Alex Kerr brings to life the ritualized world of Kabuki, retraces his initiation into Tokyo's boardrooms during the heady Bubble Years, and tells the story of the hidden valley that became his home. Part paean to a great country and culture, part epitaph in the face of environmental and cultural destruction, this passionate book won the 1994 Shincho Gakugei prize for non-fiction - the first time it had been awarded to a foreigner. Now published with a new preface.