1 comments about Illustrated Festivals of Japan (Japan in Your Pocket Series, Vol 4).

1. The Japan in Your Pocket series, simply put, is a must-read for anyone considering travel in Japan. Its simple text and highly amusing comic illustrations are the clearest explaination of differences between Japanese and American culture that I've ever seen!

   In particular, this volume is excellent at illustrating some of the mysterious (and to Western eyes, slightly wacky) customs that make up many of the important festivals throughout the year in various Japanese cities. It explains the significance of the happenings in simple, concise language without over-simplfying or talking down to those unfamiliar with Japanese customs. It makes no assumptions about the level of knowledge a person may have about Japan, but instead takes things step-by-step, often giving the reasons behind a custom, not just telling you "Do this, don't do that." Avoid a thousand mis-steps and mistakes in Japan and read these books!

1 comments about Customs & Etiquette Of Japan (Customs & Etiquette).

1. I read this one in a couple a little more than an hour on the flight from Washington, DC to Tokyo while on my first business trip to Japan. It covers the high points to avoid major embarassment and has a helpful list of phrases in the back of the book.

5 comments about The Big Book of Sumo: History, Practice, Ritual, Fight.

1. I have been interested in Sumo, but was lost in understanding of the sport. Mina Hall not only knows her stuff, she is able to relay it in terms that are understandable. Now I have a new love for the sport from this easy book. The content of Hall's book is enough to make me feel like I know the sport. No longer will I wonder why they do those things before,during, and after the match. While I have read other books on the subject this is by far the best. Get it and learn Sumo.



2. I purchased this book a year ago. It is very easy to understand and has some realy fabulous pictures.

   Mina Hall has done a great job in putting this together. I would recomend this to anyone who is interested in sumo.




3. As a begining Sumo wrestler, who trains with 2 time World Lightweight Sumo champ Svetoslav Binev, I really liked this book. I found "The Big Book of Sumo" to be an awesome little book on the history and tradition of Sumo.

   Unfortunately, it has nothing on the actual techniques used from the standpoint of a competing wrestler. Only descriptions of some names of common techniques from a fan's perspective.

   Never-the-less, it's a great little "Big Book of Sumo." Don't get this book if you are looking for more than a very general description of sumo technique. Do get this book if you want to understand the art, history and tradition of Sumo.




4. A fantastic and fun introduction to Sumo. I've already got my tickets for my second Basho next week and I'll have a lot better understanding of the sport because of this book.
   However, its a bit out of date for current wrestlers and recent records. But that's all available online from the Sumo organization web site.
   Also, its a good intro, but you'll have to look elsewhere for more detailed information and history.



5. A bit cutesy, but covers all the details, including details other books don't deal with.

3 comments about Illustrated Japanese Characters.

1. I'm a Japanese native speaker and have been teaching Japanese in the US. I've never seen anybook which has a short, but accurate, summary about Japanese written system. The brief historical background will help you know why infamous Japanese written system is unique. The graphic is very friendly for non-native speakers. Good for both teachers and learners.



2. Overall, I thought that this rather modest pamphlet was extremely useful and valuable. It is definitely worth your money. I was at first rather skeptical of this booklet: it cost a lot, but had barely 200 pages of 4 x 6 inch pages. Once I started reading it, I was impressed with the amount and quality of the information. It gave me a very valuable and informative introduction to the whole subject of formal, PRINTED Kanji. If you are interested in how Kanji works mechanically and a few basics for people who know nothing about Japanese language, this is your book. I was quite impressed in that it was specifically designed for the beginner: it assumes you know absolutely nothing about Japanese, which matched me perfectly, and I got a lot of good info from it; I suggest you buy it if you are even a little interested in Kanji.
   
   It starts with 20 pages of written Japanese basics. Next is a dozen or so basic words. Then 2 dozen everyday words. If finishes with a dozen pages of culture about Kanji. Lastly is 3 pages of extremely valuable Kanji and proper pronunciation (colors, numbers, family members, months, time, etc.).
   
   Each Kanji character is given a rather extensive explanation: it's origin, how it evolved, and how it is currently used. This gives the typical westerner a warm, fuzzy feeling as to the origin of the Kanji character. Sadly, each basic character is used in a widely divergent number of Kanji meanings, to the point that knowing the Kanji character's origin is of no use to its current meaning. This definitely a fault, but that of the Japanese language, and not the book's.
   
   Written Japanese uses 3 different alphabets: Katakana (for foreign words that have been imported to the Japanese language), Hirigana (a phoentic alphabet more or less equivalent to a western alphabet), and Kanji (a pictogram based language that has a distinctive picture for virtually every word; yes, I do mean to imply that even a superficial knowledge requires the rote memorization of thousands of unique pictograms). Most written Japanese is a melange of all 3 alphabets. Many Kanji characters are a combination of 2 simpler characters, and most words are a combination of 2 Kanji characters.
   
