This 40 page book presents many of the signs that shops and restaurants to invite their customers. In the old town of Kyoto you will not find many neon lights. Instead, shops and restaurants make themselves known through curtains in front of the shops. These 'noren' are silkscreened or sometimes hand-painted curtains split along the middle or in several banners, hanging in front of the entrance or doorstep, so you can walk through them.

The colorful and cheerful noren often contain pictograms to tell what the shop is about. They are masterpieces of calligraphy. These noren symbolize the old values of the Japanese culture.

This book is complementary to the 80 page book Kyoto, Eternal city of cherry blossoms, geishas and temples and the 40 page book Kyoto City of rituals.

Price transparency:

All proceeds of this book will go to the Netherlands Red Cross to support their fundraising campaign for those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Blurb charges printing costs for the book, € 12,59 (in case of the softcover), an amount that I raise with € 8,00 for Japan.