Originally published for the opening of the Toshiba Gallery of Japanese Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, this book celebrates and sets in context many of its greatest treasures. The museum's Japanese holdings, acquired over a period of 150 years, started with the international exhibitions of the second half of the 19th century and the great private collections formed in Britain at the beginning of the 20th. The result is a panorama of Japan's achievements in art and design from the earliest times, with particular emphasis on ceramics, lacquer, textiles, prints and metalwork from the 17th century to modern day.