2 comments about Exploring Tohoku: A Guide to Japan's Back Country.

1. My wife and I were stationed at Misawa Air Base, Japan in the early 80s and this book made our travels fantastic! It not only pointed out "must see" places, shrines, castles, etc., it gave you directions such as "turn right just before the railroad tracks at the school...." to help you get there. In addition, the back of the book has a section which translates road signs to help you get where you are going. The book not only gets you there but gives great details as to what you are looking at, its significance, etc. We once stopped at a (very hard to find) shrine which the book said had a museum focusing on 18th/19th century Japanese sailors inside. We didn't see a museum but found the priest and in our "best" sign language asked him where the museum was. He was shocked (and delighted) we even knew about it. He then opened the "private collection" and gave us a two hour private tour. "What an experience!" We have dozens of photo albums and experiences like this from our 3 years in Tohoku, and even people who lived at Misawa AB used to ask how in the world we found such neat "off the beaten path" places to see. We'd show them the book. Our copy, which is "extremely" well worn and has earned a special place in our library and I recommend it to anyone who travels throughout Northern Japan. If you get stationed there, congratulations, now BUY THE BOOK!



2. You are lucky if you can get your hands on a copy of this book. I've been to Japan many times with my daughter who lived there for three years and speaks fluent Japanese. For us, it is a breeze to travel there. For most people who are not Japanese or don't speak or read it it is very difficult to see anything off the beaten track. It's even difficult on the beaten track. With this book I could travel by myself throughout the Tohoku region with minimum difficulty. My copy is the first edition, 3rd printing from the early 80's. It's old, but it's still accurate for most things. In easy to read detail it gives driving directions and train and bus routes. I would not recommend driving in Japan under any circumstances until you've been there awhile. You have to contend with driving on the other side of the road (if you are American) and signs that are usually not in English once you get away from the large cities. Trains and buses are the much easier way to go. You will see much more.
   
   Most Japan travel books cover only the most well known travel sites. There are so many interesting places to see in Japan that aren't in those books. This book covers Tohoku only, but there are many, many places that you won't find in any book written in English. Most travel books don't cover much in Tohoku at all, but concentrate on the bigger cities and the most famous cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Those are wonderful places to visit, but if you want to see more of the real Japan you should try something different after you have been to the places the other books cover.

2 comments about A Diplomat in Japan: The Inner History of the Critical Years in the Evolution of Japan When the Ports Were Opened and the Monarchy Restored (Stone Bridge Classics).

1. If you are interested in Japanese history this is a great book. It gives a firsthand account of events between 1862 and 1869 from the perspective of a foreigner, which covers the very important period of Japan opening to foreigners and the overturn of the shogunate. Sir Ernest Satow was witness to many of the important events that formed modern Japan in his function as a translator for the British Consulate. The book reports his various travels through Japan as an official, his interactions with members of the different Japanese clans, negotiations between the foreign representatives and the Japanese government, including the first audience with the Mikado granted to foreigners. The book makes history come alive and fills it with real-life people. It also shows firsthand the difficulties of foreigners in understanding the very different culture of Japan, at a time when there wasn't even proper teaching material to learn the language (not even a dictionary) to make this process easier. A great book for anybody who wants to further his or her understanding of Japan.



2. The mere fact that this book has been through many paperback editions since it first appeared as a hardback published in London by Seeley Service in 1921 is on its own a powerful testament to its enduring fascination. This edition is the latest in a long line, and this reviewer hopes that it will never go out of print.
   
   What is the secret of its popularity? First, it is an eye-witness account by an acutely sensitive and intelligent insider, which many would argue is one of the best kinds of history. Based mainly on his diaries, it depicts not only the political situation of Japan, but also the social conditions of a society on the threshold of an enormous change: the Meiji restoration.
   
   The eyes are those of a sympathetic European - as he would have probably described himself - who was able to master the Japanese language in a time when there were hardly any text books available, and who later became one of the foremost japanologists of the 19th century. (Of course this is to say nothing of his subsequent career as a top British diplomat and theorist of international law.)
   
   A copy of this book is money well spent!
   
   Ian Ruxton, editor of Sir Ernest Satow's Private Letters to W.G. Aston and F.V. Dickins: The Correspondence of a Pioneer Japanologist from 1870 to 1918 (Paperback) and several other Satow-related books which are also available on amazon.

