The book is dedicated to describing the culture and way of life of the Japanese. The first part of the book, which gives the title to the entire publication, was written by A. N. Meshcheryakov, a famous scientist, author of many works on ancient and medieval Japan, who lived for a long time in this interesting country. With unfailing love, but without beating around the bush, he shows us the internal, sometimes intimate features of Japanese life in the inextricable connection of past and present. The second part contains historical notes from Jesuit missionaries who preached Christianity among the Japanese in the 16th and 17th centuries. The third part is compiled from archival documents, travel diaries and memoirs of European travelers who visited Japan in the 17th–19th centuries. All this makes it possible to better understand not only the realities of Japanese everyday life, but also to penetrate into the very soul of the Japanese from that side that remained hidden to us for such a long time. The book is richly illustrated and is addressed to those who are interested in the culture of the peoples of the Far East.< /p>