4 comments about Classic Japanese Inns and Country Getaways (Origami Classroom).

1. As one who visits Japan on a very strict budget, I found it enthralling to find out what it would be like to stay at some of these expensive inns. So much so, I have started saving just to experience one night of extravagance. Margaret Price describes beautifully the inns food,ambience and surrounding attractions as well as suggesting places to shop, things to buy and day itineraries. As well as this there are a small number of low cost ryokan recommended. There is a very useful glossary with handy phrases for bookings etc., as many of the places have no English. Language details are pointed out in the description. The maps are quite good considering the size of the area covered on the map

   It is a pity that so many of the inns are well away from rail stations as for the casual traveller car transport is not a real option because of the language barrier with road signs. I think that better directions by bus from stations would improve the usefulness of the book.

   Overall, an enjoyable read if you like to find out what it is like on the other side of the road. An interesting alternative to a normal guide book.




2. This is a beautiful book to own if you like looking at pictures of traditional architecture and dreaming about nights in Japanese Inns. I've loaned it to a few friends and they all want to go to Japan now! I bought this book shortly before a trip to Japan and called a few of the listed places. None of the places had room on such short notice: none of them volunteered to speak English, either, so it might be an adventure if your Japanese isn't good.



3. I recently splurged on staying at two of the Inns in this book and I was impressed by two things: 1. How accurately the author described the particular Inns and 2. How well the book prepared me for the overall experience.
   One warning: all of the inns detailed in the book are expensive by US standards, (as it appears most traditional Inns are). Especially considering we found that it was possible to find tourist hotels for less than US$100 a night. We combined four inexpensive hotel nights in Kyoto with two nights of staying in the more expensive Inns. Because Inns include two generous meals it balenced out the $300 a night cost. Staying in the Inns made us feel we experienced the "real" Japan. It is the part of our trip we remember the most foundly.
   Our Itinerary: We spent four nights at the Kyoto Miyako Westin Hotel, then took a 3 hour train trip to Gero Onsen to stay at Yunoshima-kan and then the next day went up to Takayama to stay one night at Nagase Inn, both are detailed in the book. Nagase now takes fax reservations in English and the tourist office at Gero Onsen (gero-spa@hida.co.jp) said they can help americans secure reservations at an Inn like Yunoshima-kan where they do not speak English.
   I share this info because making reservations is the hardest part of planning a trip to a small traditional Inn. Once you get there it's worth it.



4. Margaret Price has provided a marvelous resource for westerners who visit Japan and wish to experience the elegance and charm of Japanese inns. But please be aware of the complications that I will outline in this review.
   
   In spite of the following cautions, I would enthusiastically encourage all western readers to prepare themselves well, and then venture into this wonderful, almost magical experience of staying in traditional Japanese inns. The rewards will live forever in your memories.
   
   It is easy to underestimate the cultural divide between traditional Japanese culture and the experience of the vast majority of westerners who visit Japan. That can range from actual fish heads floating in the soup served for your breakfast--less likely now, since Japanese innkeepers have become more "sensitive" to westerners' tastes and distates--to the embarassment caused by getting soap into the soaking tub in a Japanese bath. Or failing to recognize the difference between those slippers used throughout most of the inn and the toilet slippers that are never worn anywhere else.
   
   To be sure, Japanese innkeepers are far more aware and sensitive to these cross-cultural issues than are most of their western guests, but that doesn't always protect us from making fools of ourselves.
   
   Price-- Although the inns appear pricey by western standards, they cannot be compared to a stay in any western hotel--not even to "all-inclusive" resorts. Nearly all Japanese inns include several traditional Japanese meals in their daily rate, and those are presented in the most elegant fashion imaginable--nearly always in the intimacy of your own private tatami-floored bedroom. The tastes and textures might be unfamiliar, but these meals are highly prized as gourmet offerings by the Japanese guests who make up 95% of their clientele.
   
   Be aware that there is a great difference between the traditional Japanese inn--a "ryokan"--and a traditional Japanese guest house--a "minshuku." The minshuku are less expensive, less elegant and less "personal." No meals in your room--everyone usually shares meals family style in a common dining area. That said, minshuku can be a marvelous and less expensive way to enjoy traditional Japan.
   
   Now to some specific features of "Classic Japanese Inns." Inside the front cover, there is a "quick reference" for "Inn Etiquette." This is a GREAT starting point for the first-timer. Not completely sufficient, but a great start.
   
