Nihon No Bi Take (Bamboo of Japan). 1977. approx. 100 full colour photographs by Shinji Takama. 205 p. Lex8vo. Cloth. - In Japanese.

The special relationship that the Japanese have with bamboo is both beautiful and mysterious. Can this relationship be due to the tenacity, mysterious life cycle or many uses of bamboo? Certainly bamboo is an important element in Japanese esthetics. However it is difficult to comprehend the part that bamboo plays in daily life in Japan.

In this book the authors will attempt to portray bamboo in pictures and essays. Perhaps through the study of bamboo we might approach an understanding of the secret of the beauty of Japanese nature. This book will try to bean ear to hear the voice of bamboo and an eye to see the essence of bamboo. The allure of bamboo has attracted the eye of photographer, Shinji Takama. Yasushi Inoue has approached the secret of its beauty in his essay and botanist Dr. Koichiro Ueda has attempted to explain the life history and ecology of bamboo.