Books on Japan: Japanese Culture Books III
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Drinking Japan: A Guide to Japan's Best Drinks and Drinking Establishments
Tuttle, 2011
ISBN: 978-4-8053-1054-0
Softback, full colour, 272 pp
Chris Bunting's paean to drinking in Japan can be used as a practical guide to some of the premium bars in its major cities, but it goes much deeper than that.
Bunting devotes the first section to an overview of Japan's relationship with alcohol in all its forms, both indigenous, like sake and shochu, and introduced types such as wine and whisky. What is made clear is that Japan is now a paradise for the tippler: while it has always excelled in its native drink, it has now, through the great diligence and innovation of its practitioners, caught up with the West in many ways, its craft beers and whiskies, for example, now rivalling the best in the world.
After this three-chapter introduction, which also initiates the novice into the particularities of drinking in Japan, Bunting focuses on the individual categories of drink: sake, shochu, the fiery Okinawan awamori, beer, whisky, and wine, and ending with a survey of cocktail bars. Each of these chapters introduces the finest drinking houses in the category. He rounds the book off with the practicalities of buying Japanese alcoholic beverages, and the niceties of bar Japanese, and there are useful indexes and maps of the major entertainment quarters in the back.
The bar listings themselves are not dry affairs, but brimming over with anecdotes and tips on what to choose, and garnished with beautiful photography and colour maps. There is even a handy list of the "best bars", classified both alphabetically and by area, in the front- and endpapers, which means you can quickly consult the compact guide when out on the town.
The only caveat is that Japan's drinking scene is changing fast, and with a publication date listed as 2011, the guide is already slightly out of date. Hopefully a new edition will rectify this. Drinking Japan stands as testament to a huge amount of research, and will make a valuable addition to the bibulous Japanophile's home library.
Richard Donovan
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Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo
ISBN: 978-0804849777
Hardback, 272 pp
Dolls, models - usually small - of humans and used by children for play but also used in magic and religious ritual, seem to be fairly universal and are found all over the world and date back millennia. Collecting dolls is also a widespread phenomenon not limited to any geographic area or specific time, and it is about the collecting of Japanese dolls that this book begins.
With short chapters on such things as the first Western collectors of ningyo, looking behind the scenes of a Meiji-era Japanese Doll Shop, etc. and the book ends with hints and tips for those who may be thinking about starting to collect Japanese dolls, including a list of dealers around the world who specialize in them, but the greatest part of the book focuses on the dolls themselves.
Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningyo covers eighteen different styles of doll across seven broad categories, and while there are plenty of other types of Japanese doll, most with regional variations, it covers most of the types of doll you are likely to come across. There are the obvious types such as the dolls found on display at Hina Matsuri, but also several types of mass produced ceramic dolls and the extremely simple Kokeshi wooden dolls. Interestingly bunraku puppets are also included as are two types of karakuri ningyo, mechanical dolls.
For me the most intriguing are the iki-ningyo, known as "living dolls" which exhibit a realism that cannot be surpassed and are truly miniature sculptures. For each style of doll we are given the origins of the style and its historical development, but more importantly perhaps, the context for the dolls, how they fit into the broader culture, the whys of their purpose etc.
More meaning is found in the costumes, the poses, the humans that the dolls are modeled on, leading us to a greater appreciation of any dolls we may come across. However the best reason for buying this book are the photos, 400 of them, almost all full color, some whole page, and all very detailed. This is most definitely a coffee table book that will draw you in after flipping a few pages. For anyone thinking about collecting Japanese dolls, this book is a gold mine, but anyone interested in Japanese art and culture will find plenty to expand their knowledge.
Jake Davies
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So Can You
ISBN: 4-7700-2741-9
Paperback, 223 pp
Bullying, (ijime in Japanese), is a serious cultural problem in Japan, and a lot of attention has been paid to it over the years. When talking about bullying, the discussion is usually concerning one's school days, but that is not always the case.
Author Mitsuyo Ohira tells her story of soul-crushing bullying, which led her to an attempted suicide as a junior high student. She briefly returned to junior high, but quit when her tormentors just turned up the pressure.
Her life continued its downward spiral with a number of predictable stops along the way. The adults in her life, including her mind-bogglingly incompetent homeroom teacher in junior high, failed her miserably and should share some of the blame for her troubles.
A chance meeting with one of the father's acquaintances when she was working in a hostess bar led to immediate embarrassment, but it was also the beginning of her slow but inspiring recovery.
The stories of the bullying she suffered start just six pages into the book, and one has to wonder if people really exist who are as mean spirited as those that Ohira ran into at junior high school.
The book never mentions whether or not she ever completed junior high, but she eventually reached much greater heights than a mere junior high school graduation.
Interestingly, the author only mentions her marriage twice, once to say she got married and once to say she got divorced. The reader might suspect this is for the protection of the innocent, in this case, the author!
One of the things that may catch the reader's eye is that the author's family name is the same as the name of the benefactor whose guidance and encouragement were vital to the author's being able to save her life.
This curiosity is explained at the end of the book, and it might not be what the reader expects.
