We are heading to Tokyo this week on a ten day adventure. I had never really considered going to Japan before, but then an opportunity presented itself and we thought, why not? And then the more that I read about Tokyo, the more excited I got for the food, the culture, and most importantly, the fabric shopping!
To prepare for the trip, I did a lot of research and reading over the past few months, as you can see from my book stack, and some of them were really great reads, whether you’re traveling there or not. So I thought I’d share this with you, my Tokyo reading list:
Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan by Bruce Feiler – This book was described as being about Japan’s education system, so I wasn’t sure it would be that interesting. However, its a really well written story about the author’s year teaching english in Japan, with very thoughtful insights into Japanese culture and how the Japanese education system shapes young people to become good citizens and the impact on Japanese society.
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan by Jake Adelstein – This is about a young American living in Japan who decides to work for one of the major Japanese newspapers as a crime reporter. The story recounts his career learning about journalism, policing, and ultimately organized crime and human trafficking. Although at times I found the narration and personal asides to be a bit distracting, overall I really enjoyed this one. It’s got a recommendation from George Pelecanos on the cover, so you know you can’t really go wrong there.
Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Modern Japan by Alex Kerr – This is a very commonly recommended book about modern Japan, and it does have some interesting perspectives on Japanese culture and politics, particularly about the financial system, corruption and lack of environmental regulation. However, I found it to be lacking any historical or political context, an overly simplistic analysis of causes, and relentlessly negative and repetitive. I actually couldn’t finish reading it because I found it so irritating. A more nuanced approach would have served his argument far better.
Japan: A reinterpretation by Patrick Smith – As an antidote to Dogs and Demons, this is a very well researched, thoughtful and interesting book about modern Japanese politics and society, couched in historical context. It examines the standard perceptions of Japan both economically and culturally and offers some new ways of thinking about Japan. A bit dense, but highly recommended.
Hitching Rides with Buddha (or Hokkaido Highway Blues) by Will Ferguson – Not really about Tokyo at all, but great travel writing about a mission to hitchhike from the southern tip of Japan to the north. Funny, insightful and with interesting historical context.
Untangling my Chopsticks: A Culinary Sojourn in Kyoto by Victoria Abbott Riccardi – Again, not about Tokyo, but I am really looking forward to the food in Japan and this is a great book about formal Japanese kaiseki cuisine as well as other traditional foods and practices – it also has recipes for many of the dishes she describes.
Wrong about Japan by Peter Carey - A nice little book about a father taking his son to Japan after he takes an interest in manga and anime. Along the way Carey does some great interviews with some of the most prominent manga authors and has some interesting stories to share about exploring Japan with his son.
All She Was Worth by Miyuki Miyabe – A very popular japanese crime author, this is a story about a missing woman that unfolds slowly. A great mystery and also an interesting portrayal of Japan.
Zen Attitude by Sujata Massey – Another great mystery writer, although she is part Indian and part German, this series of detective novels is set in Japan. A nice light read with a good amount of intrigue, each of the books incorporates a different aspect of Japanese culture, like zen temples, flower arranging, youth culture, etc. I couldn’t find the first at the library, called The Salaryman’s Wife, but I’ve read three of them and I’ll probably keep reading through the series, I think there are quite a few.
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto - I read this book when I was sixteen and loved it, so I thought I would re-read it. Still a good book, in a very strange and stylistic way.
Real World by Natsuo Kirino – I didn’t actually read this one, but Ian did. I think its about youth culture and I think he enjoyed it although it seemed a bit dark to me.
Do you have a favorite book about Japan or by a Japanese author that’s not on this list? There’s Murakami, of course, I’ve read him in the past. I found it a bit hard to find good recommendations on books actually about modern Japan or Tokyo, so any further suggestions would be appreciated and hopefully be a resource to others.
In the meantime, I’ll be back in about two weeks with stories and pictures to share!
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