A Birder's Guide to Japan [Paperback]

Jane Washburn Robinson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr; 1st edition (April 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0934797021
• ISBN-13: 978-0934797023
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,522,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Guess it's not what I had hoped for..., March 5, 2002

By 

"nichona0" (Beppu, Oita-ken, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Birder's Guide to Japan (Paperback)

I bought this book because it was the only affordable bird book of Japan that I could afford. I guess that I was expecting a bird guide that helped me identify species etc., something like a field guide. This is not such a book. If you already have identification books, or are already able to identify east asian birds, then this book will tell you the hot spots and help you plan a birding trip. It's got maps, useful vocab, and lots of other information about the surrounding areas of some good birding locations. Just don't expect any help with identification.
Since I don't get to travel a lot, I don't think I'll ever get a chance to use this book, and I'm still at a loss when it comes to identifying local birds.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Guide to Birding Sites of Japan, May 15, 2004

By 

Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Birder's Guide to Japan (Paperback)

This book gives detailed coverage to birdwatching sites in most of Japan, particularly Hokkaido and Honshu. Kyushu and the southern islands (Amami, Okinawa, Ryukyu) also receive decent coverage, but lovely, off-the-beaten-track Shikoku is completely overlooked for some reason.
Apart from the usual info on species, trails, access and acccomodation, there is a lengthy chapter on coping with Japanese culture.
Despite the fact that it was published years ago, I would certainly recommend taking it, as Japan is probably the most stable country in Asia, where even prices have changed very little over the years.