Japan has a centuries-long tradition of producing stunningly beautiful and intricate crafts. Japanese ceramics, lacquerware, metalwork, textiles and decorative carvings have a global reputation for refinement and technique. Japanese Art and Design, drawing on the V&A"s world-class collections, explores these arts and crafts thematically through chapters that focus on such areas as the influence of Buddhism and Shinto, samurai patronage, the highly aestheticized tea ceremony, ukiyo-e and the graphic arts, and the influence of the West on these arts. Chapters on modern and contemporary crafts and design include discussions of Japan"s endless technological innovations and product design, showing how the country"s traditions of quality and artistry continue today.