   Each inn is listed with its name and address printed in Japanese characters ("kanji"), as well as in our "Roman" ABC alphabet (known in Japan as "Romaji"). That Japanese text is an essential aid for taxi drivers, and even for guides at town tourist centers, who might never recognize the westerner's mispronunciation of the inn's name and its location.
   
   The brief descriptions of the inns and their surroundings are very good. We were able to compare a few of them with inns that we had actually visited during our years in Japan.
   
   Most of the inns listed have two or three "shared" baths. In this volume, I have not yet found any (other than the "family" baths---"kazoku-buro") that are intended for adult males and females to share. And, of coures, the family baths are meant for a particular family--not for simultaneous use by multiple families. But a significant number of VERY traditional small inns--especially those in the mountains and in small hot springs communities--have outdoor baths ("rotenburo") that adults of both genders share. Of course, this experience requires a sophistication many westerners cannot easily manage (their great loss). There is nothing like communing with nature in a rotenburo with fellow guests of both genders and all ages (from smooth-skinned infants to well-wrinkled grandparents).
   
   A very important word about making reservations. Unless you have some significant ability in speaking Japanese, do NOT attempt to make your reservations by telephoning the inn. Pronunciation errors can be deadly. For that reason, the appendix entitled "Helpful Japanese Phrases" should NOT be used by the neophyte tourist. Although this reviewer made numerous room reservations by telephone--and very successfuly--while living in Japan, I would never attempt it again until I had regained some of the fluency that I had when we last left that wonderful nation.
   
   So, how does one make reservations for traditional inns? There are many Japanese travel agencies that will assist. The Japanese National Tourist Organization (JNTO) or the Japan Travel Bureau are starting points. In addition, there are a number of Japanese Web sites that invite westerners to make reservations. Many of the traditional inns belong to ryokan associations that will facilitate reservations, either by telephone or online.
   
   The bottom line is that Margaret Price's book is a great resource, but doesn't really educate you to the critical complexities of crossing the cultural barriers in Japan. Does that mean that you shouldn't try? Definitely NOT. Just realize that it will take more preparation (and courage) than this volume provides.
   
   As far as we are concerned, we can't wait to return to Japan and use this excellent book.

3 comments about Make a Mil-Yen: Teaching English in Japan.

1. Just returned from teaching in Japan. The truth is that finding a job is a lot more difficult than it was, say 5 years ago. But if you are the least bit interested, this is by far the best book available. Felt like I had a friend telling me the ins and outs of how to get my job. If you are really interested in the experience then go for it!



2. I taught English in Japan for about 2 years in the mid 90's. The experience was fantastic, and I made some of the best freinds of my life. Unfortunately, I read this book after the fact (after I had my job), but I certainly could have avoided some of the common pit-falls. This book really tells it like it is, and is a MUST BUY for anyone contemplating the adventure of a life-time.



3. I am currently researching teaching opportunities in Japan, and they are plentiful. While I have yet to go to Japan, reading Don Best's book has answered a lot of questions I had had (e.g. how can one afford to live in Japan?). It includes information on the English industry in Japan, qualifications for teaching, suggested preparation before leaving for Japan, finding jobs, surviving in Japan, the interview (including hints on creating a demonstration lesson), pay, work visas, and settling in.

   One concern I had was that this book was written in 1994. I wrote to two address in the book and both letters were sent back to me claiming the addresses were incorrect. I suggest checking (possibly through internet searches) addresses before writing to them. There are also a lot of informative websites to check out. If you are looking to get hired from outside Japan, look for websites of these employers: Aeon, Nova, Geos, Berlitz, and ECC.

   Overall, this book seems like an excellent place to start if you're interested in teaching English in Japan. Even if some of the information may be outdated, it answers a lot of questions that readers will have about teaching in Japan and about Japan itself.

1 comments about Introducing Japan.

1. This book is great for any student who needs or wants to get a good round idea about Japan. It includes the basic needs to write any report, and is filled with beautiful color pictures throught the book, giving any one the visual effect! It's 72 pages, LOADS of pictures, 2 charts... one map, and the symbols for writting in Japan. Well written and great for students in middle school, maybe even up to ninth grade! If you are looking for indepth study, tense facts, and dence litature, this is not the book. It gives you a basic all around idea of Japan, nothing more, nothing less.

5 comments about 36 Views of Mount Fuji: On Finding Myself in Japan.

1. When we first moved to Japan in 1998, a friend suggested we read this book. We loved it and passed on the recommendation to all who arrived after us. It is touching and insightful. Ms. Davidson has a wonderful gift of observation, and we found her reactions and reflections to be consistent with our own experiences.
   
