Books to read before Japan Trip
Looking for good informative books to read that will help us to understand the Japanese culture before our trip in May!
Any suggestions!
Thanks
0
Looking for good informative books to read that will help us to understand the Japanese culture before our trip in May!
Any suggestions!
Thanks
Comments
Understanding Japanese Society by Joy Hendry. Ruth Benedict - The Chrysanthemum and the Sword.
But Wikipedia is your friend. You can dive down the rabbit hole by following different threads. I would recommend reading about the 47 Ronin (Wikipedia is fine). You can even go to the Sengakuji temple where they are buried. Know who Ieyasu Tokugawa was and what he did.
Diving into the Pacific war is another rabbit hole but it might help you understand the reasons for dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. I visited the Yasukuni Shrine where the war dead are enshrined but that may not be to your taste. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasukuni_Shrine
The Japanese are very polite and don't like to say "no". You have to recognize that they are never going to do what you asked if they don't want to - but they won't tell you.
Let's suppose you said to your Japanese friend, "You don't want to go to a movie this evening, do you?" They would reply "Yes" meaning they don't want to go. Always confused me.
Japanese children are taught empathy almost from birth. When a Japanese driver stops behind another car at a stop light, they will turn their headlights off so that they don't shine into the car in front of them. A Japanese person is always thinking about what you need and are thinking of when they are talking with you. Very different from some Americans who go on a monolog about themselves and never ask anything about the other person
If you ride on the subway, the Japanese passengers won't look at you. But as a Japanese friend said, "Yes, but they see you." meaning they will check you out.
Japanese men used to go drinking after work with their work buddies. The subways shut down at midnight so if they didn't make the last train, there were "capsule hotels" (also known as "pod hotels") that were essentially tubes with a mattress. A cheap place for the drunk businessman to spend the night. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel There are also "love hotels" in most big cities where a room is rented by the hour. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_hotel . But many of the patrons of love hotels were married couples. Japanese homes are very small, so a love hotel gives the couple some time to be together in private.
You may see a homeless person in Tokyo. They will have built a small shelter from cardboard to sleep in and the area around the shelter will be clean.
Try to stay one night at a Ryokan (pronounced yo-can - the Japanese can't do Rs). A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese hotel. The room will have tatami mats and you'll sleep under a futon. They may even give you those uncomfortable bean pillows. Highly recommended. Try to get out of your American bubble.
Try Sukiyaki at a Japanese restaurant. The Japanese don't use spoons to eat miso soup. They just slup it from the bowl, and use chopsticks. If the meal includes some edamame, remember that you don't eat the pod. You just pop the beans out of the pod into your mouth. Try to participate in a tea ceremony.
Watch the movie "Seven Samurai" by Akira Kurosawa before you go. The movie starts off very slowly - and it has subtitles - which puts off western audiences who crave action. But it's consistently rated as one of the best movies ever made. Western movie makers copied Kurosawa's movies. For example, "The Magnificent Seven" is Seven Samurai moved to the western US. Many of the Eastwood spaghetti western are copies of Kurosawa’s movies. There are other good Japanese directors but Kurosawa is a good place to start.
[Ikiru is another good Kurosawa movie. Very different from Seven Samurai.]
There's so much more.
Tauck provides a reading list. If you go to the tour page and click on Important Info, you will find an item, Reading list. Click on that, an entire page of book recommendations.
Japan is my favorite country, I’ve been there three times over the years and I’d go again in a heartbeat. I took so many photos of the delicious food on our last trip there, it’s so exquisitely presented. We stayed in all Japanese hotels and Ryokans last time, enjoyed bathing in the Onsens and all the unique things that make Japan so special.
I read "A Geek in Japan" as it was one recommended by Tauck. It's a fun easy read with a lot great information and pictures of Japanese culture.
"Sayonara" (1954) - a novel (historical fiction) by James Michener might be of interest.
Thank you for the helpful information regarding books! I have not found under 'Important Info the Reading List - I know they used to post this but have not been able to find it so either I am looking at the wrong place (though I think I followed instructions) or they are no longer posting that info!
It is definitely there, I checked. I’m not sure how ot copy and paste, I’ll try again
https://thecompass.tauck.com/x/cruising-the-land-of-the-rising-sun-j311?pid=hrosq99N
Yes, it’s in the above link!
@Geckor - After British posted that the books were in the "important information" section I went and looked. Tauck has several Japan tours and at least one of them did not have books under that category. Check the other tours. But they should be at the link British posted. Looks like she verfied.
Thank you for the help on books! I finally located it in our log in reservation, and then it is on the left side in the black panel of information and it is under 'before you go'. Seems that is a different place than previous times but anyway, finally found it!! Thank you!
Mimi Travels mentioned this above, and I cannot recommend A Geek in Japan highly enough. The author is a European who lived and worked in Japan. He explains the culture through a foreigner's eyes, and his own experiences. It looks like something for gamers or kids but don't let the format scare you off. The information is solid. As you travel through Japan you will recognize a lot of what he writes about and have a better understanding of the Japanese people and their culture.
Thank you! Ordered it and it will arrive tomorrow - it was recommended by others also!
Wonder what it is like. My husband lived and worked in Japan for a while too.