Customer Rating: 
Summary: A must have basic!
Comment: It's hard to search for a cookbook when you can't view it personally so I took a chance buying this and am extremely happy with it! The recipes are authentic and easy. There aren't any photographs but a few drawing to illustrate technique. The recipes are the core of Japanese cooking and the ingredients are consistant and easy to find. Exactly what I was looking for and would definatly say it was not a waste of money. This is getting alot of use.
Customer Rating:
Summary: an unexpected gem
Comment: I came across this book while researching vegan recipes for a family member who is on a really restricted diet. I am not a vegan, but I have loved every recipe from this book that I've made. The maze gohan (Japanese pilaf) and Yasai Zosui (mixed vegetable 'risotto') have become some of my favorite foods.
The book is nicely laid out and it's the perfect size book. It's long enough to contain a wealth of recipes, but not so large that it is unwieldy and awkward to actually have in the cooking area. The directions are extremely clear, and the author does a good job of explaining unfamiliar ingredients.
Vegan or not, this is one of my favorite cookbooks.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Simple Recipes
Comment: This is my favorite cookbook. The recipes are simple, healthy, and they don't taste like they are missing anything. After becoming a vegan, I thought that I would be deprived of all the tastes that I grew up with. I happened upon this book at Borders and have been pleasantly surprised by every recipe that I have tried. Even my anti-vegan sister loves this book.
The recipe for gyoza is a real winner.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very happy I have this in my kitchen.
Comment: This is a great cookbook. As a Japanese-American and a vegan, this is by far the best vegetarian japanese cookbook I've come across.The veg-anized recipies in this book mimic the real thing--the Japanese curry out of this cookbook tastes the same as I remember the beef/pork/chicken version tasting. The ramen recipe is as close to the real thing as I can imagine, and I'm not referring to the 6 for a dollar insta-packs from the supermarket.
The author includes traditional and modern foods, and recipes which are tradionally vegetarian and not. Most of the ingredients can be bought at your local supermarket. This is the book to get for healthy, completely vegetarian Japanse food.