The book sold over two million copies when it was originally written in Japanese. It was translated into English in 2001. The possibility of a television movie being made from the story is mentioned, but it is not clear whether that movie was ever made or not.
Although the book, especially the Japanese version, is not new, there is only one real anachronism - that being her having to find a pay phone to call and tell her family of her crowning achievement.
The writing is easy to follow and one doesn't need to be a native English speaker to understand all of what is going on. Even so, there are 25 pages in the back of the book which translate possibly difficult-to-understand words and concepts from English to Japanese.
This book will make you think, should make you more aware of the problem of ijime, and quite possibly will make you cry.
Marshall Hughes
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Butterflies of the Night
by Lisa Louis
ISBN: 0-5953-2603-X
Hardback, 214 pp
Entertaining, educational and able to cover a controversial topic without being salacious, Lisa Louis' 1992 look into Japan's mizu shobai (literally "water trade," or life in the world of hostess clubs and/or prostitution) is thorough, even if a bit dated.
Louis, an American who spent several years researching for this book, originally came to Japan as an English teacher, but after having trouble with her first two employers decided to work for a high-class hostess club where she served drinks, lit cigarettes and tried to make her rich clientele have a good time. She was not involved with, and at first not keenly aware of, the seedier side of the mizu shobai business.
The first section of the book is a background of the history of the water trade in Japan. The author says that what is called by some the world's oldest profession "has existed in Japan as far back as history is recorded."
The book has numerous interviews with people working in the business; mama-sans young and old, the customers, the behind-the-scenes moneyed people (often organized crime) and of course the women themselves.
One of the many interesting things to come out of these interviews is the perceived wants of the customers. For example, the mama-sans say that customers want new faces and want pretty foreigners who speak poor Japanese. Pretty foreigners who speak good Japanese are not exotic enough. Also, the chance or hint of sexual reward is often more important than the actual payoff.
Towards the end of the book is an interesting 15-page interview with a former high-ranking member of the yakuza, the group that exerts a great deal of control on the mizu shobai trade. The man comes off as more of a business man than a proprietor of a sleazy endeavor.
Following that is an interview with Kimi-chan, a Japanese woman who works in a hostess club in San Francisco. Her background includes working in a hostess club in Osaka, so she compares the inner workings and differences between her experiences in two countries.
The book includes a six-page glossary, useful for not only those unfamiliar with Japanese basics (words such as irasshaimase are explained), but jaded ex-patriots who have been in Japan a long time (for whom less-used words such as erigae and shamisen no heta wa, korobu ga jozu nari are explained).
As mentioned previously, the book is a little dated, although at the very least the reader can learn of the history of the trade and how things were in the 1990's. Louis writes of what she says is a typical, contemporary Japanese woman who would have "quit her job at 24, married at 25 and been at home with two children by thirty." If updated, this would probably read something like "quit her job at 31, married at 33 and been at home with her one child by thirty six."
Butterflies of the Night could have used one more edit, as there are at least five instances of words being needlessly hyphenated in the middle of a sentence.
Marshall Hughes
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Amy's Guide to Best Behavior in Japan
by Amy Chavez
ISBN: 1-6117-2043-5
Paperback; 140 pp
You are headed to Japan for the first time and you've heard Japanese are very courteous and that good manners are very important in their country. Or you live in Japan and you sense that everybody thinks you are an uncouth jerk. What to do?
You could reach for Amy Chavez' 2018 book on how to be on your best behavior in Japan.
Chavez covers about every situation where manners are important in Japan, from transportation and accommodation to food and drink consumption to business meetings, dating, weddings, cell phones, etc. It is 140 pages of how to be on your best behavior.
While reading the book, long-time expats in Japan may find themselves thinking, "That's what I do when I am in Japan, but I'm not sure why." They have observed the Japanese manners, in many cases without thinking about it, and adopted Japan's ways.
Even grizzled expats living in Japan might learn some things such as:
*Give an odd number of bills for wedding gifts because an even number is evenly divided and would make divorce easier.
*When giving money (except at funerals and weddings) "iron the bills before putting them in an envelope to make them look fresh and new."
*When giving money at funerals, give old bills.
Lest you think the book is nothing more than impossible-to-memorize arcane rules, the writing is usually light-hearted and humorous. For example, "When playing around with the buttons on a washlet toilet, it can be difficult not to splash water around like a duck. Always clean up any water sprays or drops on the toilet seat."
Another short put pithy piece of advice: "Men, no plumber's crack."
Only once does the author get snippy. When discussing the fact that Japanese wait for the light instead of crossing when the light is red, even with nobody around, she says, "This is because they are very intelligent."
Ouch.
When it comes to manners, not everyone will agree with what is correct. Some may find the author too "strict" in what she writes. She is not writing about what foreigners want or think Japan should be like, she is writing about how to be polite in Japan. There is a difference.
For example, Chavez says that in Japan restaurants are not used to or really prepared for meeting special meal requests. In other words, the "Give me a quad long shot grande in a venti cup half calf double cupped no sleeve salted caramel mocha latte with 2 pumps of vanilla with extra hot foam at 195 degrees, please" crowd will be disappointed. So will many vegans who get away with murder back home. In Japan, customers order and eat what is on the menu the way it is.
