No comments about Live & Work in Japan, 3rd (Live & Work - Vacation Work Publications).

No comments about Japan Through the Looking Glass.

2 comments about Insight Guide Tokyo (Insight City Guides).

1. This book is great for planning a trip to Tokyo. It shows all the attractions that are of interest and is a great companion for finding places to dine, stay, and shop. This guide has it all with high-quality photogrpahs and maps on every page. This is a must of a beginner traveller to Tokyo or anywhere in Japan.



2. This guide has beautiful color pictures and lots of information. Over 100 pages is just information about Japan. The guide part of the book is split into districts and talks about the different sights to see. The pictures and this organization is nice for planning a trip to Japan, or reading up on the history of Japan, however it's not as practical as a companion book to carry with you.
   
   First of all, it's heavy. You wouldn't want to carry a 1.5-pound book around. It doesn't have as many maps as some of the other guides do and the organization can be a little confusing if you want to look up info on just one place. The major problem with this guide is its complete lack of Japanese characters. It doesn't write hotel names, restaurant names, or anything in Japanese characters for you. If you want a book to carry around on your travels I would recommend Lonely Planet Tokyo instead.

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.

1 comments about Japanese Family & Culture (Jtb, Japan in Your Pocket, No 17).

1. The Illustrated Japanese Family & Culture, vol. 17 (part of the Japan in your pocket series), is both interesting and informative. This book touches on the diversity of Japanese culture from pre-historic times to modern culture in Japan. This book gives an excellent overview of the culture and lifestyle of the typical, Japanese family. It covers tradition, ceremonies, and daily life. The pictures are entertaining, and the content is concise. Chapter headings are written in both English and Japanese. The Illustrated Japanese Family and Culture, Vol. 17, gives a wide-angle view of the Japanese lifestyle today.

No comments about Skiing Zen: Searching for the Spirituality of Sport.

2 comments about Passport Japan: Your Pocket Guide to Japanese Business, Customs & Etiquette (Passport to the World) (Passport to the World).

1. For a first time American businessperson (woman, at that) it is a comprehensive and high-level look at doing business the Japanese way.



2. My son was delighted with it. It contained the Japanese business etiquette information he was seeking.

4 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.




4. To most Americans, this book will be a humorous read. Having worked for a major Japanese organization,together with several trips to Japan, it appears to accurately portray the life of a Japanese businessman as best as I can tell. It is an easy read and is a handy reference guide to understanding the culture of the Japanese "Salary Man".

No comments about El libro de los cinco anillos.

1 comments about Teach Yourself Japanese Language, Life, and Culture.

1. I found this book helpful in offering brief chapters on many aspects of Japanese culture, though it offers very little help with the Japanese language - you need a book devoted to Japanese for that. However, the book is written in surprisingly poor English, with awkward syntax and some outright grammatical errors that should have been eliminated in the editing process. If you're not sensitive to such problems this might be a helpful book for someone planning a trip to Japan and seeking a brief introduction to the land and culture.