4 comments about The Narrow Road to Oku (Illustrated Japanese Classics).

1. If anyone adores the simple beauty and truth of haiku, this is the text to own. Not only are the Japanese characters printed alongside the inquisitive English translations, but the accompanying collages are breathtaking interpretations of the works. The entire book is a work of art.



2. This book is a must have for any fan of Kiri-E, or Masayuki Miyata. His illustrations are beautiful...it is easy to see why he has become one of Japans modern masters of this traditional artform. Great Stuff!



3. "The Narrow Road to Oku" is about as close to perfection as one can get. First you have Matsuo Basho, Japan's greatest poet, chronicling his hundred and fifty day journey into Oku to visit the grave of his mother, who had died the previous year. Translating this masterpiece is Donald Keene, possibly the greatest modern interpreter and translator of the Japanese mind. If this wasn't enough, Miyata Masayuki has taken Basho's poetry and created stunning works of Kiri-e, torn paper art, that provides a visual to match the written imagery.
   
   "The Narrow Road to Oku" was the last of Basho's five travelogues, and he finally attained the essential balance between observation and inspiration, between prose and poetry. Along the narrow road he and his traveling companion, student Kawai Sora, experienced the highs and lows of ancient Japan. The Tokugawa Shrine at Nikko, the famed Bridge of Heaven at Matsushima and the ancient Ise Shrine were all stops on this fantastic voyage. As well as these wonders, he encountered poor prostitutes and fishermen, giving them equal time to his poetic genius.
   
   Miyata Masayuki, as he has with other books in this series such as "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" and "Love Songs from the Man'Yoshu," has created delightful and whimsical artwork that enhances rather than distracts from Basho's musings. There is a hint of Ukiyo-e in his style, but not enough to consider it redundant. The art is fresh and lively. sometimes powerful and bittersweet.
   
   The original Japanese text is preserved alongside Keene's translation, which I think is essential of a work of this type. "The Narrow Road to Oku" is 100% authentic, and 100% beautiful. Definitely a treasure in my library.



4. While a translation can always be disputed, it is the illustrations that make this book worth the having. The incredible images are supposedly cut from paper and layered into a collage, yet some could pass for silk screen prints with their intricate detail.

2 comments about A Guide to the Gardens of Kyoto.

1. Don't leave home without this book! Anyone who is planning a trip to Japan (resident foreigners included) and has even the slighest interest learning about the Gardens of Kyoto should buy a copy of this superb book, which is small enough to carry in your shoulder bag. The book contains gives the balance of detail,giving good a historical background and landscape points overview. This is a buy you will not regret. Well done to the authors.



2. This book is an indispensible aide to anyone planning a trip on his own. This book contains over 50 individual entries describing the gardens of Kyoto and environs, grouped by geographic location within the city. Overview maps for the different districts show the approximate location of the individual gardens, so that the traveller can put together itineraries for daytrips in the Kyoto area.
   
   Each entry gives details of opening hours, historic background and special features of the garden described. The name of the garden and its location are additonally specified in Japanese characters, making this book the ideal travel guide for those embarking on a trip to Kyoto.
   
   There is a limited number of photos, so that those wanting to plan a trip using the guide might consider referencing other books with numerous color photos to pick the specific gardens they are interested in.

5 comments about Bar Flower: My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess.

1. In this book, Jacobson reveals a side of Japan that hardly gets any attention. An educated Japanophile with a keen eye for detail, she travels through the seedy and fascinating night time world of Tokyo, and takes us along for the ride. She shows us a dream world where beautiful girls in slinky dresses entertain red-faced, drunk business men. And she doesn't flinch when the dream shatters into a million ugly pieces.
   
   Jacobson becomes an expert at flirting and coddling men for her benefit. However, as an educated woman from the land of opportunity, she ultimately realizes that she really should know better. Luckily for us, she gets up to a lot of adventures before she does. Fun, then devastating, and finally inspiring, you will not regret buying this book.



2. I enjoyed the mini-lessons about Japanese language and culture, however, I found this book to be written simplistically and with a lot of excessive detail that was unrelated to the storyline itself. I felt like there were a lot of unnecessary "fluffy anecdotes" that left me wondering about their significance, instead of relevant details.
   
