The Three Cornered World by Matsume Soseki

Matsume Soseki is considered one of Japan's greatest writers of the last few centuries. This wonderful little novel is the story of a poet and artist who travels into the mountains to meditate, write and paint. It is a meditation in itself on the importance of detachment in Japanese art and writing and on the beauty of nature. It is beautiful, lyrical, thought provoking and sometimes wonderfully funny. If you are interested in Japanese are or poetry (eg haiku) this is a must read book.