Edward S. Morse 
Japanese Homes and Their Surroundings 

First Published in 2005. Written by the author of glimpses of China and Chinese homes, this volume details the various indoor and outdoor features of traditional Japanese homes. Fully illustrated by the author, morse describes all aspects of Japanese domestic architecture, from the tiles used on the roofs, to the mats used on the floors; from the layouts of the rooms, to the housewares used to fill them. Then, he moves outside to delight the reader with the splendour of the flowers, trees and water features of the Japanese garden. Finishing with a chapter describing the differences and similarities between Japanese homes and those of the Ainu, Koreans and Chinese, this is one of the most comprehensive books written on the subject and is a must for lovers of all things Japanese.