No comments about Take a Trip to Japan (Take a Trip to Series).

1 comments about Vignettes of Japan.

1. Celeste Heiter is the author of the must-have `Ganbatte Means Go For it! Or...How To Become an English Teacher in Japan'. In `Vignettes of Japan', she once again translates her powers of observation and her ability to tell simple things in beautiful ways of her life in Japan.
   She began her adventures after having made the decision to transplant her life completely from California to being an English teacher in Japan. And in 175 pages, she attempts to summarize the highs and lows of her whole experience there, with marvelous results.
   Kimonos, sushi, sumo wrestling, tea arts...there are many things that brings the word `Japan' to one's mind when mentioned. Then there are the singing cicadas, Emperor Hirohito, men in parading the streets in mawashi (white loincloths), astronomical real estate, amazing hospitality and excellent healthcare that strike a chord only with those who've been there. Then there's also giving birth and having a haircut, which strikes a chord with Ms Heiter herself. This book is not only about Japan; it is about Celeste Heiter; English teacher, adventurer, journalist, tourist, admirer and self-confessed people-watcher.
   I thoroughly enjoyed the casual way Japan is presented; much like chatting with a friend about it over coffee. Why, even her son young Will wrote a paragraph of his experience there. From uptown Tokyo to the heart of rural Honshu, Ms. Heiter has travelled the length and breadth of Japan; and she tells it as she saw it; in good old fashioned day to day accounts. For example, how she ended up going to the zoo all alone on a Sunday morning or undergoing the excruciating process of wearing a kimono.
   Pictorial and mesmerizing, I find the author's narrative just as descriptive as the fascinating pictures she took.
   Japan is a fascinating place with traditions that is seemingly indecipherable for the foreigner. In spite of its amazing progress and modernization, old traditions still hold sway in many aspects of life. And it is this unique collage that the author encountered and was impressed with. She saw a place where kimono-clad women ride in bullet trains and abacuses lying next to computers.
   You might realize by now that Vignettes in Japan is not exactly a travel guide. It pays homage to Japan as a place; not a mere destination. I especially appreciate the various anecdotes, folk tales and stories behind the traditions that are included in this book. It gives a homely feel to the reading experience.
   
   And if you have some vague plans about visiting Japan in the future, having this book now is the next best thing.

5 comments about Shalom Japan: A Sabra's Five Years in the Land of the Rising Sun.

1. More than merely stereotypical and incorrect, this book and books like it are actually dangerous to genuine understanding between cultures. I'm afraid the "Japan" Ms. Horn lived in for five years doesn't actually exist; however, the Japan she has fabricated for this book is so stereotypically perfect that she might have written it without spending even one afternoon in the country. It is blatently obvious that Ms. Horn doesn't speak a word of Japanese and was never able to break the barrier between "us and them". I don't know why some people will try to explain a culture without understanding it themselves, but it always saddens me when these deep misinterpretations are taken by others as fact. It's not difficult to mock a culture you don't understand, but it is terribly irresponsible in today's global society. I wonder if Ms. Horn would appreciate the trivialization of her own cultute in such a manner. I could site specific errors in the book, but that would take another book. If you wish to understand Japan leave this book on the shelf.



2. It is sad when people with a similar background as yours make such unaccurate, generalized criticisms of cultures they didn't even try to understand. After living in Japan myself, I became tired with foreigners always trying to point out how strange Japan is without realizing that their own cultures also have their own weirdnesses.



3. Hello! I am the translator of this book and the reviewer is right, I am not familiar with the Japanese language; it woudl be nice if I were, but not really essential, since I translate from Hebrew to English. I transliterated the Japanese words from Hebrew and the author - who claims a deep and expert knowledge of all things Japanese - corrected them into what she assured me was the correct, phonetic English spelling.
   My sincere apologies for any offence caused.