   Additionally, the beginning of the book was lacking in character development. As I read the good and bad things that happened to Lea, I was not invested enough in her character to really care. I felt no emotion throughout the entire book, but I finished it anyway because it was a fast read.
   
   I do not recommend this book.



3. Lea Jacobson's memoir is subtitled " My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess."
   
   
   I'm a sucker for a good memoir and this one sounded really interesting.
   Jacobson is an American fascinated with Japanese culture and language. Her studies have made her quite proficient in the language, so she accepts a teaching position in Japan. Her visa is good for two years.
   Learning the culture through a book and experiencing it firsthand are two different things though. Jacobson has difficulty accepting the rigid standards and structures of Japanese society. She is fired from her teaching position and begins to drift.
   
   
   She ends up hostessing in a Tokyo nightclub. I think like most people I had some preconceived notions as to what hostessing entailed. Jacobson gives a detailed account of this profession. In fact her memoir reads as a diary, detailing friends, encounters and thoughts. We are offered a fascinating glimpse into Japan from someone living fully immersed in the culture.
   
   This immersion begins to take it's toll on Jacobson. She descends into alcoholism and self harm in many forms. She realizes she needs out and returns to the US, but is just as disillusioned there, and returns to Japan.
   
   
   Jacobson ends her book with the Japanese saying" Fall over seven times, wake up eight." She manages to pull it together. I found myself wanting a bit more concrete detail from the epilogue, but found her blog which ties up things a bit more.



4. Just finished the book. I picked it up in the first place because I was on a quest to read everything ever written about hostessing; this book was by far the best source of information and insight into the floating world.
   
   The author's writing style is neither too much nor too little. I could imagine how a book about a hostessing could get messy with lots of flowery detail and description, but Jacobson maintains a great balance. I appreciated her metaphors and anecdotes, and found that her analysis of herself and other characters was sensible and interesting.
   
   Strongly recommended to anyone with interest in the subject. Hard to put down and no boring moments!



5. In Bar Flower: My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess, Lea Jacobson recounts the roughly two years she spent as a nightclub hostess in Tokyo's Ginza district.
   
   After she went to Japan in 2003 to work as an English teacher, Jacobson was fired from her job after a psychiatrist spilled the beans to her employer about her fragile emotional condition. She then went to Tokyo, where she began work as a hostess, entertaining Japanese "sararimen," even though she was psychologically unwell. Jacobson describes the underbelly of Tokyo culture as being in a "floating world," where everything is fluid and nothing stays constant for very long. Along the way, we're introduced to a variety of interesting characters, including a dragon-like mama-san, an Irish boyfriend named Nigel, who lies to her; and a four-year-old girl who learned perfect English entirely from Disney movies.
   
   Jacobson's knowledge of Japanese culture is spot-on. She details her drug addiction without feeling sorry for herself, and even though you don't want to watch her spin out of control, you do, because her story is heartbreaking. But Jacobson learns a valuable lesson from her mistakes, and she does a wonderful job of analyzing, not rationalizing, her decisions.

5 comments about Lost Japan.

1. I've had really good luck with several Lonely Planets Journeys published books--their editors have done a great job of finding stories by exceptional writers that would not find a voice elsewhere. Lost Japan is really the perfect title for this book as although I've never been there, I became nostalgic at the centuries old culture that Japan began losing so exponentially after WWII. He happened to be there at the right time to capture a cultural crisis and found himself in the odd position of valuing things that the "modern" Japanese were discarding. It's a brilliant observation about a foreign culture and the added interest is his own lifestyle of a bohemian sort. He would often just move into abandoned houses in villages where he did not know a soul. His story of both the remaining rural culture and a modern culture (in the 80s) that did not understand basic real estate business rules having never seen their own real estate ever devalue is fascinating.



2. Three years ago, Alex Kerr finally left the Japan he had called home for some 30 years prior to that. For a look at why, there is no better place to start than his seminal work on the willful and casual destruction of Japanese culture.
   
   Originally written in Japanese, Kerr's work documents the loss of what drew him to Japan in the first place: its spectacular traditional arts. Divided into chapters on Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, legendary American businessman Trammell Crow, Kabuki, Kerr's own art collecting and calligraphy. Lost Japan is a must-read for anyone interested in modern and pre-modern Japan.



