Japanese food, once a source of some puzzlement in the West (raw fish, sour-salted plums for breakfast), is increasingly familiar as noodle and sushi bars proliferate. Its healthy qualities are also widely appreciated, the concentration on fish and vegetable proteins such as tofu in particular. Shirley Booth is well placed to communicate the virtues and benefits of this remarkable cuisine, having studied and taught the subject in Japan. Food of Japan is both a cookery book and a guide to the history and etiquette of Japanese food and cooking. The range and variety of the recipes may be something of a revelation to readers whose experience is restricted to those same sushi and noodle bars--in the West"s essentially sophisticated urban fast food joints. From the elegance of Imperial cooking and the exquisite simplicities of the tea ceremony, through the savoury specialities of home cooking, to the palate-tickling snacks offered in bars and at street stalls to travellers (often the worse for wear), simplicity and purity of ingredients, preparation and presentation are the keynotes. The cleansing austerities of Buddhism are never far away. Shirley Booth"s writing is anything but austere, however, being warm, witty and engaging; a wealth of personal anecdotes from her experiences in Japan bring the recipes vividly before the reader. Those already converted to Japanese food will find here a wonderfully comprehensive collection, combining classic recipes with a wealth of new ideas sprung from the tradition. For the uninitiated but curious, no better introduction to this great cuisine could be imagined. --Robin Davidson