4. This is possibly one of the WORST- if not THE WORST-book every written on Japan. Ms.Horn lived in Japan for 5 years,speaks 2-3 words in Japanese,has never studied- not even in an informal manner- the country's history, culture, religions, literature, politics or anything about the country. And she does not deny that she really has no interest or curiosity in all that rubish. I am- or was- a good acquaintance of the author. She is a journalist. And she has said quite openly that she hates Japan, the Japanese and everything they stand for.
   Can you imagine that a local Iranian journalist, who openly claims that he absolutely depises Jews- eventhough he knows nothing about Jewish or Israel history and culture- comes to live in Isreal for 5 years, refuses to learn the language or anything else- and decides to write about "the real" Israel. Ms Horn claims that this is the "reality" of Japan and she makes no apologies about her total lack of knowledge about the country.
   What makes this even worse is that the book became a best seller in Israel and for many Israelies this is the only book that they read about Japan. Although most scholars and students of Japanese laugh at this book, it is taken seriously by people who are unfamiiar with Japan.
   This is exactly how superficial journalists- who know how to write popular, non-academic books make a good money- sadly create misunderstanding, distrust and hatred between countries and people.
   This is the bottom of the barrel and a sad day for those who appreciate honesty, humanity and common decency.
   Japanologist,Tlv



5. Shalom Japan is a great read. It gives an Israeli woman's perspective in adjusting to life in Japan where she is sent with her husband and young son for a five year assignment. What two cultures could be farther apart than Israel and Japan???!!!!!!!!! The book has a wonderful conversational style, with hilarious anectodotes, and shows the sharp observational skills that Shifra Horn has honed in her other two novels. Other reviewers have felt that this book did not give a fully accurate portrait of Japan and the Japanese. For someone with a lot of background in the Japanese culture and history, this might be the case. However, for an average American with little to no knowlege of Japan and her people, this book provides a brilliant window for insights into an often strange and alternate universe. Of course, many of the customs and traditions we have here in the US look bizarre to people of other cultures.
   
   The unique perspective of a woman coming from the vastly divergent culture of modern Israeli society and being thrust into Japanese society provides an interesting and riveting perspective.
   
   I love Shifra Horn's novels. She has a beautiful way of spinning stories with characters who seem so real that readers often assume that the characters really existed in Israeli history. She is a skilled writer with a great sense of humor and I am always sad when her novels come to an end.
   
   This book is non-fiction, and gives us a taste of what is like to be an outsider trying to figure out Japanse customs which often seem puzzling to our Western way of thinking. The book is not meant to be everything to everybody, and does not tell people already familiar with Japanese culture anything they don't already know. However, anyone who had to make a similar adjustment will smile when they recognize their own past faux pas, as the book relates the authors'.
   
   I love her writing, and reading this journal is sort of like getting a letter from an old, dear, friend. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Japan, travel to foreign places, or just loves to read a skilled writer. PS- even though my surname is the same as the author's we are not related- I promise- this is not her mother talking!

No comments about Japanese Gardens: A Kodansha Postcard Book (Kodansha Postcard Books).

No comments about China: travels and investigations in the "Middle Kingdom.": A study of its civilization and possibilities. With a glance at Japan.

No comments about Must-See in Kyoto (Japan in Your Pocket Series, Vol 5).

1 comments about My Japanese Sketchbook (Sketchbooks).

1. Cloe Fontaine has managed to capture the contradictions inherent in modern Japan, a nation that is far advanced in the fields of technology and science, yet still retains elements of traditionality as reflected by the architecture, the respect towards the Imperial Family, and religion & culture. The artist's watercolors, modern collages, personal anecdotes, and even selection of traditional haikus captures both old and new Japan authentically.The sketchbook is divided into segments - Introduction, Architectures [I loved her detailed rendering of a traditional Japanese house], Customs & Costumes [the beauty and delicate intricacy of traditional Japanese attire such as the kimono], Scenery & Sagacity, and Modernity & Modern Cities [the young and their love of all things Western, as well as Japanese Manga]. The book is by no means comprehensive, but it is a visual delight that makes it a great addition to fans of the Sketchbook series.

5 comments about Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697 (Tut Books. H).

1. This translation is about the only one in existance. But, similar to the original, it is not easy reading. Like the Bible, it contains long, tedious lineages. If you can get past (or around) those, you are opened up to the mythology of Japan. Along with the Kojiki (written shortly before this, in 712) this provides a look into the beliefs of ancient Japanese. Not only beliefs, but as of late, more and more archeology is revealing the historical acuracy of many sections which were brushed off in post-war Japan as being mere fictions created to legitimize the reign of the Japanese emperor. Of course, to read this and think its Japan's ancient history without scepticism is a foolish thing to do, but for those looking to start in to researching ancient Japan this is proving to be more of a neccesity than first believed. Recomended, therefor, for the history buff and the world mythology fan alike.



