"Earns its place on the very short shelf of books on Japan that are of permanent value.""Richie is a stupendous travel writer; the book shines with bright witticisms, deft characterizations of fisherfolk, merchants, monks and wistful adolescents, and keen comparisons of Japanes and Western culture." "A learned, beautifully paced elegy."Sheltered between Japans major islands lies the Inland Sea, a place modernity passed by. In this classic travel memoir, Donald Richie embarks on a quest to find Japans timeless heart among its mysterious waters and forgotten islands. This edition features an introduction by Pico Iyer, photographs from the award-winning PBS documentary, and a new afterword. First published in 1971, is a lucid, tender voyage of discovery and self-revelation. Donald Richie is the foremost authority on Japanese culture and cinema with 40+ books in print.