About the Cover Illustration

The figure on the cover of Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja, Second Edition is captioned “Noh Actor, Samurai,” from a woodblock print by an unknown Japanese artist of the mid-19th century. Derived from the Japanese word for talent or skill, Noh is a form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. The samurai, a hero figure in Japan for hundreds of years, was often featured in the performances, and in this print the artist renders with great skill the beauty of the costume and the ferocity of the samurai.