The Land of the Rising Sun is shining brightly across the American cultural landscape. Recent films such as Lost in Translation and Memoirs of a Geisha seem to have made everyone an expert on Japan, even if they've never been there. But the only way for a Westerner to get to know the real Japan is to become a part of it. Kate T. Williamson did just that, spending a year experiencing, studying, and reflecting on her adopted home. She brings her keen observations to us in A Year in Japan, a dramatically different look at a delightfully different way of life.
Avoiding the usual clichés—Japan's polite society, its unusual fashion trends, its crowded subways—Williamson focuses on some lesser-known aspects of the country and culture. In stunning watercolors and piquant texts, she explains the terms used to order various amounts of tofu, the electric rugs found in many Japanese homes, and how to distinguish a maiko from a geisha. She observes sumo wrestlers in traditional garb as they use ATMs, the wonders of "Santaful World" at a Kyoto department store, and the temple carpenters who spend each Sunday dancing to rockabilly. A Year in Japan is a colorful journey to the beauty, poetry, and quirkiness of modern Japana book not just to look at but to experience.
SoldonFL
Posted May 23, 2009
After living five years in Japan I can say with complete authority that Kate has captured the essence of Japan in a beautifully written and illustrated journal.
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Posted May 3, 2006
brilliant book and very nice to read. Japan remains a myth to us all, but solid analysis would show that Japan remains a closed society at large. Two very nice books explore the myth: (1) China's Global Reach: Markets, Multinationals, and Globalization (2) Japan: Who Governs? First book pinpoints Japan's internal problems, while the 2nd gives a broad view. Both are very insightful.
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Overview
The Land of the Rising Sun is shining brightly across the American cultural landscape. Recent films such as Lost in Translation and Memoirs of a Geisha seem to have made everyone an expert on Japan, even if they've never been there. But the only way for a Westerner to get to know the real Japan is to become a part of it. Kate T. Williamson did just that, spending a year experiencing, studying, and reflecting on her adopted home. She brings her keen observations to us in A Year in Japan, a dramatically different ...