Customer Reviews

CultureShock! Japan: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Cultureshock Japan: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As an administrator in a ESL school, where 10% of our students come from Japan, and at least 10% of our ESL teachers trainees plan on going to Japan to teach English, Culture Shock Japan was an wonderful discovery for me! P. Sean Bramble unveiled the cultural mystery step by step from every aspect of life. It's a great reference book for anyone, no matter whether you are planning a trip to Japan, moving to Japan for a long period of time, your work involves dealing with Japanese culture like mine, or you are simply curious about this modern and ancient eastern country. One of my favorite things about the book are the hilarious little stories that Bramble collected from his own 12 years of experience living and working in Japan, which gave me many giggles through out the reading.

Those stories are particularly funny to me, because they often echo my own experience of of culture shock when I first immigrated to the United States from China 7 years ago. Although, I am completely annoyed when people get confused between Japan and China, there are after all lots of similarities when it comes to clashes between Asian and western cultures.

I also admire the fact that the author was willing to take the risk of being accused as negative or judgmental to honestly point out the frustrating reality of living and dealing with a new culture in a tongue in cheek manner. Unlike promotional travel books, which only portray the wonders of a destination, this book gives unvarnished insight into a country where modernity meets ancient traditions, efficiency is created by rules but also destroyed by rules. It gives insider's advices on how a new comer can be prepared to begin understanding, embracing, and even having a bit of fun with the culture he is about to clash into. As I closed the book, I felt as if I had just finished a tour lead by an experienced open heart with a true sense of humor. I am now much more ready for a real trip to Japan.

It certainly seems that the author would rather we not visit Japan, and perhaps he'd rather not live there. He seems to focus entirely on the struggles a Westerner will experience, and focuses very little on the daily interaction and culture of a country with several thousand years of cultural history. But hey, if you're a business-person planning on spending six months working in Japan, Culture Shock Japan might be able to tell you how not to embarrass yourself in very specific corporate interactions...but maybe you might just want to skip the experience altogether.

Also, with Tokyo being the nexus of technological advancement, the author too often editorializes with a "kids these days" sort of attitude regarding technology and entertainment. I can just picture the typewriter he used when writing the first draft.

I was stationed overseas for about 1 1/2 years before I read the book. Many questions I had were answered. This book explains a lot of the everyday things you'll see/notice in Japan. Not much of a history book (which wasn't what I was looking for @ the time) but a very modern explanation of all the strange things Japanese people do.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that is going to live in Japan for an extended period of time.

While preparing for a trip to Japan, I read this book and Culture Shock! Tokyo At Your Door by Yuko Morimoto-Yoshida. I have to say (in contrast to Morimoto-Yoshida's book), this book was really unhelpful in helping prepare a Westerner for Japanese culture.

Bramble's book simply reads like an American friend was telling you about all the odd customs and cultural mistakes that he made while living in Japan. While that's interesting from an anecdotal standpoint, there's appears to be very little actual research done beyond his own personal experiences.

Take for example, the section of "Doing Business In Japan." Bramble mentions conservative dress, the importance of business cards, resumes, and a little about negotiating. The rest of the section is useless, including an overly long discussion of the different types of jobs like hostessing and waiting tables that a Westerner can do. There is so much more to "doing business in Japan" than dressing conservatively and carrying a business card! But unfortunately, you wouldn't know that if you only read this book by P. Sean Bramble.

Don't bother with this book. It does a disservice to Japanese people, Westerners living there, and people planning to travel there.

Logically organized and clearly indexed, easy to read with hints and humor. Table of Contents nicely formatted. An awareness of the customs will help avoid insulting their culture. Some spots seem over detailed but perhaps that is due to my being a first-time visitor and have much to incorporate

I found this book very helpful in preparing me for a recent trip to Japan. It contained a lot of information on what to expect culturally in Japan, and helped me make a few less "outsider" etiquette blunders. I would recommend this book to anyone heading to Japan as a good guide to help you feel a bit more comfortable in a strange land.

This book is rife with partial truths,alarming hyperbole, and a seemingly strong aversion to Japan and its people. Why the publishers chose this individual is beyond me. This book belongs in the Travel Narrative section, because that's all it is; one individual's seemingly tumultuous experience in Japan. I've met gaijin such as this; they always love to WARN others about Japan. His tone is condescending as he assumes the reader has this romanticized ideal of Japan and will have to struggle to overcome this disappointment. Perhaps from his perspective, this is true because that's what happened to him. There seems to be an awful lot of projection.

Japan's not perfect. Yes, you will inevitably experience difficulties, rude people, and racism. But have you ever lived in the United States? I will experience more rude people in a day than I would in a month in Japan. Japan is an amazing place, especially if you have an interest in their culture. If you're looking for advice, skip this book and seek out other resources, there are many far superior alternatives.

This book does have a little useful cultural and historical information but the author's biting criticisms of the culture made me wince as I read it. Can you say arrogant American? (Although he writes as if he was British.) I don't understand why, if he hated the country so, he stayed there so long. Buyer beware: although the publication date is 2008, it appears to merely be a reprint of the original 2004 without edits. There is no indication as to when he made his observations of Japan. Case in point: the book talks about using AOL for internet service and how mobile phones are gaining in popularity. I've traveled in Japan in 2009 and 2010 and it is not the backwards country he makes it sound like. I would look elsewhere if you want a less biased but more informative book on Japanese culture.

The book does contain usefull information, but it left me with an awkward feeling after reading.
It describes the 'typically Japanese things' from a personal western point of view, without explaining why, how, what, etc.
-Japan is a weird and silly country, but there are nice temples-
Or is it the writer that is the culture shock ?
If you want an objective book about Japan, keep searching.