T+L Reports: A Book of Japan in Bloom

When illustrator Kate Williamson moved from Pennsylvania to Kyoto five years ago, she turned her artist's eye to the vibrant minutiae of Japanese culture. The result is A Year in Japan (Princeton Architectural Press; $20), a collection of watercolors and text that explores everything from washi paper to karaoke etiquette (hint: singing Elton John, okay; Mariah Carey, not).