3. If you have any interest at all in Japan, this is a must read book. This is very well written, interesting to the point that I could not put it down, and a great book to read about this man and his explotis throughout his adult life living in Japan. I always loan this book to my friends with an interest in Japan, and give it as a gift to others.



4. Most of the reviews of this book either support or criticize Kerr's point of view regarding the topics he covers. It seems to me Kerr does an admirable job of conveying what are obviously his own experiences living for a very long time in Japan. It seems neither reactionary, elitist, nor condemning. As a writer, I loved the book for its writing.
   
   Kerr has a talent for phrasing, metaphor, and humor that makes the reading a delightful breeze. Clearly his Japanese publisher felt it was a subject that would appeal to Nihonjin. I have recommended it to a couple of Japanese friends myself.
   
   Even if you're not especially interested in Japanese culture, many of the essays in this little book are great fun to read.



5. Although the topics Kerr addresses are relevant all over Japan and to many aspects of Japanese culture, this book is not going to reflect the experience of many Japanese people, much less many westerners in Japan. It is a memoir, a personal exploration of Japanese culture as it has been experienced by one man. And a remarkable experience it is - Alex Kerr somehow managed to accumulate in-depth first-hand knowledge of kabuki, calligraphy, Japanese art and painting, the business world of Tokyo, and living both in extreme inaka (countryside) and the grounds of a temple outside Kyoto, all of which make for fascinating reading. Kerr describes everything in flowing, sometimes rapturous detail, tracing the changes he has witnessed with love and bitterness.
   
   At times, Kerr's depictions land a little on the side of pretentious. He describes a kabuki performance he saw this way: "... he had already conjured up a quiet, twilit, snow-covered world. ... The audience gasped ... Impossible to describe, the beauty of Tamasaburo is almost a natural phenomenon, like a rainbow or a waterfall." I found myself, in my crummy if spacious apartment in a small Japanese town with a skyline dominated by smokestacks, reading about the delicate inner world of kabuki and the discovery of rare and valuable calligraphy pieces in random shops, going, "Who IS this guy?" But somehow all of these things really have made up Kerr's experience of Japan - this is who he is and what he has seen, and it is next to nothing like what I see, but that's what makes it so valuable and so intriguing.
   
   In fact, reading this a little heartbreaking. Kerr doesn't just describe facets of Japan which are hard to find; he describes them as mostly extinct. He details the rampant destruction of old Japanese culture and tradition that seems almost absurd, or over-dramatic, but I've seen its echoes myself. Mountains and rivers walled with concrete, ugly square buildings making up entire cities, the impossibility of implementing change in the bureaucracy that runs everything, are all mentioned in Kerr's book as resulting from Japan's stranglehold on itself. It's true that not everyone in Japan is quite the block of wood Kerr implies, but I've seen the junior high schools and the city offices and the pachinko parlors, and he makes some valid points about stagnation. When he isn't waxing poetic about the lost virtues of beauty and music, Kerr sometimes sounds so bitter at the Japan of now that I couldn't help wondering why he was still here (apparently, he has, in the fifteen years since this was first written in Japanese, left Japan). In particular, his description of the mindless pachinko parlors as the "final victory of the education system" and his cultural judgment based on their popularity is stinging. But having seen the pachinko parlors that pop up garish and neon every hundred feet or so along every road, having seen first-hand the blind devotion to rules of english-language education that have long since ceased to make sense, I have to bow to Kerr's much greater experience. Although I said above that Kerr's book isn't true of what most westerners here encounter and have now drawn some parallels, it is unfortunately only negative things I can identify around me. The art, the beauty, the crafts Kerr has seen are in fact becoming, if they are not already, quite lost, at least in my limited experience.
   
