Customer Reviews

Discovering Cultural Japan : A Guide to Appreciating and Experiencing the Real Japan

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Boye Lafayette De Menthe creates a fascinating portrait of Japan and provides a good primer on the basics of Japanese culture. De Menthe certainly covers all the big points in this rather slim volume. His discussions of language, hospitality, the seasons, and Japanese history are valuable for a brief introduction. He reads easily and offers insights which only one intimate with Japan and the Japanese could proffer. He offers good advices, too, on getting into the "real Japan" rather than sticking to the tourist traps. He offers: "this book is designed to provide you with the historical and cultural perspective, the insights and the knowledge you need to intellectually, emotionally, and physically cross the cultural barriers into the inner circle of Japanese life and savor it to the fullest extent possible" (xxvii). He succeeds.

However, I found myself rather distracted by his emphasis on the erotic side of Japan. His book frequently reverts to topics of eroticism, sexual pleasures, and the like which I found superfluous and, at times, inappropriate. Certainly sexuality is an important part of any culture, however, De Mente gives it undue emphasis and falls prey to the Western tendancy to make Asian women exotic (and therefore erotic). Discovering Cultural Japan is definately not for the casual traveler or tour group. But if you are looking for a more "social" guide or plan to stay in Japan for a longer period of time, this might suit your purposes. With chapters such as "Sexual Mores," "The Soaplands," "The Kimono and the Yukata," "Pleasures of the Night," among others -- De Mente's book is a bit more than the average traveler needs.

It's hard to find a travel book that is more than a list of hotels but less than a travelog. I thought this book was it -- but I was wrong. Boyde Lafayette De Menthe writes as if every American doesn't want to experience the real Japan. And describes the real Japan is some sort of secret brothel.

Some of the history was interesting and the quick guide to the language was informative but, overall, the information was very dated (copyright 1995). And as a woman who loves to travel, this book left me with very few insights other than where I should sent my male companions at night.

Please don't waste your time or money on this book. There are much better books available (I have lived in Japan for 5 years and didn't see anything remotely approaching insightful or original commentary). I thought this book would give me tips on how to experience the Japan of old -- which is hard to find. Instead I got a variety of short stories (none of which I found interesting or provide enough detail for you to figure out how to find the romantic old Japan), and an abbreviated history of Japan. Also, the author is always obsessing about women! I recommend to keep searching!

I have read this book recently after relatively-long staying in USA and Europe for over 4 years, partly because at first I wanted to know how Japan, Japanese and things Japanese were described from a Western cultural point of view. And I found that this book is fairly acceptable also from Japanese point of view.
You like it or not, I think this is a good book to know Japan.