First edition published in Japan in 2009 by Kodansha International. Japanese cuisine is renowned for the beauty of its presentation. Among the key elements in this presentation style are mukimono--the decorative garnishes and carvings that add the final flourish to a dish. It might be a carrot round in the shape of a plum blossom. Or a scattering of cherry blossoms plucked from a radish. Perhaps a swallow, a butterfly, a ginkgo leaf or a cluster of pine needles. Whatever the motif, it will have been created to delight the eye and the palate with its shape, color, and

Photographs by: Kenji Miura