   In the end, what makes this book so fascinating and so valuable is its detail of a culture which is completely inaccessible to those of us reading it in English. What makes this book valuable to everyone outside of Japan is its catalogue of treasures and the ways in which they are dying. As Kerr sums up towards the end of the book, "with its many wealthy institutions dedicated to preserving the traditional arts, Japan will have no trouble maintaining outward forms. ... But the dramatic decline in the quality of the environment ... is having an effect: the fossilized forms remain, but people are forgetting the purpose behind them." In this book, the reader gets a very definite sense of both form and substance. And though a good portion of the final part of the book laments the losses he has witnessed, Kerr ends with a glimmer of hope, and so shall I do here. He sees a burgeoning of new talent and artistry in Japan, and since he is in a much better position to claim this than I will ever be, I will echo his ending: " `If you think it's not there, it it. If you think it's there, it isn't.' At the very moment of its disappearance, Japanese culture is having its greatest flowering."

5 comments about The Lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto.

1. Any reviewer can find something wrong with a book, if s/he tries hard enough. And many have been quick to do so here. I suppose I could as well (e.g., by picking on Iyer for not going into the implications of the faux-Utopian society Japan has created). But I have absolutely no desire to do so. The book is so beautifully and deftly written, the romance so touching and piquant without falling into bathos, that it would, to me be similar to picking at the lovely haikus interspersed herein, stylistically complementing the lyrical writing.
   
   Yes, as one reviewer has pointed out, it is more memoir than what is called "Travel Literature"-though the boundaries between the two have always seemed blurry to me at best.
   
   This book will be enjoyed most by lovers of poetry, lyrical poetry - such as that of Yeats and Shelley, than by readers of the "hard-boiled" school of travel writing epitomized in V.S. Naipaul's works. If you believe that poetry is the deepest sort of writing, that one can get to "know" a society or people better through a Romantic relationship with a member of that society than by doing a Sociological study of it, if your dream life is as important to you as waking life, in short, if you have a poetic nature: This is the book for you!
   
   "Everyone falls in love with what he cannot begin to understand."--Or, as Pico finds out, thinks he cannot, but through patience and love finds that he can...begin.
   
   PS-Pico and Sachiko are still together, according to wikipedia at any event.



2. In my opinion, Pico Iyer seems to be a very moody writer. He usually writes well, but then there are moments when he comes into his own and writes with an amazing surreal quality. The transition from good to surreal is very smooth: It is like being transported to another (sometimes surreal, but very vivid) realm and you'll lose count of the time. I was particularly impressed by his prose wherein he describes his late night walks amidst all the floating lanterns.
   Pico has an uncanny knack of doing accurate and exhaustive research about the place and cultures he visits. Japan is an intriguing place that is steeped in three religions, immense & immaculate aesthetics, humbling hospitality, spellbinding natural scenery and Zen. Pico's interpretation of Zen is very interesting (though not very complete) and will give you opportunities of reflection, contemplation and fulfillment: In effect, living in the moment, which is quintessential Zen.
   There are some parts that Pico could have done without. These are:
   1. Description of his visits to Kyoto's high-end and nouveau bars. In these chapters, he squanders his high-prose to a reporter's anecdotal write-up.
   2. The hallmark of this book is his interaction and lovely relationship with Sachiko San. However, at time he has made some give-take remarks about Sachiko San (in my opinion). This in some ways taints the beautiful relationship between Pico & Sachiko.
   
   Nevertheless, this is a very good read. I would highly recommend it.



3. First let me just say i liked the book and could almost give it 4 stars. The reasons i decided to only give it 3 was the way it was written and the length.
   
   I feel Pico could have covered what he did in about 30-60 pages less if not more. The story mainly focuses on the way Japanese society is with it's reservations and freeness. Pico quotes old poems and he obviously wants to believe japan embodies these poems, but he finds that japan is more complex than he thought. The main relationship(a somewhat romantic one) is with Sachiko a 30 year-old mother of two, but she is more of a medium to express how japan is. It's somewhat hard to understand what I'm saying unless you've read the book. Some past readers have accused Pico of thinking he knows the Japanese, while this is somewhat true i believe he more presents his opinions for your to analyze.
   
   And for the way the book is written it's a bit jumbled. I think this book is better describe as pages of his thoughts and experiences throughout his time in japan, it's not a travel book. I think there are only a select amount of people who would feel satisfied with this both, or at least appreciate it.
   
   If you can find it at a library pick it up and give it a quick read and if you like it go ahead and buy it.



