"The Roads to Sata: A 2,000-Mile Walk through Japan," Alan Booth, 1997.  An entertaining read, a sympathetic Englishman, and a rare look at Japan off the beaten track.

 "The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan," Christopher Benfey.  A rich history of the first encounters between Japan and America and the cultural rewards for both.

 "Embracing Defeat, Japan in the Wake of World War II," John W. Dower.  A fascinating look at the postwar American occupation and the .

"Everyday Things in Premodern Japan," Susan B. Hanley.  Reveals the god in the details of traditional Japanese life.

"Inventing Japan, 1853-1964."  Ian Buruma.  A concise look at the rapid industrialization, militarization, defeat, and re-construction of the world’s second-largest economy.

"The Inland Sea," Donald Richie.   Well-crafted travel stories about unremarkable towns and ordinary Japanese.

"Lost Japan," Alex Kerr.  An unabashed Japanophile’s insightful essays share the love without sentimentality.

"Minka,: My Farmhouse in Japan"  John Roderick.  Wonderfully describes thhe travails and rewards of reconstructing a forlorn piece of Japanese rural architecture, and the many lives affected along the way.