A collection of essays Japanese students wrote to explain their culture to their Western classmates… From aimai (ambiguity) over giri (obligations) to zōtō (gift giving), this book offers a ground-level view of the values and behaviours that shape contemporary Japan.
It is not a textbook on Kinbaku, but it is an invaluable way to see how Japanese people themselves describe the everyday logics and unwritten expectations of social life — the very cultural background in which many aesthetics and practices (from Zen to wabi-sabi, from ma to communication styles) make sense. I also appreciated the reflections on themes that are often difficult to translate — ambiguity, dependence, silence, obligation, hierarchy, modesty, and simplicity. Definitely a great read for understanding Japanese behaviour and worldview.
The Japanese Mind was edited by Roger J. Davies and Osamu Ikeno and first published in 2002.
Bibliographic information
Davies, Roger J., & Osamu Ikeno, editors. The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2002. ISBN-13: 978-0804832953. Here is a link to the publishers page.