4. This book is neither hot or cold, just insipid ... it's not really about Japan and not really about Zen Buddhism either. A more apt title would be "Quiet Desperation in Japan" - Iyer flirts with Zen and does not achieve any insight, and his imagined romance with Sachiko lacks fire and ultimately unconvincing.
   
   I'd recommend the following books that are much superior:
   - For Japanese Zen Buddhism, read Peter Matthiessen's extraordinary "Snow Leopard" and "Nine-headed Dragon River".
   - For a well-written and absolutely hilarious recount of an expat's experience in Japan, read "Japanland" by Karin Muller.
   - For a very well written book on Japanese culture and economy, read "Outnation" by Jonathan Rauch.



5. There is no doubt that Pico Iyer is a masterful writer: his descriptions of Kyoto and Japan are breathtakingly gorgeous. He does have a tendency to ramble at times, but the passages that are good are worth slogging through the ones that drag.
   
   However, there are parts of this book that do not seem plausible. Never once does he get frustrated by the language barrier or long for a cheeseburger. (I lived in Japan for three years and can attest its only natural to feel homesick or lonely.) He spends his year in Japan in perfect harmony with everything around him, has no troubles with the shabby guesthouse he lives in or the woman that (he admits) uses him to fulfill her warped idea of romance. He is guilty of his own criticism of how the Japanese seem so innocent, so willing to look at the bright side all of the time.
   
   Furthermore his relationship with "Sachiko" seems almost unbelievable. (PS - why does he even bother to change the name when he dedicated the book to Hiroko on the first page?) How does this Eton, Oxford, and Harvard-educated world traveller (who loves dropping names about all the great authors he reads) manage to fall in love with a woman who hardly speaks his language and who's never been outside of Kyoto? He goes on and on about all the deep conversations they had, when really I don't see how it's possible. He paints Sachiko like the kind of girl people go to Japan for all the time: always agreeing, never arguing, always dressing up and buying presents. He looks down on all the guys who come to Japan to find a girl and yet never admits he did the same thing. Furthermore, their relationship is so painfully selfish and childish that I can't help but hate the guy at times; he talks about his "great" romance but never discusses the subsequent divorce, financial difficulty, toll on the children, etc. As far as I remember, he only played with the kids a handful of times, instead stealing away with his "lady" at all hours of the night. I'm asking myself the whole time I read this book, "Who's watching the children?!" I'm sure these two love each other and all (as they are still living together. Are they married?) but I just think his recollection of their relationship is a bit too melodramatic, too "magical" to be believed. It's too innocent, too, by Iyer's definition, "Japanese".
   
   As a work of fiction this book is stunning, but as a memoir, I feel it's a bit too farfetched. But regardless his prose really is a work of art.

5 comments about Space: Japanese Design Solutions.

1. Just love the simplicity f spaces in japan, old and modern.



2. That's right, folks! Not a one! However, that hasn't put me off this little book.
   
   I've enjoyed this one for it's nifty little nooks and crannies and the way that others can realise good living in small spaces.
   
   This is a VERY Japanese style book. I would not necessarily agree on layouts of the homes but once again, I say unto you, I buy books for inspiration and I haven't been disappointed.



3. it would make a marvelous coffee table book, except it's half the size of one. or maybe it makes a wonderful table book precisely because it is so easy to pick up and skim. regardless, don't let that deter you from getting this book, as it is remarkable in its showcasing of the creativity that small spaces foster. as you read both the words and pictures throughout the book, you will find yourself thinking "wow that makes so much sense!" and "i want that house!" over and over.
   a fantastic book, it will inspire you to either move to japan, or take the book to your architect and commission a house on the spot.



4. This book... I liked it so much I even use it as a gift! Extremely happy!



5. This book is fine in almost everything but the floor plans that are missing. It's small and compact which goes with the theme but a floor plan would have been a great addition in simplifying the readability of it. Most of all it would be great if I could learn how to do them instead and of only admiring these houses.

5 comments about Fresh Fruits.

1. Manga, anime, and Tokyo street fashion have a devoted following here in the States, and fans of the above should find this volume entertaining/fascinating. The ensembles displayed in Aoki's book range from super cute (supaa-kawaii) to imaginative to outrageous. Some of the teenagers look almost intimidating, but the funny thing is that if you get lost in Tokyo (easy enough to do), you can walk up to one of these apparitions and ask for directions. In almost every case, they will probably bow, smile, and respond in the most polite and respectful manner imaginable.



