Ishii has opened Sekisui restaurants in Little Rock, Chattanooga, Charlotte, and St. Louis and has acted as a consultant to Sushi-Koji, in Greenville, SC. He is a stockholder in Ichiban Japanese Restaurant, in Nashville and Sekisui International Travel in Memphis. Ishii is also a major stockholder in Excel, Inc., the Alabama-based producer of shell “seeds” for the cultured pearl industry in Japan. The epitome of ""The American Dream--"" hard work equals success, Ishii has never been shy when it comes to hard work and his good business sense coupled with his drive to succeed have produced positive results in many areas. Ishii, age 44, was born in Kofu, Japan, near Tokyo. In 1978, he came to the United States to attend St. Louis University. While still a student, he took at job at Robata of Japan, a Japanese grill restaurant and sister company of the popular Benihana of Tokyo, where patrons can watch their food being cooked at the table. After 2 years at Robata, in St. Louis, management asked Ishii to join their Benihana of Tokyo branch in Memphis. And, it was in Memphis, in 1982, that Ishii made the decision to start his own business-- bringing Japanese food and style to America. Ishii knew that his hands-on chef experience plus natural knowledge of Japanese food and spirits could be fashioned into a restaurant concept Memphians would love."  (less)

the journey of a lifetime. Along with them on their travels is Shippo, a tiny shapeshifting fox-demon who delights in mischievous pranks. Masterfully sculpted by Tsukuru Shirahige, the pair of Kagome and Shippo stands ready to do battle. Kagome stands 7 1/2-inches tall and is in her white and green high school uniform while wielding a bow and arrows. InuYasha tells the tale of a half-demon hero travelling through ancient Japan with assorted sidekicks including a high school student from the future, other demons, and a sex-crazed monk. Originally a manga series, the anime was first released in 2000 and went on to become one of the most popular series of all time, with fans around the world.  (less)

Ishii has opened Sekisui restaurants in Little Rock, Chattanooga, Charlotte, and St. Louis and has acted as a consultant to Sushi-Koji, in Greenville, SC. He is a stockholder in Ichiban Japanese Restaurant, in Nashville and Sekisui International Travel in Memphis. Ishii is also a major stockholder in Excel, Inc., the Alabama-based producer of shell “seeds” for the cultured pearl industry in Japan. The epitome of ""The American Dream--"" hard work equals success, Ishii has never been shy when it comes to hard work and his good business sense coupled with his drive to succeed have produced positive results in many areas. Ishii, age 44, was born in Kofu, Japan, near Tokyo. In 1978, he came to the United States to attend St. Louis University. While still a student, he took at job at Robata of Japan, a Japanese grill restaurant and sister company of the popular Benihana of Tokyo, where patrons can watch their food being cooked at the table. After 2 years at Robata, in St. Louis, management asked Ishii to join their Benihana of Tokyo branch in Memphis. And, it was in Memphis, in 1982, that Ishii made the decision to start his own business-- bringing Japanese food and style to America. Ishii knew that his hands-on chef experience plus natural knowledge of Japanese food and spirits could be fashioned into a restaurant concept Memphians would love."  (less)

Ishii has opened Sekisui restaurants in Little Rock, Chattanooga, Charlotte, and St. Louis and has acted as a consultant to Sushi-Koji, in Greenville, SC. He is a stockholder in Ichiban Japanese Restaurant, in Nashville and Sekisui International Travel in Memphis. Ishii is also a major stockholder in Excel, Inc., the Alabama-based producer of shell “seeds” for the cultured pearl industry in Japan. The epitome of ""The American Dream--"" hard work equals success, Ishii has never been shy when it comes to hard work and his good business sense coupled with his drive to succeed have produced positive results in many areas. Ishii, age 44, was born in Kofu, Japan, near Tokyo. In 1978, he came to the United States to attend St. Louis University. While still a student, he took at job at Robata of Japan, a Japanese grill restaurant and sister company of the popular Benihana of Tokyo, where patrons can watch their food being cooked at the table. After 2 years at Robata, in St. Louis, management asked Ishii to join their Benihana of Tokyo branch in Memphis. And, it was in Memphis, in 1982, that Ishii made the decision to start his own business-- bringing Japanese food and style to America. Ishii knew that his hands-on chef experience plus natural knowledge of Japanese food and spirits could be fashioned into a restaurant concept Memphians would love."  (less)

