This review was originally published on NetGalley.com. I was given an ebook freely by NetGalley and the book’s publisher in return for a voluntary and honest review.

Japan
By Melanie Clegg

Melanie Clegg does a wonderful job of collecting stunning photography from all over Japan. I’ve wanted to visit this beautiful country for years. The variety of locations and people astounds me for being a collection of islands. The photography shows how diverse Japan is as it celebrates its past and is in the forefront of future tech and architecture.

Japan: Land of the Rising Sun by Melanie Clegg confirms my initial idea about a country I didn’t know all that much about: Japan is a country of contrasts and extremes. From its bustling, often somewhat futuristic cities to its ancient Buddhist heritage, from its samurai culture to its cherry blossoms, from Mount Fuji to geisha, and everything in between, Japan captures it all in a myriad of stunning photos. What possibly surprised me most is the Noboribetsu Date Historic Village, a replica village (including clothing, food and activities) where visitors can take a trip back to the 17th-century Edo period, and all the A-line buildings making up Aomori’s skyline, referring to their city’s first letter in their architecture. But really, I could wax on about this book for ages, I have too many favourite photos to even begin to sum them up and I would highly recommend picking up Japan, regardless of whether you’re familiar with the country or a complete newbie like me.

Take a trip through Japan’s many regions with Melanie Clegg’s Japan. Stunning photography shows the many colors and seasons of Japan’s islands and regions. Each photo is accompanied by a description and follows a path through Japan beginning in Tokyo and traveling north then south and ending in Okinawa. Get to know the festivals, foods and main tourists sights again and again with this beautiful book. A great gift for Japanophiles.

I've visited Japan a number of times for work and there is always something new to see. The country and culture have so much to offer an outsider. This book captures many aspects of that.

just wow.

Fortunately I had the opportunity to travel to Japan four years ago and it was one of the best decisions I made in my life. That trip broadened my horizons, it showed me that there are other ways of living, another type of society, and what this incredible book does is show us a small part of what Japan is.

I was informed that the book will be for sale only in physical form, and it makes sense. Seeing the images on the computer was really captivating and engaging, but it must be a thousand times better experience to hold it in your hands and appreciate what are the magnificent photographs that were taken.

Here we are touring Japan, from the most rural and traditional areas to the most current, technological and innovative. We go through parades, the most popular areas, temples (I love them, with all my soul), typical foods, traditional houses, in short... countless places.

Some of all these places and points of interest I was able to visit, but it is impossible to visit everything in one trip and I would love to visit Japan again. Try new flavors, new experiences and relive that emotion that I had when I went. Through this book I was able to feel something of that again, and it made me remember how lucky I was to be able to travel to Japan.

A book full of emotions, culture, and learning, with stunning photographs that will make you feel like you are there... in Japan!

A lovely photobook with lots of contrasting pictures of Japan. There are beautiful shots of castles and sakura. There is also a picture of people buried in the sand (a sand bath). There are the exhaustingly visual pictures of electric advertising next to a rice terrace or a snow scene over a river. The author hasn't taken the photos but has made the selection and provided 2-3 sentences of explanation on the history or significance of the photos.

This book will make you want to visit Japan immediately. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Vivid photography interspersed with helpful explanatory text make this book a delight to page through. Those with merely a casual knowledge of Japanese culture or geography will undoubtedly find something new to ponder. This book touches on food, sport, botany, religion, architecture, and more. My favorite photo is on page 58 of a pagoda surrounded by blossoming sakura trees, with the sky in shades of purple and peach. Exquisite! It wouldn't be at all surprising if these photos inspired a trip to Japan.