2. Great book, made my girlfriend quite happy. She is very into Japanese street fashion and this book just captivated her, she looked through it about 20 times the day i gave it to her. I enjoyed it too, but it was mainly for her.



3. Though it's pretty much the same as the previous Fruits book, I guess it's best if you keep it the way it is.
   It's a great quality book, completely filled with photos which are not only unique and beautiful, but also makes you question yourself about what is fashion, and what is acceptable or not on everyday life clothing.
   
   There should be more places around the world like Harajuku.



4. i saw that book when i was in Germany and wanted it ever since. Now i finally have it and i'm very happy about it. I like all the series of the Phaidon books and already have Fruits. The idea of this book is really great and i hope Phaidon will have some more books like this in the future!



5. Every time I go to Japan, I buy a copy of the magazine "Fruits". I sometimes detour through otaku-town in Osaka to see what's new on the videogame front, and to see what some of the kids are wearing. Aoki's magazine and books (which are best-of collections from the magazines) are immensely interesting and enjoyable when we divorce ourselves of our American mainstream prejudices and see these young people defining their own fashion and developing their own aesthetics, appropriating high and low and non fashion to express themselves. What happened that American youth are generally so homogeonized, everyone essentially wearing the uniform of their declared social group? It's no fun, really, not compared to these kids.
   
   Sadly, the 'Fruits' in Japan are also slowly disappearing, being choked out by conformity and a changing local landscape. A sign of the times, for sure, and not an encouraging one.
   
   Well, borderline expat digression aside, this is a wonderful book. It's a semi-hardcover, real cloth binding, so with care it should last for a long time. There is no text to speak of (aside from some of the kids' names and what they're wearing) so it's an accessible book for - well, literally for anyone. I gave a copy to my eight year old niece last Christmas and she loved it, as did her parents. I have both "Fruits" and "Fresh Fruits" (as well as about ten different copies of the magazine) and they are equally good. If you have lots of books, the bright colors on the spine stand out nicely when these books are shelved, if that matters.
   
   'Bright colors standing out nicely' just about sums up the spirit of these books.
   
   By the way, a few years ago I showed the magazine to a professional fashion-designer friend of mine in New York and he fell in love with it immediately. You'd have to be pretty stodgy not to enjoy this book, highlights of the magazine, and document of a gradually fading, colorful and inventive subculture.

5 comments about Kyoto (City Guide).

1. A few years ago we discovered Lonely Planet travel guides. They have been a staple of every trip ever since. The Kyoto book was no exception.

   The major highlights of this book include:
   - Great walking tours
   - Fun listings of out of the way places
   - Interesting history and background
   - Good tips and recommendations for everything from getting around on the subway (complete with a handy map), to reliable restaurant recommendations.
   - Restaurant & place names written in Japanese in the book. Even if you don't read Japanese, this was very handy for doing symbol comparison to make sure you were in the right place.

   Lonely Planet guides are really excellent for helping you see the sights that not everyone else is seeing, and to help you get more out of the culture you are visiting. The authors have a good sense of humor and seem to aim towards a slightly more liberal and adventurous audience.

   On their own, I found both the guide and the maps very helpful (although I do agree with the other reviewers that the varied orientation and scaling of the maps could occasionally be disorienting). However, when attempting to cross reference these I often got frustrated. Many of the references to maps in the guide were just wrong (wrong map listed), and many things just weren't on the maps. Similarly, many things on the maps were difficult or impossible to locate in the guide. Example: "We need to find a restaurant near were we are right now. Oh look, here's one a block away. I wonder what type of food they have?....... Hmmm...I can't find it...." I know Lonely Planet knows how to do this effectively (see the Condensed guide to Tokyo as an example), it was just frustrating that they did not apply that knowledge to this book.




2. Where do I start? Poor maps, chaotic organization or boring writing? Or perhaps ugly, poor quality photographs (except cover which is really nice - this is the trademark feature of this honest publisher, which is only [inexpensive] as far as publishing costs are concerned, without bothering to reduce the price of the book itself).

