"Even the worst tea is sweet when first made from the new leaf."--Japanese proverb.

Here is a Lafcadio Hearn gem about Japanese customs and traditions destined to survive the inroads of time and Western trends. This masterpiece has the deep azure patina of Fuji-san; it utters the chirping notes of Suzumushi, the caged insect; it is as melodious as Kajika, the singing frog--and is an altogether delightful and entrancing portrayal of a nation's "Exotics and Retrospectives," told by a master storyteller.