Japan, Land of the Rising Sun is a beautiful addition to the coffee table photo books from Amber Books. The sections are divided by regions of the country. The photos are beautiful whether showing cities, food, architecture, gardens, shrines and beaches. This would be a for those who have traveled or desired to travel to Japan. It would be something I would also check out from my local library. Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books, Ltd. for a temporary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Japan, Land of the Rising Sun by Melanie Clegg is a wonderful addition to any coffee table or travel book library. I expected sweeping images of stunning topography. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with the insider’s look of the cities, the people, the food, the architect, and the culture, in addition to the stunning images of scenery. The chapters are divided into regions among this massive island. Visit the various shrines, festivals, gardens, and beaches right from your chair. There are some common, famous views, but I personally enjoyed the glimpse as the lessen known places. Daytime, nighttime, city, country, land, water, wildlife, vegetation; all of it is captured beautifully in these stunning images from all over Japan. The colors are vivid, and I can almost hear the sounds and smell the aromas. Enjoy your personal tour from the comfort of your own chair.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Beautiful photos, few accompanying words, because that's how these coffee table books work and I love it when they are about Japan.

Bellissime foto, poche parole di accompagnamento, perché é cosí che funzionano questi libri da tavolino e che io adoro quando riguardano il Giappone.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

Coffee table book filled with beautiful photos and interesting tidbits of information on the culture and history of Japan. I liked how the book was broken down into the different regions of Japan, as you could really get a sense for how different the prefectures are. Recommended if you enjoy photography and would like to learn about Japan!

The next step up from a travel guide. This "Coffee Table" book packs so much information into it. Whether you plan to visit Japan or just learn more about the way things are done, you’ll enjoy this book.
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).

Review to come January 13th to blog/goodreads/etc..

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Netgalley has been releasing all sorts of gorgeous photobooks these past days and while I was tempted to click on request, I managed to hold myself in. Until I saw Japan appear. A quick look on Amazon to get a sneak-peek soldered the deal. I needed to have this book!

Japan is still one of those countries I would love to visit one day. But without all that money and allergies (soy/nuts and several others, but soy is like a big thing in Japan) I just haven't been able to go. It is still a dream. Thankfully, more and more photobooks are appearing or books with stories about Japan. So I can still enjoy Japan, still just imagine I am going on a trip.

In this absolutely STUNNING book we visit all of Japan. From the big island to the island surrounding it. From Tokyo to Osaka to Mt Fuji to well everywhere. Haha. I loved that the book was cut into sections. I read it in order, but if you have a specific part of Japan you would like to see you can just go to that section! I loved travelling Japan and I loved all the various photographs. Not just landscapes or cityscapes, but also people, delicious foods, lonely onsens, cute monkey, trains, gorgeous look-out points, Mt Fuji, streets with lights, maiko and geisha, shrines, and so much more. It was just a feast for the eye and I loved how the photographer captured so much of Japan. I also loved seeing some popculture like Hatsune Miku (with the famous snow festival) and the Pikachu parade. I just wanted to step into the pages and be part of the scenery. I loved seeing some unknown or less known parts of Japan as well, often with books it focusses on the big things. The big marks. But here we also get to see things that you don't always see and that is great! Give some love to those parts as well.

Normally I would maybe be like, eh sometimes the quality sucks, but this time the publisher actually send the reviewers a mail that they had to compress the file and thus the appearance is affected. So this time I will forgive it. And for most the photographs were of good quality. Just some that were a bit grainy or seemed badly taken.

All in all, I would HIGHLY recommend this gorgeous and stunning book to all. It would be a lovely addition to bookshelves all over the world.

This coffee table books takes readers throughout Japan. Rather than focus just on the natural beauty or architecture this book provides images of a little bit of everything. From traditional temples to busy intersections to sushi restaurants to secluded beaches, this book provides an all-encompassing look at Japan. This book would make a wonderful gift to anyone who loves Japan.

Simply stunning. The photography is breathtakingly beautiful, colourful and full of life! What a diverse collection of photos complete with nuggets of information.

Absolutely stunning book, I love Japanese history and culture, I would love to visit but mostly out of my price, but reading this and seeing the beautiful pictures fills so many blanks in my head. It’s divided into areas of Japan and each subsection covers areas within that province, I loved how it had a brief bit of history and information, which meant some of the history I’ve studied I could see the castles and areas associated. The photography in this is beautiful, stunning, my words can’t do it or how beautiful Japan is justice. You’ll have to read a copy to see for yourself. Thoroughly and highly recommended for lovers of Japan, photography and beauty

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion