal to anyone interested in architecture, graphic or urban design, or urban history.

Strangely Familiar : Narratives of Architecture in the City

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Strangely Familiar : Narratives of Architecture in the City
Iain (editor); Kerr, Joe (editor); Pivaro, Alicia (editor); Rendell, Jane (editor) Borden
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KPIF34

Book Description

High school is hell for Yota Moteuchi. He's so unpopular his fellow students have a nickname for him: "Dateless." That doesn't stop him from falling in love with one of them. His gentle classmate Moemi is everything he wants - but is she in love with someone else?

Customer Reviews:

VIDEO GIRL ON DEMAND.......2005-09-01

You've probably encountered some real losers in manga you've read but I have to admit that 16-year old Yota Moteuchi takes the cake. He's so socially inept with girls that even his best friend Takashi calls him "Dateless"! He's in love with his classmate Moemi, but figures it's pretty pointless to voice his feelings to her. On top of that, Moemi actually has a crush on his best friend! In a fit of depression, Yota enters a videostore and rents what he believes to be a porno featuring a cute girl named Ai Amano. When he plays it in his VCR, incredibly, Ai comes out of the TV into the real world and says that she has come to make his life better, as long as he keeps a "pure heart". Don't get this confused with "My Goddess". Ai is no idealized female slave. She has a dirty mouth, she's as likely to hit Yota as to hug him, and she will only live for 3 months!

I didn't think I'd like this manga at first, what with all the dated 1980's style that it has. But it began to grow on me and I became involved with the relationships and especially the longings of Yota. Ai also grew on me even though she spends too much time acting like a tomboy. I'll try reading the second volume to see if it gets any better.

overall, very good.......2003-05-24

In this volume, Yota Moteuchi, or Dateless (his nickname), wants desperately to tell his classmate, Moemi, that he likes her. However, she happens to like Yota's best friend, the handsome yet uninterested Takashi Niimai. Moemi inadvertantly crushes Yota by admitting she likes Takashi, and, a short while later, Takashi turns Moemi down. Instead of being crushed by the revelation that Moemi likes someone else, Yota is upset that Moemi has been hurt by Takashi. This apparently shows that his heart is pure, which allows him to find Gokuraku, a video rental place. Yota gets what he thinks is an X-rated video. Later, while he watches the video, a video girl named Ai pops out of the screen. She's determined to help him get Moemi.

I thought the story was fun to read, although I found that Yota's obsession with various parts of the female anatomy, and how this obsession was shown (with closeups of those parts), got really old after a while. I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, but I got through it really fast - I wanted to know how things would turn out for Yota, Moemi, and Ai. The art was lovely, and the idea of video girls was interesting (although it's too bad that there don't seem to be any video guys in existance).

The author of Shadow Lady gives us another masterpiece!.......2003-04-15

It was once said that Masaharu Katsura's girls were to die for. After reading Shadow Lady and Video Girl Ai, I can agree with that. His work features some of the most beautiful art I've ever seen, and his storytelling is second to none. His characters are all human with human emotions and reactions. And Ai is one of the most human of them all, even though she is a Video Girl. (The way she reacts when her body changes is great!)

This is an excellent series and is worth your time and money.

A MUST-READ for manga fans!!!.......2003-02-12

Ok, so the name might not seem so intriging, but the artwork and storyline are AWSOME! I must admit, though, that there is quite a bit of..er, nudity in each volume, along with A LOT of "offensive language" (which includes curse words, dirty jokes, etc.) and "suggestive themes", so this is more suitable for mature readers. Personally, I think the series is great and has lots of humor. It can be kind of sad sometimes though...
When I first started reading Video Girl Ai, I was about 12 1/2, so if you're in your early teens and you're mature enough, it's OK. If you're a stingy money saver like me, I'd recommend that you read it in the bookstore, since the book itself costs about [$$$].
Overall, excellent story and artwork, GREAT READ!

Why doesn't Blockbuster have this one to rent?.......2002-02-18

This is one truly masterful blend of comedy and romantic fantasy! Masakazu Kastura(creator of IRIA and DNA 2)truly peaked with his title: VIDEO GIRL AI. Lonely heartbroken Yota learns the girl he had a crush on is really in love with his friend. On his way home from this revelation, he sees a video store that he never noticed before, and decides to take home a "video girl". In Japan, a video girl is a video-recorded date for men. But this one is a real Video Girl, and comes right out of the TV into Yota's living room. Now, he's got Ai, his own little genie-like playmate for three months. It's her job to comfort him and make him feel secure, but because Ai's tape was played on a VCR, her program becomes different and she starts to fall in love with Yota. While at the same time Yota is trying to get over his feelings for his unrequited love, Moemi, who on her own seems to have a thing for Yota too even though she's now dating his friend Takashi. Then, Ai gets sent away by her creator, and redone with a new mission, to just root for Yota. But their love for each other prooves too strong, which causes Ai to be sent away again. When she returns, she has no memory of Yota or the love she had for him. This while Yota has gotten a new girlfriend in the cute Nobuko. Does Yota pick the right girl in the end? Will the Video Girl god ever leave Ai alone and let her get a normal life? All the questions and more are in the manga. Also check out the cool anime on DVD or video also from Viz!

