Luminous illustrations and haiku descriptions reveal the elements of a Japanese garden – pagodas, carved temple dogs, birds and bonsai, lotus flowers and koi, stone lanterns to light the way. (Picture book)

Two children spend the day with their grandfather, the 19th century artist Hokusai, famous for his wood-cuts. The story is beautifully mixed with Hokusai drawings and prints. (Picture book)

Humorous, witty tale of a crafty rat who likes rice balls, and a broken-down old samurai cat who defeats the rat bully without force. (Picture book)

Delightful collection of Japanese tales – Momotaro the peach boy, long-nosed goblins, the magic teakettle, Mr. Lucky Straw, toothpick warriors, Little One-Inch and the green devil. Twenty enchanting stories with colorful illustrations, in a charming folk art style. (Chapter book)

And don't miss this second book of stories: Japanese Children's Favorite Stories 2

Lost in a desolate forest, a farm boy, Koji, is captured by a ninja clan. Hidden deep in the mountains, Koji trains to fight, leap, flip and fly, before he's sent on a mission to Crane Castle. Ninja mystique and adventure. (Chapter book)

In this super mystery-adventure series, set in 18th century Japan, teenage Seiki unravels a jewel theft on the road to Edo, solves the mysterious disappearance of geishas in a teahouse, uncovers who killed a lord in his own castle, searches for an ancient scroll and true sword of the emperor, and uncovers a smuggling ring in a puppet theater. Each mystery is filled with Japanese history and lore. (Chapter book)

Kazunomiya, a princess in the Kyoto Palace of Heaven, is betrothed to Prince Arisugawa, but her brother, the Emperor, has other ideas. She dutifully attends cherry blossom viewings with the court and wears six layers of kimono, but even secret meetings with Arisugawa can't change her destiny. (Chapter book)

A multi-layered tale of feudal Japan, Jiro leaves his family to work for a famous puppeteer, but behind the scenes, Jiro is caught up in peasant riots and a secret group, led by the legendary Saburo, master of disguise who steals from the rich to help the poor. (Chapter book)

Great collection of short stories – the samurai who loses his head and lives to tell the tale, the lazy young samurai who learns that hard work is just as important as swordsmanship, twenty-four samurai dolls who save the castle. (Chapter book)

The Samurai's Tale
Erik Christian Haugaard

Taro's just a little boy when his father, a samurai, is killed in battle. Taro's life is spared, but he works his way up from kitchen helper, stable boy, messenger, military aide to become a trusted retainer to Lord Akiyama. Wars and adventure in 16th century Japan. The story continues in The Boy and the Samurai. (Chapter book)

An Illustrated History of Japan
Shigeo Nishimura

Richly-detailed pictorial history of Japan – from the prehistoric era, to imperial capitals of Nara and Kyoto, age of shoguns and castles, expansion of Edo (Tokyo) into the world's largest city, up to the present day. Gorgeous two-page illustrations in the Japanese style, filled with fabulous scenes.
(Picture book)

Lovely introduction to the haiku poetry of Basho, interspersed with his walking trip around Japan.
(Picture book)

After Grass Sandals, keep on going. Read out-loud the full version of Basho's poems and travels, The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

"The monks need a temple, the temple needs a garden, the garden needs a Flower Keeper." As the Flower Keeper sweeps the garden, seasons change, lines of sand swirl like the sea, and a single leaf is a left as a reminder. Lovely Japanese-paper collage illustrations. (Picture book)

Capture the magic of a summer night, when fireflies are released for the children. Chasing after the sparkling lights, Miko and Toshio catch the fireflies in their hands, and for a brief moment, their firefly lantern twinkles and glows, lighting the path home. (Picture book)

Follow each step of the Japanese tea ceremony, where tea is enjoyed in a simple, beautiful setting. Appreciating the waiting area and tea room, preparing the tea bowl and making tea, plus history of the tea ceremony. (Chapter book, illustrations)

How-to-book and plus sheets of rainbow-colored origami paper. How to fold the 21 shapes, e.g. a classic crane, a pinwheel, sail boat, rooster, peacock, horse. (Activity pack)

A year of Japanese festivals – traditions, activities, and special foods for Japanese New Year, Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival), Cherry Blossom parties, Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day), Star Festival, O-Bon (Festival of Souls), and more. Colorful, fun illustrations. (Picture book)

Fun facts about the people and culture of Japan today – from animals, to dress (kimonos, obis, tabis), food, theater (Bunraku, Kabuki), religion, transportation (bullet trains), yearly festivals, to Zen Buddhism. (Picture book)