   If you want an accurate and eloquent image of the expat life in Japan, read this book.



2. Cathy Davidson's 36 VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI has become, after a few reads, a personal favorite. At first it would seem to be something of a first-person travelogue, but - like ceratin other classics (Peter Matthiessen's SNOW LEOPARD and Pico Iyer's THE LADY AND THE MONK both spring to mind) - it quickly evolves into something more.
   
   Davidson's impressions of Japan - and of foreigners in Japan (these are particularly revealing) - are stated with great eloquence and economy, and the book steadily shifts towards something more philosophical - how identity can be found or commented upon by unlikely places and experiences. Davidson finds this a fascinating yet disorienting process, and details both quite well.
   
   Davidson works through her illusions about Japan, which are replaced by less romantic realities, and inevitably confornts the same ironies in America, which are viewed in a new light upon arriving home. This takes us to what - to me - was the real heart of the book - a Japanese friend's visit to Davidson's new home in North Carolina, and an illusion-shattering conversation which occurs during that visit. Illusions or stereotypes persist due to (among other reasons) their romance or mythic symbolism, and the projection of those fantasies onto a different culture do give voice to ones' dissatisfactions with ones' own culture, and seeing that examined, recognized, and partially obliterated is in some ways a bit sad and anti-romantic. Her friend (who in some ways sees the exoticism of America as any of us might be wowed by Japan, but also is completely unafraid to point out the b.s. built into both societies) - among other super-sharp observations - does point out that one can also choose to hang on to a few of those illusions - in a highly selective and informed way, and perhaps gain some unique personal insights.
   
   An intriguing and graceful book; I recommend it.
   
   -David Alston



3. Davidson Sensei's book is worthwhile just for the vignettes and anecdotes about a gaijin living in Japan in the 1980's. The book is even better as a discourse and commentary on the relative merits of egalitarian and elitist cultures.
   
   For many gaijin, Japan is a middleclass paradise... safe, clean, polite, orderly, full of giri (reciprocity); an egalitarian meritocracy. The ultimate middle class experience. At first, Davidson falls in love with Japan but by her fourth visit, she sees it as a sad, depressing place. Her discomfort reaches a peak during a stay at her former host University's Practice House, an ersatz model Western home designed to be a laboratory for teaching young Japanese women Western manners, practices and protocols.
   
   The Western, and particularly the American elite's disdain, if not outright contempt for what's left of the middle class is well known. Academic elites, in particular, loath their middle class students (while craving the middle class tuition dollars that pay their salaries). Davidson tells us about her family's failed efforts to participate in the middle class Chicagoland suburbia of the 1950's. She hates all of the mid-20th century middle class symbolism in her Japanese host's Western Practice House.
   
   Davidson moves on to a job at an elite East Coast University, builds a fabulous Japanese house on a beautiful lakeside setting in the country, and leads a live that most Americans can only imagine. Ultimately, the author chooses to participate in the upmarket options that are only available to her in Elitist America instead of the living in middle class Japan. She makes the decision after a blinding flash of insight gained while vacationing in Paris. The point of the book, the moral of the story, fits our times perfectly: Elitism is better than Egalitarianism, (if you are a member of the Elite). What is funny and charming about all this is that Davidson really doesn't seem to understand the implications of her decision until a houseguest from Japan spells it out for her. And in the final chapter the irony that a second Japanese houseguest also has to spell out for her. After her lengthy journey and a long story well told, it turns out that Davidson's fabulous Japanese house is an ersatz Practice House.
   
   No giri.
   
   No Mount Fuji.



4. If you are planning to travel to Japan, particularly for the first time, this is a good book to read, as it is an excellent guide to the complicated cultural differences you are likely to encounter. There are some wonderful anecdotes, my favorite being the story of how Davidson and her husband attended a funeral in the home of people they knew quite well. Nevertheless, they ended up completely confused as to how to behave correctly and mortified by their errors in etiquette. The book is also a wise commentary on what happens when one is so smitten by another culture that (for a time) the possibility of moving and starting one's life over in a new place seems not only desirable but possible. There is a fine section in which Davidson, on a visit to Paris, observes the difficulties of the Japanese tourists who are also visiting the city. The experience provides her with a completely different perspective, tempering her rather idealized view of Japanese culture. That said, the book is too long, and as I read it for a second time, I found myself skimming and skipping through parts like the long elegy for Suzuki-san that appears and reappears like a kind of refrain in the second half of the book. As a memoir, 36 Views is a very serious, sometimes graceful, sometimes ponderous look at Japan, and I occasionally found myself longing for a dose of irreverence.