   There are countries where Lonely Planet does a very good job (in West Africa, I would be lost without them), but oh my God how they can mess up things elsewhere! Kyoto is one of them.

   With so many good guides to Japan available (Eyewitness, Frommer, Fodor, even Rough Guide, for goodness sake), why bother with Lonely Planet? Well, probably because many readers feel that they have a spiritual affiliation with this seemingly hippy-ish, seemingly anti-Capitalist, seemingly slightly rebellious serious of guides. I can only imagine how they are laughing - this lean and mean publishing house, an efficient money-making machine, being funded by mostly a naive bunch of tree-huggers.

   If you feel good because you identify their sandal-wearing image, go and buy this book, by all means. This is only an image, a marketing tool - clever publishing people are laughing all the way to the bank. However, do not expect to have the best available travel advice. Usually LP guides are praised by those who have not read anything else.




3. I borrowed this guide from a friend and have leafed through it. I haven't decided if I want to buy it yet when I go to Kyoto later this year.
   
   What do you guys recommend as the best travel guide for Kyoto? While skimming this one, I've noticed a few of the things mentioned here like the unorganized maps and such. But are there betters one there to buy?



4. No guide is perfect, but some are better than others. In the case of Lonely Planet, some are great, others leave a bit to be desired. For whatever reason, the Kyoto guide is missing some important pieces of information that I would have wanted to see. For example, the best vegetarian restaurant in the city, and one of the few places a veggie can eat some authentic Japanese "meat" dishes (made with fake meat) is the Peace Cafe -- which is not listed in Lonely Planet though it's been around for a few years. Another example: The "japanese-only guides" at the Shigakuin Imperial Residence still holds true.... except they have a full audio guide now, recorded in English, with lots of information at most stops made by the Japanese tour.



5. My wife and I just returned from Kyoto, and unfortunately we were relying on this book as our guide. The information was, for the most part, up-to-date.. but the maps were *horrible*. I dunno if they just used maps from the 1930s, or hand drew them from memory, or what.. but you are going to get seriously lost if you rely on these things. There are almost no street names included and the walking tours often rely solely on hard-to-find landmarks.
   
   They also missed some major sights.. for example, Gion; I dunno about you, but I'm interested in seeing some of the tea houses where Geisha actually work. The guide talks about these and gives you one place to look for them. However, it totally skips one of the most beautiful tea house districts located in Maruyama Park! We stumbled on this place by complete accident, and found it to be the best place for Geisha-watching.
   
   It also appears to be an exclusive area where the really well-off clients go, and so perhaps it wasn't covered to keep down the crowds.. but that's the kind of information I *want* in a guidebook.
   
   In short we were extremely dissapointed in this guide. I don't know what would be a good substitute, but I can tell you to avoid this one.

5 comments about Japan Atlas: A Bilingual Guide.

1. It's great to have maps with both Kanji and Roman alphabets. That is very useful for navigating in Japan when one doesn't read Japanese. But the maps are small and not detailed enough to be used by cyclists, which was my hope when I purchased this atlas. It does have some subway maps at the back, which are practical. I think this atlas has to be used with a more detailed Japanese-language atlas to be really useful to anyone (cyclists or drivers) interested in using roads smaller than the major highways.



2. The size was good for carrying.The words where large enough for me to read easily-I`m 65.The places that where included are good for most travel in Japan.The cover is a nice design and the train and subway map are nice to have ,so I don`t have to carry a lot of other maps.



3. I have found this atlas so useful that I have four well-worn copies, including earlier editions. Although surprisingly comprehensive, it is also small enough to carry everywhere without beginning to resent its size or weight. I have also found that the book seems nearly indestructible: no page has ever separated from the binding even with my most-used copy -- which otherwise looks like it has been through hell. Maps or atlases without kanji and kana would be frustrating to use and in many cases would be nearly worthless, yet I have found nothing similar to this volume. It appears to stand alone. Anyone travelling outside Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto really must have this book. Someone hiking or cycling needs to also purchase detailed road maps or topographic maps of the appropriate area, although those maps will almost certainly have only kanji and kana. Fortunately, the detail maps can be found within the book department of almost any department store at any major train station.



