Japanese Traditions: Rice Cakes, Cherry Blossoms and Matsuri: A Year of Seasonal Japanese Festivities

I had purchased a box of stationery a while back and then hated to give them away - looked on the back of the cards and discovered there was a book with all the art work I loved. My son has lived in Japan for over a decade and I am familiar with many of these celebrations and festivals. The illustrations plus my love of cats made this book a must-have.

Very cute book. There's a tradition for each month.

My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter, who is 1/4 Japanese, has really taken a shine to this book. She loves the cats and all that they’re up to in each picture. I love all the careful details the artist included in this delightful book. Having lived in Japan for 7 years I find it quite nostalgic.

This is a charming book with beautiful illustrations. While the text is written by an author who lived in Japan decades ago, traditions summarized within provide creative ideas for activities on any continent (kite flying, writing postcards to friends, playing badminton, sharing cozy evenings with family, observing nature, etc.). In an age where parents pacify their children by handing youngsters mobile devices/tablets and where too few children experience the pleasure of entertaining themselves away from the screen, this book offers wonderful alternatives while exploring the culture of old Japan. Children will be enriched by learning about the lives of people elsewhere in the world and by discovering the joys of life's simple pleasures. Japanese Traditions is a feast for the eyes and the imagination.

Kudos to Setsu Broderick's kawaii illustrations! She not only captures perfectly the Japanese affinity for cats (think: Hello Kitty and Maneki-Neko) through her own original cat family characters, but she also infuses so many thoughtful expressions of traditional every day and celebratory life in such loving and accurate detail. One such example that warmed my heart and prompted me to write this review is of mochi rice cakes puffing up as they grill on an old-fashion hibachi. My two-year-old son and I enjoy identifying the various Japanese items and events, while delighting in each and every cat's unique personality.The chapters are organized by month and highlight a festival and/or community activity with simplicity, but again with such detail. And the wonderful sidebars range from things like instruction on the more popular origami (paper folding) to information on the lesser known kami-shibai (paper drama). This book is a treasury of traditional Japanese culture for all ages... It's a treasure in our family.

My mom grew up in the same time period as the author/illustrator. I was fortunate to visit Japan as a young girl in the early 60's when many of these same household items were being used and before the advent of all of the current cool Japanese electronic gadgets. The detail in each illustration is incredible. Each time I open the book I see something I had missed earlier. I was impressed and astounded with even the tiniest details ... take a close look at the calendars ... the pinheads (a flat flower) on the pin cushion ... and oh myyyyy using cats instead of people. The cats make it so much easier and fun for kids to enjoy this book! So many of these things are obsolete ... the old style rice cooker, heating the bath with a log burning fire, the water jug hand washer ... what a joy to see them again in this book. Buy it, enjoy it, learn about these traditions, share it, enjoy it again :)

Words can't express the delight of this both well written and illustrated book. The book starts out with an introduction from the author, explaining how her childhood had influenced her growing up in the Japan countryside 50 years ago. So these illustrations are depicting the time, era, and details of that time in Japan. The book is laid out month by month giving the reader a rich understanding of what traditions, festivals, and Japanese holidays occur during that particular month. Setsu uses "cats" to illustrate the events, which makes it all the more delightful. Love it, love, love it! Thanks again for contributing to the world the education of Japanese traditions.

While the book is a lovely book, the description shows it to be bilingual. It is not. I ordered it on the premise of the jacket with the Japanese above the title and the description saying it was. Very unfortunate because I know that this is a bilingual book and Amazon should put the correct Jacket to represent this specific book, as their are actually two different printings with the same ISBN. I would not hesitate to order the book for pleasure but not if you are expecting it to have more than just a smattering of Japanese represented.

Muy buen libro. Aunque los temas son tratados con poca profundidad, se compensa con el diseño dibujos y material de buena calidad de la pasta dura. Además, las ilustraciones son muy buenas.Si lo que quieres es saber aspectos generales de las tradiciones y festividades japonesas, este libro es para ti, además te encontrarás con hermosas ilustraciones en un libro de bastante calidad.

Its a very interesting book for all ages.