2. The Cosimo edition of the Nihongi is only the first half (up to the reign of Buretsu--or Muretsu, according to Aston's rendering of the name). This is probably because the original edition was in two volumes, and the Cosimo edition only reproduces the first volume, while claiming to be the entire Nihongi. The Tuttle editions have both volumes in one book.



3. Mr. Aston outdid himself with this work, which must have been an undertaking of many a year. With more detail on the creation story than the Kojiki, the book runs a similar ground but as Aston will point out on occassion, has a large Chinese influence as well. I have been researching world myth for eight years now, and find this a great ancient source for the subject. The time of the gods lasting just over the first hundred pages, however the remaining literature provides in depth custom and legend that others around the globe can appreciate, and in some cases relate to, reguardless where you dwell.



4. W.G. Aston's Nihongi is the standard translation of one of Japan's greatest works of early literature. For those studying early Japanese history or folklore it is a must read. It describes the creation myths of Japan, the origin of Amaterasu, the sun goddess and the descent of the emperors from the gods (kami). It transitions slowly from myth to history somewhere around 400 AD as it begins to describe the acts of the emperors and Japan's interaction with its neighbours, most notably the kingdoms of Pekche, Silla and Koryo in what is now Korea.
   
   The creation myths are somewhat jumbled in format and, without Aston's copious footnotes, would be almost unintelligible to the uninitiated. While at times the translator's commentary threatens to overwhelm the actual text, for the most part it plays a key role in aiding our understanding. The expert may find the notes annoying (and possibly dated since the book was translated in 1896) but I found them quite helpful. As the book proceeds into the more narrative historical sections, the footnotes decrease accordingly.
   
   It appears that the Nihongi was written to provide the back-story to the role of the emperor as it existed circa 800 AD. Thus genealogical information forms a large part of the book and there are a lot of names in here. Aston also points out, with considerable annoyance, that many of the speeches and acts of the Nihongi are anachronistically cribbed from Chinese material extant at the time of the Nihongi's writing. Poetry, as well, is a large component of the work, often with inscrutable translations but tempered by copious notes. It should also be noted that to avoid corrupting the morals of the youth, passages dealing with sex are translated from Japanese into Latin. The curious and prurient may wish to brush up on their classical studies.
   
   I was completely unaware, as I read the book, that the Cosimo edition of the Nihongi is only the first of two original volumes. Nowhere in the book is it made clear that there is another volume, although if you read the preface closely you will note that Aston refers to the "thirty books" of the Nihongi - in this edition there are only 16. The errata published at the back are for two volumes, one of which is that in hand while the other is clearly not present, and the title indicates the book will take us to 637 AD while the table of contents only goes as far as Muretsu in AD 499. It is difficult to believe you could publish this book without being aware that there was a second volume and almost as difficult to believe the publisher deliberately misled the readers into buying what was effectively only half of a book. Whatever the answer, I am quite disappointed in the lack of a second volume.
   
   The writings themselves are excellent. While I usually enjoy folklore more than history, in this case, the best and most moving tales belong to the "historical" portion of the book. Tales of the evil emperor Yoriaku, the bold empress Okinaga and others are quite entertaining, while obviously not completely factual. I would have to give the Nihongi 5 stars as a great work of literature, Aston's translation 4 stars due to is dated nature and the publisher 1 star for delivering only half of the great tale.



5. William George Aston was one of the three or four major British japanologists of the 19th century, along with Ernest Satow, Basil Hall Chamberlain and Frederick Victor Dickins. As such it is good to see this book, or rather half of it, available here. It is the first ever English translation of the Nihongi and is full (perhaps too full) of copious annotations.
   
   Ernest Satow wrote in a private letter to Dickins on April 26, 1896: "Aston's translation of the Nihongi, Vol. I, reached me the other day. It is a capital piece of work. It is a subject for legitimate pride that this and the Kojiki have been Englished by us, before any other Europeans." It has also stood the test of time quite well.
   
   Ian Ruxton, editor of Sir Ernest Satow's Private Letters to W.G. Aston and F.V. Dickins: The Correspondence of a Pioneer Japanologist from 1870 to 1918 (Paperback), also available on amazon.