5. I liked this book. I've been reading a lot of expatriate Japanese travelogues lately and I admire the author for leaving ego and self-indulgence out of the narrative (not accomplished by Katie Kitamura, Laura Friska, Richard Kramer, or Bruce Feiler). I've only visited Japan for a month so I don't know if her observations and interpretation of Japanese society and culture are accurate, but I thought the writing was gracious and thoughtful and her expat experiences in other countries rang true for me. I've lived and traveled in several countries and had many of the same feelings about identity and belonging. I really enjoyed the item about speaking Japanese in Paris because that happened to me when I was in Japan--I would automatically revert to my limited knowledge of French when trying to converse in simple Japanese. It was such a strange thing and now I know that this happens to other people too.
   
   I only gave this book four stars though because I didn't enjoy the latter part of the book as much as the first. There was an elitist tone regarding the building the Japanese house in North Carolina that didn't seem to fit with the rest of the book.
   
   I still would recommend this book however; in my opinion, it's superior to most of this genre that are out there.

5 comments about Persimmon Wind Martial Artist's Journey.

1. Several years ago, in "Autumn Lightning," Dave Lowry wrote of his experiences growing up as a young American whom had been informally "adopted" into the family of a Japanese martial arts teacher. It was a fascinating, semi-biographical account that delved into the true nature of the Japanese martial arts experience. Now, a number of years later, he has returned with a sequel-"Persimmon Wind-A Martial Artist's Journey in Japan." In "Persimmon Wind," Mr. Lowry details his first visit to Japan, to reunite with his old teacher of Japanese Shinkage Ryu swordsmanship. Despite his authorship of several fine books, including "Sword and Brush", this is easily Dave Lowry's finest work.

   Lovers of fine biographies, martial arts enthusiasts, folks interested in Japanese culture--all will enjoy "Persimmon Wind." The biographical aspect of this work is entertaining. Dave Lowry's understanding of classical martial arts and ways is superb as well. He makes a point of explaining these arts in such a way that both experienced practitioners and the general public will be able to get something out of the text. And "Persimmon Wind" will evoke fond memories from anyone that have ever been to Kyoto, and it will fascinate those that have always dreamed of visiting the Japanese island nation.

   The only weak point in the book is the publisher's failure to provide adequate proofreading. A surprising number of typos are found for a book issued by a mainstream publisher like Charles E. Tuttle.

   This quibble aside, "Persimmon Wind" is a unique book-one that can be enjoyed by an unusually wide cross-section of readers. In short, it is much more than a typical "martial arts book."




2. This is the third book I've read, and it is the one that I enjoyed the least. Yet, I still give it 4 stars!

   This is an account of the author's pilgrimage to Japan to visit his sensei in the art of swordsmanship and to visit various places important to his sensei and to their school of swordsmanship. Thus, the book is a kind of travelog of various obscure villages, gravesites and temples. Doesn't sound too promising, does it? Yet, the author infuses this account of his travels and experiences with sufficient insight and wisdom to entertain and inform. Also, it gives a finely textured account of the Japanese heartland that few westerners ever get to experience. Yes, at times the author is a bit long-winded and meandering.

   To fully appreciate this book, it would be helpful to read Autumn Lighting, the wonderful biographical account of his training in Japanese swordsmanship, begun in the American Midwest when he was an adolescent. There is much information in Autumn Lightning about the traditions, history, and founders of the author's style of martial art that makes reading Persimmon Wind a much richer experience.




3. First, let me start by saying that I am a big fan of Mr. Lowry's work and I have thoroughly enjoyed all his writings that I've read to date. I have been amused, inspired, and moved by each book. When I ordered this "sequel" to Autumn Lightning, I was expecting more of the same. It's not. It's distinctly different in style and in character, whether that be due to advances in writing technique, artistry, or simple maturation. I enjoyed the book immensely. What I most definately did NOT enjoy was the numerous typos, misspellings, and plain lack of work done by the publishing house to review the results of their process. There are paragraphs where there are 3-4 mistakes within 4 or 5 lines. This is unacceptable. I sincerely hope a second edition corrects these grevious errors, because they detract from Mr. Lowry's work. I think he especially would be ironically appreciative of the errors because they are like rocks placed incorrectly in a suieseki landscape. As a writer, Mr. Lowry rates a 5...but the lackadaisical efforts of the publishing house reduces that rating to a 3.



