A tour-de-force of an essay, In Praise of Shadows is a great monument, a monolith that flows and is so contained within itself that it’s impossible to take away parts from it and present them, but what Tanizaki does here is to talk of shadows — in architecture, in food, in theatre, and even in literature. He contrasts Western thinking to Japanese thinking when it comes to brightness versus dimness and darkness, and this is the base for the essay. He contemplates shadows in such unexpected and ingenious ways that he practically teaches the reader how to look and how to see. This should be mandatory reading in every architecture and history of art module, and that also means absolutely everyone should read it, especially if you want to find out what is so appealing about Japanese culture. Everyone who has hated the excessive whiteness and illumination: you will be at home in this well-supported, earnest, and at times humorous essay.