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A sophisticated and soulful story of balance, adaptation, and discovery

A sophisticated and soulful story of balance, adaptation, and discovery

A sophisticated and soulful story of balance, adaptation, and discovery

The Texture of Dreams
Fasil Yitbarek
Manufacturer: Nyala Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears

ASIN: 0975440918

Product Description

FROM THE PUBLISHER: The Texture of Dreams, a lush debut novel from an Ethiopian writer, Fasil Yitbarek, takes us on a fascinating journey with Yosef, a newly arrived immigrant, as he struggles to make sense of two sharply contrasting cultures. Set in New York City, the story revolves around the main character's odyssey inside a world quite different from the one he grew up in. It is a captivating account of Yosef's triumph and defeat, his hopes and despair, and his quest to find his place away from home while carving a career as an English teacher. It is a refreshingly candid picture of a culture we may have thought we knew. By seamlessly interlacing the realities of the main character's adopted home with those of his birthplace, the author has constructed a beautiful tapestry, alive with haunting images. Through keen observation and occasional nostalgic trips back to the distant world of Yosef's childhood, Yitbarek vividly depicts an immigrant's struggle to get by - while recounting fantastic tales that are as captivatingly unique as they are universally appealing. Yitbarek's style is elegant, rich with marvelous prose that brings the settings and events of the novel to life with striking immediacy. Through vibrant narrative and rhythm, along with a realistic portrayal of people and conversations, The Texture of Dreams is a novel to gratify the soul and the senses.

Customer Reviews:

A sophisticated and soulful story of balance, adaptation, and discovery.......2005-12-10

The Texture Of Dreams by the Ethiopian writer Fasil Yitbarek is the first-person perspective novel of a newly arrived immigrant to New York City struggling to make sense of the dramatic differences between two cultures. As he strives to earn a place for himself and a satisfying career as an English teacher, he remembers the richness of his birthplace in sharp contrast to the everyday American world around him. A sophisticated and soulful story of balance, adaptation, and discovery.

A sophisticated and soulful story of balance, adaptation, and discovery.......2005-12-10

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Dreams in Texture

Dreams in Texture
Tom Muzzell & Kevin Clorey
Manufacturer: Open Book Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0973571624
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Product Description

Each story in this anthology is beautifully illustrated in a fine art and fantasy style. Kevin and Tom will take you away to world where dragons, pixies, monsters and death itself are a common occurrence. Featuring the finest works of two great comic creators.

Customer Reviews:

Dreams in Texture.......2007-07-14

Dreams in Texture is a fantasy comic book styled work with multiple stories. There are also some poetry works and traditional short stories mixed throughout this book. As the title of this book suggest, each of the pieces are based upon a dream-like theme with a strong sense of irony or ending with an unexpected twist.

Though most of the works are written and illustrated in comic book fashion each piece contains a well crafted fantasy, contemporary, or futuristic science fiction short story that will be equally enjoyed by those not normally interested in reading comics and those that love this traditional style. The detailed illustrations seem to help bring the story along and increase the impact of the irony. In fact, there are a couple of pieces in this book in which the final scene where the visual image shown actually clues the reader into significance of the situation.

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Get America Singing...Again! Vol. 2 (Piano / Vocal / Guitar)
Wolf
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guitar | Instruments & Performers | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Get America Singing...Again! Vol. 1 (Piano / Vocal / Guitar) (A Project of the Music Educators National Conference)

Get America Singing... Again! Vol. 2 (Singer's Edition)

Get America Singing...Again: Strategies for Teaching (Set B) : Lesson Ideas and Activities for Meeting the Standards

Get America Singing... Again! Vol. 1 (Singer's Edition)

Get America Singing...Again! Strategies for Teaching - Set a (Lesson Ideas and Activities for Meetin

ASIN: 0634015486

Book Description

Here is a companion edition with even more songs that are fun to sing. Developed in association with MENC, ACDA and other national music organizations, this publication includes over 40 songs which represent America's vast and varied musical heritage. Includes: All Through the Night * Auld Lang Syne * Both Sides Now * Camptown Races * (Oh My Darling) Clementine * and 40 more great songs. Available: Piano/Vocal/Guitar, Singer's Edition, Singer's Edition 10-Pak. For all ages.

Get America Singing... Again! Vol. 2 (Singer's Edition)

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Get America Singing... Again! Vol. 2 (Singer's Edition)

Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0634015494

Book Description

Here is a companion edition with even more songs that are fun to sing. Developed in association with MENC, ACDA and other national music organizations, this publication includes over 40 songs which represent America's vast and varied musical heritage. Includes: All Through The Night, Auld Lang Syne, Both Sides Now, Camptown Races, (Oh My Darling) Clementine, and 40 more great songs.Available: Piano/Vocal/Guitar, Singer's Edition, Singer's Edition 10-Pak. For all ages.

Get America Singing...Again! Vol. 1 (Piano / Vocal / Guitar) (A Project of the Music Educators National Conference)

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Great Songs!