4. I enjoyed Lowry's account of his travels in Japan, which he uses to explain and illuminate many aspects of Japanese martial (and also not so martial) culture, ranging from flower arranging to iaijutsu and naginatajutsu, and others. I especially liked his account of training in a rural iai school in which the teachers, although possessing decades of experience (as well as comparable skill), still described themselves as "students" since they were a rural dojo and many hadn't been able to formally test for high rank, although they probably would have qualified. That didn't keep them from finding and correcting the slightest faults with his technique, and he found the workouts both exhaustive and exhausting at this humble and bucolic dojo. You can't read one of Lowry's books without learning a lot about Japanese history, philosophy, and martial arts, and this one is no different.



5. Having been a student, instructor, and researcher of the martial arts for nearly a quarter of a century now, I always read Lowry's books, but am not always inclined towards them, due to his somewhat elitist and condescending attitude (at times). This book concerns his visit to see his Shinkage ryu sensei in Japan some time after his instructor returned to Japan. Those expecting to get technical presentations from Lowry's books are apt to be disappointed, since (frankly) he rarely concerns himself with training sequences or scenarios, and prefers to tell long winded explanations of stories which are mostly only relevant to those who've had extended training in ko-ryu bujutsu and in particular the Shinkage ryu. I found this to be an interesting read, and will keep the book in my collection, but (like much of Lowry's work) it is one of those tomes which are more suitable for the researcher in arcane Japanese arts and crafts than for either serious martial arts students or even the casual reader. Many reviewers have been overly concerned with the typos and proofreading errors (of which there are a few), but I did not find that they detracted from my enjoyment of the book, so the frustrated English teachers among us should read the book and not quibble.

No comments about Insight FlexiMap Tokyo (Insight Fleximaps).

2 comments about The Rough Guide to Tokyo - 4th Edition.

1. If you are going to Tokyo-do not buy this book! Do not buy the Rough Guides to Japan either-it's written by the same writers. The writers supposedly lived in Japan for several years. Didn't seem like it with all the circles they led us in and the bad directions! They did not even explain the subway system well enough. Book doesn't have a real map of the Tokyo metro (like the other books do). I was very disappointed with the book, having been a fan of Rough Guides for years. I will be switching to Lonely Planet.



2. This book has very good written content (e.g., clearly written, up-to-date, lively, contains web addresses for further reference), but the neighborhood maps that appear throughout the book are mostly monochrome, and are not very easy to negotiate with the eye. This is a big problem if you're trying to use this book partly to learn the topography of Tokyo. I use this book in conjunction with the well-crafted "Streetwise Tokyo" laminated color map. This would work, but until Rough Guide adds better-designed (and colored) maps, it might be more efficient and cost-effective to look at some of the competing books.

3 comments about Salaryman in Japan (Japan in Your Pocket Series, Vol 8).

1. A Japanese friend gave me this book, and I couldn't put it down. I learned how to present and receive a business card, what a karaoke bar is like (you'll be surprised), and what a salaryman's day is like. I found the most interesting parts to be how the mixed feelings about the role of women were reflected. In one part, women were criticized for wanting to stay in the workplace rather than marry. In another part, women were criticized for spending their days shopping, not having meals ready when their husbands come home, and having affairs. If you are planning a trip to Japan, this book will give you some insight into what the Japanese feel is important for Westerners to know.



2. A Japanese friend gave me this book, and I couldn't put it down. I learned how to present and receive a business card, what a karaoke bar is like (you'll be surprised), and what a salaryman's day is like. I found the most interesting parts to be how the mixed feelings about the role of women were reflected. In one part, women were criticized for wanting to stay in the workplace rather than marry. In another part, women were criticized for spending their days shopping, not having meals ready when their husbands come home, and having affairs. If you are planning a trip to Japan, this book will give you some insight into what the Japanese feel is important for Westerners to know.



3. The book is criminally humorous as it describes the life, times, trials and tribulations of the 1980s Salaryman. The book is still in print in Japan, though it's relevance to today is diminishing.

   On the very surface it is a sympathetic appeal to what the salaryman has to put up with. Like many things Japanese, it is an onion, and a level beneath it really pokes fun at the salarymen. One more level and you get a lesson on what it's like to be a businessman in Japan.

   High wisdom? No. But it's still worth a read for any Japanophile.

No comments about Not Just a Good Food Guide: Tokyo (Not Just a Good Food Guide).

No comments about Tokyo Chic (Chic Destinations).