4. Once you're in Japan, it's not easy to find a map book with ENGLISH for the whole country! This books has extra unexpected maps: Sight-seeing Maps, Tokyo metropolitan hiking map & Toyko Railway & subways; Osaka area rail & subway; same for Nagoya. ALSO: maps of Active Volcanoes, National Parks, World Heritage Sites, Special Scenic Spots, Historic Spots, Nature Parks, Traditionals Town & Villages, Ramsar areas, even Ceramic Kiln Areas! More than just a road map book.



5. This book is a MUST-HAVE for anyone willing to brave the shinkansen, trains and subways. It was my "Japan bible" for deciding which train line to take on a daily basis. I used the book every day - all day long - and believe me, it took a beating from Tokyo to Kyoto to Kobe to Hiroshima. I am so glad I had this book in my possession!!!

5 comments about The Roads to Sata: A 2000-Mile Walk Through Japan (Origami Classroom).

1. I loved this book. I never really thought I would be into books about travel simply because they are usually so dry. The Roads to Sata is a absolute exception. The dry wit and humor of Alan Booth makes this book a joy to read. As someone very interested in Japan this is a great primer for anyone trying to get a glimpse into the real Japanese lifestyle versus the ones portrayed through the media. There are some very funny moments, some very sad moments and some very real moments, all told through the words of an amazing writer and someone very familiar with the Japanese lifestyle. I will never have the pleasure to meet Mr. Booth, but I have had the pleasure of meeting his daughter. I do suggest you read this book, if you have any interest in Japan at all, it is a definitive handbook.



2. Alan Booth, an intrepid British writer who came to Japan to live when he was a young man, walked from Cape Soya, in Hokkaido, to Cape Sata, in Kyushu, a journey of approximately 2000 miles. (The Appalachian Trail, which runs from northern Maine to Georgia, is 2174 miles long.) Booth loved Japan and spoke fluent Japanese, but he never ceased being "the foreigner" to the many people he met along the way. As a result, his account of life on the road (he would never accept a lift, to the puzzlement of many Japanese, who couldn't conceive of anyone hiking from one end of Japan to the other) is often pretty funny, particularly when beer is involved or lodgings are scarce, as they sometimes are. In one encounter, a woman at a ryokan lists the reasons why she could not possibly have a room for a foreigner, and he repudiates them point by point, only to have the woman point out that she doesn't speak English: " `I don't suppose that will bother us,' Booth sighs. `We've been speaking Japanese for the last five minutes.'" Don't miss this book.



3. Alan Booth decided to go from Cape Soya in the North to Cape Sata in the South. A journey of more than 2,000 miles. But not only did he decide to walk the whole way he also decides to stick to the back roads, the rural areas of Japan, to get in touch with the real Japan and to stay only in Japanese style inns. In some places he is treated like family and in other places like an invader. After spending seven years in Japan, having a Japanese wife and learning about Japan you would think a walk, even if it is a hard one, would not be so bad. But in some cases it is terrible.
   He runs into silent tramps, barking dogs, snotty high school boys, polite high school girls, nervous inn keepers, loud businessmen and giggling maids. He makes mistakes, he founds wonderful discoveries and he founds sad scenes of life and death in 20th Century Japan. Did he learn anything? No. Did he enjoy himself? Yes. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, much of the time he was treated like a foreigner.



4. Even better than 'Looking For The Lost,' 'The Roads To Sata' is a profoundly honest and deeply charming look into a Japan that few people see and even fewer ever understand. Not afraid to hit where it hurts when necessary, Mr Booth's book is still relevant, even 20 years later, and remains one of the best travel books ever written about Japan. Defiantly candid and often very funny, Mr Booth reveals a Japan quite different to the one most people who've never been there probably imagine, but his insights are spot-on and his honesty is refreshing and fair. Highly recommended.



5. i was looking for a book that would help to fulfil my dream of going to live and work in Japan. But this book doesn't do the job. For one thing it's over 20 years old now. So its present day relevance is mostly irrelevant I think. Plus it is also written in a style that always seems to depict the author as a foreigner helplessly excluded from all that he could have embraced so more positively. If it was meant to be humorous or even enjoyably cynical, it wasn't.