The book is well laid out with many short sections and cute drawings of cats observing good manners. It is very informative yet fun.
The book ends with three pages of useful Japanese phrases for the Japan newbie and a two-page plea to bring "good manners home with you." It is hard to imagine Japanese manners spreading to other places in the world, but let's give it a shot.
Marshall Hughes
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The Expat's Guide to Growing Old in Japan: What You Need to Know
by Wm Penn
ISBN: 4-9024-2232-8
Paperback; 133 pp
In the last 30 years or so, with more and more Japanese saying "no thanks" to having children, or even marrying, the Japanese government has cracked open the immigration door bit by bit.
The obvious result is more and more foreigners in Japan, and now the time has come that an increasing number of these foreigners are beginning to retire in The Land of the Rising Sun.
While living in a foreign country can be full of challenges, retiring in a foreign country
contains even more pitfalls and hazards.
Wm. (short for Wilhelmina) Penn, who "has been growing old in Japan since 1973," has written a short but resource-full book to help the expat who is growing old, and more specifically retiring and even planning for life beyond earth.
After a 40-year lull, Japan's government made a series of changes in 2018 concerning wills, inheritances, retirement homes, pensions and the like.
Penn's book would already be out of date had it been written just one or two years earlier.
While the book can be read straight through, like any other book, it can also serve as a good reference. There are a number of websites listed to help foreigners with questions about anything related to the aforementioned wills, inheritances etc.
Technical terms are frequently written both in romaji and their original kanji.
Although there is much to be learned from Penn's work, there is one area which falls a little short.
When Penn writes of funeral services and funeral preparations, there is only mention of Buddhist services. While a very large percentage of Japanese will be buried in a traditional Buddhist way, the readers of this book are more like to be Christian or perhaps of another religion.
There is no help for these readers.
Expats who are far from retirement can get some insights into Japanese culture regarding death. They will also learn that things are almost certainly different from "home." Among interesting points to ponder:
*Debts can be inherited by children upon the death of their parents. This can be gotten around by filing a form with the government, but filing this form will also block you getting any assets from the deceased.
*Japanese laws have strict limits on how your inheritance can be divvied up. You basically cannot exclude blood relatives from your will, no matter how badly they've treated you. The government will lop off some of your estate and dole it out as they please.
*Some gravestones now have QR readable bar codes which will direct you to photos and videos of the deceased.
*Empty lots without homes on them are taxed at six times the rate of land with homes standing on them, so if you somehow inherit a house with a lot, don't have the house knocked down until you are ready to build on it.
For expats living in and thinking of retiring in Japan, this is near a must-have resource book. As time goes on, it will become more and more valuable for those in their personal Land of the Setting Sun.
Marshall Hughes
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World Heritage Japan
by John Lander
River Books Co., Ltd, 2019
ISBN: 6-1645-1011-2
Paperback; 232 pp
Even at first glance, the reader can tell he is in for a treat with this 2019 picture book covering most (but not all) of the World Heritage sites in Japan.
Pictures are big and bold, with bright colors. There are no small pictures that readers have to squint at, using their imaginations to guess what they are seeing. The book is 10 inches (25.4 cm) by 10 inches, a good size which, matched with its high-quality, glossy paper, shows off its spectacular photos.
In explaining why a few sites have been omitted, the author writes, "A handful of UNESCO sites have not been included, due to their inaccessibility or lack of impact on me personally. What has been included is the best of the best, in my view."
It is not just the pictures which will impress the readers. The book is filled with interesting details about Japan's World Heritage sites.
Among the things readers will learn:
• Kiyomizudera was built without using any nails.
• The Great Temple of Todaiji necessitated the use of 2 million laborers and 50,000 carpenters.
• The Great Buddha built at Todaiji drained Japan of nearly all of its silver and gold, and nearly bankrupted the country.
• Horiuji Temple has never been seriously damaged since it was built in 607.
• Visitors must trace sutras to earn entrance to Saijoji, Kyoto's famous moss garden.
• Nijo Castle has "nightingale floors," their squeakiness being intentional to warn of intruders who may have snuck in the castle.
• Conservation started early in Japan. Logging and hunting have been prohibited in the Kasugayama Primeval Forrest since the year 841.
• Kyoto is laid out on the grid pattern of Xian, China.
• At their peak, the Iwami silver mines produced one-third of the world's silver.
Japan also has a number of intangible heritage traditions and cultural attributes which are covered, including things such as bunraku, kabuki, washi paper, Gion festivals, noh and others.
The "About the Author" section is succinct, limited to just "John Lander is a freelance photographer based in Kamakura, Japan," followed by a striking list of credits.
Impressively, his writing is almost as good as his photo skills. The writing in the book is clear, interesting and informative. Readers will be awed and educated.
Preceding the forward of the book is a two-page map of Japan with the locations of where the World Heritage sites stand.
There is also a QR code there that leads to a Google map.
The only possible flaw readers may find in the book is that on a few pages the background color of the page is too close to the ink color of the writing, making these few pages a bit difficult to read.
Overall, this is a book that you will want and that you will want to show your friends.
Marshall Hughes
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