Get America Singing...Again! Vol. 1 (Piano / Vocal / Guitar) (A Project of the Music Educators National Conference)
Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0793566355

Book Description

Community ... use singing to bring people together once again in your neighborhood, home, church, camp, school, club or activity. Plan now to include some audience participation at a concert or other public event. Throw in a song or two at the beginning of a meeting to melt the ice and get communication going. Restore the fun of camp singing next time you gather a group around the fire. Get out the guitar, sit down at the piano, tune up the Autoharp, add a bass, drums, or any other instruments you can lay your hands on, and have a sing-a-long.Developed in association with the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) and other music organizations, this publication contains over 40 songs which represent America's vast and varied music heritage, along with an introduction by America's own Pete Seeger. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these editions will benefit the national MENC campaign to "Get America Singing ... Again!"Available: Piano/Vocal/Guitar Edition, Singer's Edition, and Singer's Edition (10-pak). For all ages.

Customer Reviews:

Great Songs!.......2001-07-10

I liked this songbook because it has such a variety of songs. It's got some of my favorites, such as "God Bless America," "The Star Spangled Banner," "Michael Row the Boat Ashore," "Amazing Grace," and "This Land is Your Land." If you like these kinds of songs, then I reccomend Get America Singing...AGAIN.

Get America Singing...Again: Strategies for Teaching (Set B) : Lesson Ideas and Activities for Meeting the Standards

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Get America Singing...Again: Strategies for Teaching (Set B) : Lesson Ideas and Activities for Meeting the Standards
Loretta Mitchell Norgon
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0634054058

Book Description

AD COPY GOES HERE

Get America Singing... Again! Vol. 1 (Singer's Edition)

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Core curriculum for elementary music
A must have for general music teachers!

Get America Singing... Again! Vol. 1 (Singer's Edition)

Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0793566363

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Core curriculum for elementary music.......2006-01-29

I teach general music in a Marine Corps dependents' elementary school in Okinawa, Japan. I use this songbook and its companion, volume 2 constantly in my curriculum. I consider them to be at the core of my teaching. These are songs that every American should know. They are a part of our common history, our culture, our heritage.
These books were first suggested to me by a junior high choir teacher colleague who knew that I was interested in the Core Knowledge series by E.D. Hirsch. Thanks, Karen.

A must have for general music teachers!.......2001-12-18

This is the book that will sit on your piano and when teachers ask for the basic songs that we grew up with, here they all are.
It is a melody line and chord symbols, but that's enough!
No high tech, just music , and the kids like the songs and they are in easy keys.
I highly recommend this book! Great for the price.
There is an accompaniment book as well.

Get America Singing...Again! Strategies for Teaching - Set a (Lesson Ideas and Activities for Meetin

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Get America Singing...Again! Strategies for Teaching - Set a (Lesson Ideas and Activities for Meetin
Mitchell Norgon Loretta
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0634031384

Book Description

A "must" for every music classroom, this innovative teaching resource combines song repertoire from the popular Get America Singing...Again! collections with teaching strategies to meet the National Standards! Ready-to-use ideas and activities incorporate "fun" with melody, scales, ostinatos, partner songs, music appreciation, harmony, and composing, while integrating essential repertoire into your everyday teaching. This handy all-in-one format also includes a variety of reproducible student activity pages for an extra bonus! Highlighted songs from volume 1 of Get America Singing...Again! include: Battle Hymn of the Republic, Do-Re-Mi, Frere Jacques, I've Been Working on the Railroad, Dona Nobis Pacem, Music Alone Shall Live, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, The Star Spangled Banner, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, This Little Light of Mine. For Gr. 1-8.

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Get America Singing...Again!, Vol. 1
Fran Tarrega
Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Songbooks | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0793566371

Book Description

Book Description

In his third published book, Enigma Beyond Illusion: The Lifting of the Veil, Richard D. Kydd Jr. again demonstrates his compassion and concern for his fellow man, his anger at lifeÂ's injustices, his deep sense of family and community, and his spirituality. With his skillful and often musical touch he operates on many levels at once, frequently blending seemingly opposed emotions. In Â“The ShopperÂ's Song,Â” for example, he evokes both humor and identification in his description of a compulsive spender, yet the reader can hear KyddÂ's tone of frustration at the debt that is consuming the poor. Â“A Quiet DissertationÂ” is simultaneously hilarious and disturbing, and the chuckle that Â“Binary CodeÂ” evokes is an uneasy one.

KyddÂ's range is wide, swinging from the caustic social comment of Â“Yo RomeoÂ” through the philosophical introspection of Â“Solitary Man,Â” and expanding into the spiritual vision of Â“Life Calling Forth.Â” Although he calls life as he sees it and is sometimes grittily realistic, even cynical and full of apparent despair, itÂ's notable that a number of his works are love poems. Although capable of painting a harsh reality, Kydd is essentially an optimistic poet, and he amply demonstrates his belief that in the end the spirit will triumph, as in Â“Oh Victorious.Â”

This collection of poems will give the reader a full taste of KyddÂ's broad human vision.

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