''Rice, miso soup, pickles is not just a recommended Japanese menu. It''s a system, a philosophy, and an aesthetic.'' Yoshiharu Doi, Japan''s best-known food writer Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles: the Japanese secret to a long and happy life is for lovers of all things Japanese and reveals much about the country and its people. Not a cookbook, but a unique insight into Japanese cuisine and culture by one of its most revered food writers, Rice, Miso Soup, Pickles has sold almost half a million copies in Japan and is now for the first time translated into English. Traditional Japanese food is a way of eating that embodies seasonality and simplicity; encourages health and longevity; and delights in the meditative peace to be found in preparing the same meal time and again . . . a simple bowl of rice, miso soup containing seasonal vegetables, and salty pickles. Yoshiharu Doi, Japan''s best-known cookery writer urges readers to adopt this traditional Japanese diet to make life and cooking easier - creating a routine, a modest way of eating that is in sympathy with the body, that nurtures and soothes the mind and which makes home a place of reassurance and comfort.