Ishii has opened Sekisui restaurants in Little Rock, Chattanooga, Charlotte, and St. Louis and has acted as a consultant to Sushi-Koji, in Greenville, SC. He is a stockholder in Ichiban Japanese Restaurant, in Nashville and Sekisui International Travel in Memphis. Ishii is also a major stockholder in Excel, Inc., the Alabama-based producer of shell “seeds” for the cultured pearl industry in Japan. The epitome of ""The American Dream--"" hard work equals success, Ishii has never been shy when it comes to hard work and his good business sense coupled with his drive to succeed have produced positive results in many areas. Ishii, age 44, was born in Kofu, Japan, near Tokyo. In 1978, he came to the United States to attend St. Louis University. While still a student, he took at job at Robata of Japan, a Japanese grill restaurant and sister company of the popular Benihana of Tokyo, where patrons can watch their food being cooked at the table. After 2 years at Robata, in St. Louis, management asked Ishii to join their Benihana of Tokyo branch in Memphis. And, it was in Memphis, in 1982, that Ishii made the decision to start his own business-- bringing Japanese food and style to America. Ishii knew that his hands-on chef experience plus natural knowledge of Japanese food and spirits could be fashioned into a restaurant concept Memphians would love."  (less)

Ishii has opened Sekisui restaurants in Little Rock, Chattanooga, Charlotte, and St. Louis and has acted as a consultant to Sushi-Koji, in Greenville, SC. He is a stockholder in Ichiban Japanese Restaurant, in Nashville and Sekisui International Travel in Memphis. Ishii is also a major stockholder in Excel, Inc., the Alabama-based producer of shell “seeds” for the cultured pearl industry in Japan. The epitome of ""The American Dream--"" hard work equals success, Ishii has never been shy when it comes to hard work and his good business sense coupled with his drive to succeed have produced positive results in many areas. Ishii, age 44, was born in Kofu, Japan, near Tokyo. In 1978, he came to the United States to attend St. Louis University. While still a student, he took at job at Robata of Japan, a Japanese grill restaurant and sister company of the popular Benihana of Tokyo, where patrons can watch their food being cooked at the table. After 2 years at Robata, in St. Louis, management asked Ishii to join their Benihana of Tokyo branch in Memphis. And, it was in Memphis, in 1982, that Ishii made the decision to start his own business-- bringing Japanese food and style to America. Ishii knew that his hands-on chef experience plus natural knowledge of Japanese food and spirits could be fashioned into a restaurant concept Memphians would love."  (less)

his inimitable warmly intimate style, shares languid Japanese fairy tales, introduces us to his university students and their delightful writings on childhood, explores the Asian delicacy toward love and romance even in literature, and much more. Elegant and fascinating, Hearn''s outsider''s look at what was then and remains in many ways today a culture alien to Western minds is a classic of travel journalism and cultural study. ALSO FROM COSIMO Hearn''s Kokoro: Hints and Echoes of Japanese Inner Life, Japan: An Attempt at Interpretation, and Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan  (less)

r r Contents include:r...  (less)

his experiences are recounted as if from master experiences are recounted as if from master to pupil to offer us guidance and support for the challenges of everyday life. Each morning, simply open the book and choose one of the thirty-six readings at random to discover the message the warrior brings you for that day.brbriPath of the Warrior/iis illustrated with stunning Japanese art, and each image has been carefully chosen to express the sentiments of the warrior's words. No other book brings such an understanding of the bushi-the Japanese warrior-and the world in which he lives, nor offers us a chance to learn from his story as we progress on our own life journey.br/divDIVbLucas Estrella Schultz/bis a student of the philosophies and practices of the martial arts of Japan and China, and has been deeply influenced by the teachings of Buddhism and Shinto as well as by the writings of Carlos Castaneda (iThe Teachings of Don Juan/i) and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He studied animal behavior in Germany and works as a professor of psychophysiology at the Andres Bello National University in Santiago, Chile, where he now lives.br/div  (less)