   Please note what it is not: there is no information on Hirigana, Katakana, hand written Kanji, abbreviated script, pronunciation, grammar, culture, etc.
   
   Let us be realistic: even a superficial knowledge of Kanji requires years of concentrated education. After concentrated effort and memorization of this booklet, perhaps you can get to know a few of dozen Kanji words, hardly enough to read even a newspaper. Kanji has at least 3 different levels of difficulty I know of; the so-called 'Imperial' Kanji requires a regimented learning course of 20 years. This book will give a simplistic but useful introduction as to what Kanji is and how it works. Highly recommended. The most surprising advantage of this book is how much knowledge this book imparts, and how little time it requires (unlike a few other Japanese books I could name that gave me virtually no useful information despite weeks of concentrated effort).



3. I picked this up at Kinokuniya Books NYC last week and use it as a "bedtime" or "study on the go" filler. I already know around 400 kanji and this mini book does a good job of refreshing my memory and helping me learn new (albeit not always useful) vocabulary and kanji origins. The only negative --- the vocabulary words are either too easy or too hard.

No comments about Japan Diary: A year on JET.

3 comments about On Familiar Terms: To Japan and Back, a Lifetime Across Cultures (Kodansha Globe).

1. Donald Keene is not only one of the WestÕs great literary and cultural translators of Japan, he is an important figure in the history of modern Japanese literature. In this readable and inspiring autobiography, Keene succinctly recalls his experiences with Japan, its language and its culture, and the numerous academic and literary figures he has encountered.

   Keene, like many early Japan scholars in the United States, was initially trained by the military for intelligence work during World War II in the Pacific. Most of the book deals with his life between the war years, when he first struggled with the Japanese language, through the 1960s, when he was at the height of his associations with such famous Japanese writers as Yasunari Kawabata, Kobo Abe and Yukio Mishima. Keene was a great fan of Mishima, who is probably the most legendary Japanese writer in the West. Keene knew him well professionally, and openly discusses his efforts to lobby for a Nobel Prize for Mishima. He also talks about the dejection that overtook Mishima for never winning. Keene relates his own sense of loss at the suicides of both Kawabata and, especially, Mishima, and even finds fault with himself for not recognizing sooner the trajectory of MishimaÕs demise.

   Keene's autobiography is highly recommended to anyone interested in the literature or scholarship of Japan, as well as to anyone interested in the life of an unusual and inspiring individual.




2. As someone living in Japan I enjoyed reading this book. Donald Keene is one of the great scholars on Japanese literature and equally at home in it's many facetted culture. The work Dr. Keene has delivered with this autobiography has the feel of many years of being submerged in a fascinating as well as a, for a Westerner, incredibly complex literary culture written in a wonderfully easy to understand style. Not only for those interested in Japanese literature and culture, but also for those who just want to have a good read. While traveling or before going to sleep. Nothing deep, but personal and a joy to read!



3. Donald Keene's personal story on his life-long devotion to the study of Japanese never fails to attract those interested in Japanese and Japan.

   I find his accidental first encounter with a strange language, Japanese, quite amusing. A mistake to put a record on a player has eventually led young Keene to dare to learn Japanese and finally to write one of the most comprehensive history of Japanese literature several years ago. My vivid memory is that on a new-year TV program Keene and a notable Japanese poet talked about Japanese literature. The Japanese poet was never equal to Keene on topics in Japanese literature. It might be true that Keene's profound knowledge and appreciation of Japanese literature has no rival even in Japan, maybe except Dr. Jinichi Konishi, Professor Emeritus of Tsukuba University.

   In this work, Keene puts an exciting and enchanting account of mishaps, adventures, good luck with Japanese which fascinated and nurtured the author as a distinguished Japan scholar.

   I especially love to read his struggle and clever strategy of how he finally reached Tokyo and then, without staying there for even a night he took a night train for Kyoto from which his literary quest originated.

   I believe we can enjoy reading detailed episodes that reveal his solid dedication and patience in learning Japanese and Japan. The author's well-thought-out expressions often help us discover the best way to describe in plain English some peculiar aspects of Japanese culture.

No comments about Traveler's Companion Japan, 2nd (Traveler's Companion Series).

1 comments about Japan a LA Carte.

1. This piece is interesting and informative, a pleasure to read and own. Mizue Sasaki is a genious!

No comments about Unbeaten Tracks In Japan An account of Travels on Horseback in the Interior *2 Volumes in 1*.

No comments about Joao Rodrigues's Account of Sixteenth Century Japan (Hakluyt Society Series 3, Volume 7).