Attention to detail, small gestures with profound meaning, brilliantly intuitive . . . these are the hallmarks of Japanese art, and they apply equally to the Japanese art of sex. Here for the first time is a practical guide that shows you how to use the ancient and modern Japanese sexual practices of court ladies, courtesans, and geisha to spark romance and deliver an erotic "floating world" of pleasure to you and your partner.

Japanese sex is not about the orgasm. In Japan, honest and healthy sex is at one with a love of nature and purity. But it is often the woman who knows more and cares more about extending passion into the realm of spirituality, using all of the senses. In The Japanese Art of Sex you'll practice aromatherapy, bathing and erotic meditation for calming; explore the art of conversation to stimulate the mind and expose the heart, roleplay to fulfill your fantasies; and, finally, use your fingers and tongue to tease and caress before choosing a position to make love.

Chapters with titles like "The Nine Points of Beauty," "Iki: The Art of Cool," and "Bathhouse Games and Sexy Cuisine" lead you step by step through over a thousand years of Japanese explorations into sex and love. While explicit, the discussions are tasteful and resolutely nonexploitive.

For like-minded modern Western women, eager to explore new ways of lovemaking and pleasure-giving, this book will be a welcome respite from all the other manuals that emphasize technique over the art of sex.

Jina Bacarr has written business books and magazine -articles, and she has coauthored a novel about Japan. She was previously the Japan-based consultant on KCBS-TV and MSNBC, and currently has her own weekly radio show, "On the Wild Side: The Spicier Side of Books." She lives in Southern California.