The first comprehensive review of the status and distribution of Japanese birds since 1953. Illustrated by Masayuki Yabuuchi. It incorporates extensive research into the English and Japanese literature from 1700-1989, and is the first book to include a bibliography on Japanese ornithology. Covering all Japanese territories, it covers 583 species, with colour plates of the endemic species and line drawings of the east Asian specialities. As well as background information there are details of Japan's ten best birding sites.
"[...] this book justly deserves the title `milestone' or `landmark'. It will be a compulsory reference for anyone interested in the birds of Palearctic Eastern Asia for the forseeable future."
– Rod Martins, British Birds