Diary of a Tokyo Teen: A Japanese-American Girl Travels to the Land of Trendy Fashion, High-Tech Toilets and Maid Cafes

by Christine Mari Inzer

Overview

**2017 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award Winner**
**2017 Moonbeam Children's Book Award Gold Medal Winner**

A book for comic lovers and Japanophiles of all ages, Diary of a Tokyo Teen presents a unique look at modern-day Japan through a young woman's eyes.

Born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and an American father in 1997, Christine Mari Inzer spent her early years in Japan and relocated to the United States in 2003. The summer before she turned sixteen, she returned to Tokyo, making a solo journey to get reacquainted with her birthplace. Through illustrations, photos, and musings, Inzer documented her journey.

In Diary of a Tokyo Teen, Inzer explores the cutting-edge fashions of Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district, eats the best sushi of her life at the renowned Tsukiji fish market, and hunts down geisha in the ancient city of Kyoto. As she shares the trials and pleasures of travel from one end of a trip to the other, Inzer introduces the host of interesting characters she meets and offers a unique—and often hilarious—look at a fascinating country and an engaging tale of one girl rediscovering her roots.

**Listed as a 2016 Great Graphic Novel for Teens by the Young Adult Library Services Association**

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9784805313961
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Edition description:	Paperback with Flaps
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	262,303
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	10 - 18 Years

About the Author

Christine Mari Inzer was born in Tokyo in 1997 to a Japanese mother and an American father. She spent her early years in Japan and relocated to the United States in 2003. She is currently a college freshman.

Editorial Reviews

07/04/2016
Inzer drew this graphic novel, newly expanded and colored, on a two-month summer trip to Japan when she was in high school; an earlier self-published version, published in 2014 as Halfway Home, generated impressive buzz. Each short, punchy episode combines drawings, photos, observations, and guides: who’s who in Japanese TV comedy, typical festival snacks, etc. Though Inzer’s mother is Japanese, Inzer grew up in the U.S., and she’s always conscious of living between two cultures. Her Japanese grandmother resists letting her explore Tokyo on her own, but Inzer persists, only to find that creepy guys sometimes harass her (“Look disgusted!” Inzer instructs readers. “Death stare!”). At the same time, she’s attracted to boys her age (she beams a thought toward a cool boy on the subway: “Love me!”); sadly, the boys are all glued to their phones. In one sequence, Inzer pictures herself holding conversations with her 10-year-old self (inspecting a coquettish dress, little Christine sighs, “I wish Mom would let us wear this stuff!”). Readers won’t just want to go to Japan by the end of this memoir—they’ll want to go with Inzer. Ages 10–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Using a blend of photos and fun illustrations, Japanese-American writer/illustrator Christine Mari Inzer travels at 15 to Tokyo to reacquaint herself with the country while offering up her Diary of a Tokyo Teen: A Japanese-American Girl Travels to the Land of Trendy Fashion, High-Tech Toilets and Maid Cafes packed with interesting observations and plenty of navel-gazing for other teenage visitors." —Travel Channel

"…brimming with humorous insight into Japanese culture." —Tokyo Weekender

"Readers won't just want to go to Japan by the end of this memoir—they'll want to go with Inzer." —Publishers Weekly

"The book is full of interesting and funny observations on Japan and Japanese culture." —I Heart Japan blog

"A sweet and funny book that will entice those with an interest in Japan, as well as fans of Lucy Knisley's Relish: My Life in the Kitchen." —School Library Journal

"Diary of a Tokyo Teen is a fun multicultural journey…the book is devoid of heavy teenage angst and instead brings the reader on a journey of wonder, fascination, and self-discovery. Teenage readers may be inspired to create their own travel diaries on their own journeys." —Asian Fortune News

"The art is funny, colorful, and imaginative, which enhances the reading experience. Although this book is technically a memoir, it reads like work of fiction. Inzer writes in an amusing way, highlighting the differences between her two cultures." —VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
Gr 7 Up—Born in Tokyo in 1997, Inzer grew up there until her family moved to the United States in 2003. While the book refers to her as a "Tokyo teen," she in fact has revisited different neighborhoods and provinces and shares accounts from urban and rural locations. This offering will attract a wide range of Japanophiles, both for the humorous stories and her charming and colorful drawings. This is a visually engaging selection, and photographs from Inzer's visits help to ground this narrative in reality. Readers will appreciate the amusing tales about unfamiliar foods, far-out fashion, and intriguing traditions and will enjoy reading something by a teen author. One minor drawback is the title—while it has lots of teen appeal, it's not entirely accurate, because Inzer's experiences take place all over Japan. This work is a newer version of Halfway Home: Drawing My Way Through Japan, which featured a more accurate title. The main difference between the two versions is that this one has additional illustrations and is also in color. VERDICT A sweet and funny book that will entice those with an interest in Japan, as well as fans of Lucy Knisley's Relish: My Life in the Kitchen.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

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