David Watts Barton is an award-winning freelance journalist who has covered popular music, culture, travel and outdoor recreation for 40 years for newspapers, magazines, radio and online. His former employers include The Sacramento Bee, Bloomberg, and NPR. For the last five years he has worked exclusively in Japan.

He was writer/editor of Japanology.org and has written freelance for Japanese clients that include architectural firms, art galleries, hotels and branding companies.

In addition to awards including the first Arts Journalist of the Year, given by the Sacramento Arts and Business Council in 2011, Barton has been a fellow at UC Berkeley's Knight Digital Media Center and at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

TABLE OF CONTENTS (tentative)

Introduction: A Land Apart: Japan’s Defining Geography

Part One: Food and Drink

• Introduction to Part One
• Chapter 1: The Greenest Staple: Sea Kelp and its Many Uses
• Chapter 2: Umami, Japan’s “Fifth Flavor”
• Chapter 3: Condiments and Ingredients in Japanese Cuisine
• Chapter 4: Some Exotic Foods the Japanese Love
• Chapter 5: Rice and its infinite products
• Chapter 6: Noodles: Udon, Ramen, Soba, Yakisoba and Somen
• Chapter 7: Japan’s consensus “Greatest Invention”: Instant Ramen
• Chapter 8: What Makes Kobe Beef the World’s Best
• Chapter 9: Japanese Table Manners
• Chapter 10: The Fine Art of Kaiseki Dining
• Chapter 11: Beyond The Pub: Japan's Izakaya Culture
• Chapter 12: All About Sake
• Chapter 13: The Unique Qualities of Japanese Whiskey
• Chapter 14: Beginners Guide to Japanese Tea
• Chapter 15: Wagashi, Japan’s Irresistible Sweets

Part Two: Modern Arts, Entertainment and Sports

• Introduction to Part Two
• Chapter 16: Karaoke!
• Chapter 17: Kawaii and the Culture of Cute
• Chapter 18: The Story of Manga
• Chapter 19: The Art of Anime
• Chapter 20: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki
• Chapter 21: 8 Japanese Films to See Before You Visit Japan
• Chapter 22: Internationally-known Modern Japanese Artists
• Chapter 23: How Art Transformed Naoshima Island
• Chapter 24: Crucial Post-War Japanese Architects
• Chapter 25: A Compact History of the Capsule Hotel
• Chapter 26: Bujitsu: Six Contemporary Martial Arts
• Chapter 27: How Baseball Came to Japan (and Became Japanese)
• Chapter 28: Sumo Wrestlers: The Life of a True Warrior
• Chapter 29: The Novel: Japan’s 20th Century Literary Titans

Part Three: Traditional Arts and Culture

• Introduction to Part Three
• Chapter 30: Hanami, Japan’s the Most Iconic Scenery
• Chapter 31: Elements of Japanese Garden Design
• Chapter 32: The Art of Ikebana
• Chapter 33: The Art of Bonsai: Creating Little Green Worlds
• Chapter 34: From Food to Flooring: The Many Uses of Bamboo
• Chapter 35: Kyoto and the Template of Japanese Architecture
• Chapter 36: Japan’s Delightful Ryokan
• Chapter 37: The Pleasures of the Traditional Onsen
• Chapter 38: The Sento, Japan’s Everyday Onsen
• Chapter 39: Haiku and the Japanese Love of Brevity
• Chapter 40: The Strange Story of Japan's Alphabet(s)
• Chapter 41: Japanese Woodblock Printing
• Chapter 42: Folded Form: Origami and Kirigami
• Chapter 43: Three Forms of Classic Japanese Theater
• Chapter 44: The Kimono, Japan’s Traditional Garment
• Chapter 45: Elements of a Traditional Japanese Wedding
• Chapter 46: The Japanese Tea Ceremony

Part Four: History and Archetypes

• Introduction to Part Four
• Chapter 47: Amaterasu and the Gods of Ancient Japan
• Chapter 48: Carp, Cranes and other Symbolic (but Real) Animals
• Chapter 49: Gifts, Giri and Japan’s Obsession with Packaging
• Chapter 50: The Heian Period: Japan’s Classical Era
• Chapter 51: The Shogunate
• Chapter 52: Commodore Perry and the Opening of Japan
• Chapter 53: Ways the Meiji Restoration Shaped Modern Japan
• Chapter 54: The Samurai Class: More Than Warriors
• Chapter 55: The Mysterious Ninja
• Chapter 56: The Role of Buddhist Monks in Modern Japan
• Chapter 57: Things to Remember When Visiting a Shrine or Temple
• Chapter 58: Who the Geisha Really Were – and Are
• Chapter 59: The Great Japanese Empire
• Chapter 60: The Imperial Family Today
• Chapter 61: Japan’s Demographic Time Bomb

Part Five: The Foundations of Japanese Culture

• Introduction to Part Five
• Chapter 62: The Ubiquitous Power of Kata
• Chapter 63: Bowing, the Fundamental Courtesy
• Chapter 64: The Individual and the Group
• Chapter 65: Japan’s “High Context” Society
• Chapter 66: Honne vs. Tatemae: The Two Faces of Japan
• Chapter 67: Uchi-Soto: In-Groups and Out-Groups
• Chapter 68: What is Ki?
• Chapter 69: The Two Pillars: Buddhism and Shinto
• Chapter 70: Zen Buddhism v. Pure Land Buddhism
• Chapter 71: The Subtle, Confounding Zen Koan
• Chapter 72: The Five Elements in Japanese Culture
• Chapter 73: What Does Wabi-Sabi Mean?
• Chapter 74: Ikigai: A Reason for Living