Being A Broad in Japan: Everything a Western woman needs to survive and thrive [Paperback]

Caroline Pover (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2001

“My encyclopedia, my translator, my phone book, my best friend!” —Western woman living in Japan Being A Broad in Japan includes everything you need to make the most out of your life: case studies of Western women working in almost 50 different types of jobs; anecdotes from many of the 200 Western women interviewed; profiles of 23 women’s organisations; essential Japanese words and phrases; and indispensable resource sections listing telephone numbers and Websites for English-speaking housing agencies, banks, doctors, dentists, gynaecologists, therapists, lawyers, maternity classes, day care centres, employment agencies, labour unions, graduate schools, and MORE. An essential book for any Western woman living in Japan.

Read about: • Coping with culture shock. • Finding clothes and shoes that fit. • Avoiding hair disasters. • Cooking Japanese food. • Telling a chikan where to go. • Dating and the singles scene. • Organising contraception. • Getting married and divorced. • Adopting a baby. • Educating your child. • Finding a job. • Teaching gender studies in the English-language classroom. • Coping with reverse culture shock when you leave Japan.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... a necessary resource for a wide range of women. -- Kansai Time Out, July 2001

No stone is left unturned. Pover covers everything ... -- The Daily Yomiuri, September 15, 2001

From the Author

From the foreword to 'Being A Broad in Japan'

When I first came to Japan in 1996, I wasn’t prepared. Twenty-one thousand Western women move to Japan every year and most of them aren’t prepared either. I don’t mean being prepared for the language or the culture; I mean being prepared for what it is like to be a Western woman living in Japan.

Throughout 1999 I interviewed about two hundred Western women living in Japan. Most of them were women from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. They were from different ethnic and social backgrounds, and of different ages and sexual orientations. Employment and marital statuses differed. Some were here for six months, some for most of their adult lives. It was a diverse group of women, each with unique experiences, but they all had one thing in common: they were Western women in Japan. I was touched by their willingness to share their experiences to help prepare and support others like them.

These interviews form the foundation of this book. With other research, interviews with specialists in certain fields, some of my own experiences, resource sections and useful Japanese phrases, I have tried to create a comprehensive guide for Western women in Japan.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Alexandra Press (July 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4990079108
• ISBN-13: 978-4990079109
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Travel > Specialty Travel > Students
  • #64 in Books > Travel > Asia > Japan

More About the Author

Caroline Pover graduated from the UK's University of Exeter as a qualified primary school teacher, with a First Class Honours degree and a Dean's Commendation. After teaching at the same school she had attended as a child, a desire for adventure led her to Tokyo in 1996 where she was soon hired by a Japanese international school.

Teaching by day, Caroline launched her own magazine and interviewed 200 foreign women as she wrote her first book, Being A Broad in Japan: Everything a Western woman needs to survive and thrive. She established Alexandra Press under which to self-publish her book, which was released in 2001 and quickly became a number-one bestseller.

The success of her book led to further publishing projects for Tokyo English Life Line, the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, and Tokyo American Club Women's Group, as well as corporations and individual authors. In 2004, she took over the first free publication in Japan--Weekender magazine (established in 1970), publishing two issues per month, revamped the magazine and the business, and sold it in October 2008. She still oversees the Being A Broad support network and services at http://www.being-a-broad.com and publishes its monthly magazine.

In 2002, Caroline was recognized at the Foreign Executive Women's 20th anniversary celebrations for her many contributions to the foreign women's community in Japan. In 2008, she was awarded the inaugural British Business Award for Best Entrepreneur at the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan's 60th anniversary celebrations.

Drawing on her background in education and interest in child development, Caroline's second book is the first-ever comprehensive guide to international schools throughout Japan, and it combines her two passions: publishing and pedagogy. Still just in her thirties, Caroline is a stroke survivor, and this book is a particular joy to her, as it wasn't that long ago that she was unable to write an email, let alone a book!

Caroline lives in Tokyo and can be contacted at [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The not so inscrutable Japan., September 24, 2001

By 

Gloria Bauer Ishida (Nagoya environs, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being A Broad in Japan: Everything a Western woman needs to survive and thrive (Paperback)

As a woman who arrived in Japan years ago, when there were next to no resources to help one settle into everyday life, I commend Caroline Pover for her almost monumental resource book for foreign women living in Japan. She covers almost every possible issue from job hunting and setting up one"s own business to dating to being a mother, and extremely important to anyone living in a foreign country --- how and where to get good health care --- and much more, listing a treasure of organizations, books, useful addresses and telephone numbers, and web pages. Included at the end of each chapter is a basic and useful Japanese vocabulary pertaining to the subject.
As a personal touch, a number of expatriate women involved in a variety of jobs tell their stories, sharing the frustrations and successes they have experienced in a country not always friendly to the working woman.
Because so much research was involved, a few references became out of date while the book went to press; it would have been helpful to have a loose page addition with corrections. Nevertheless, the book is invaluable for foreign women living in Japan and for any woman, married or single, who contemplates a move there.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't move to Japan without it!, July 1, 2002

By 

"peacerainbow69" (Cripple Creek, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being A Broad in Japan: Everything a Western woman needs to survive and thrive (Paperback)

This is the only book I have seen addressing women's issues in Japan. It specifically deals with the challenges Western women face when they live in Japan. It is quite thorough and well-written. The author and her work are very accessible and I would highly recommend this reference to any female planning a relocation. The book is not written for casual vacationers, but can provide useful insights into daily living, if you are curious.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential help for Japan newcomers and long-termers, September 24, 2001

By 

Kim Binsted (Kaneohe, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being A Broad in Japan: Everything a Western woman needs to survive and thrive (Paperback)

Whether you're thinking of moving to Japan, or are already here, this book can help you deal with the day-to-day trials of being a stranger in a very strange land. It has both general info and stuff that's more likely to be of interest to women (childcare, finding a good English-speaking gynecologist, etc). All in all, a great resource for foreign women in Japan...