About the book: 1983 / The author in a popular and lively form talks about the culture, architecture and art of the city, which has a surprisingly interesting ancient and medieval history. Many pages of the book are devoted to the past of the city of canals and bridges, often called the “Japanese Venice.” In the Middle Ages, it was the main national market, the “kitchen of the country,” a stronghold of the military-feudal dictatorship. Today it is a large port city, commercial, industrial, administrative and cultural center of Japan..