Customer Reviews

Hokkaido Highway Blues

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In the 80's it seemed that almost any foreigner who spent much time in Japan felt obliged to write a book about their experiences. This lead to a lot of dull, pithy, pedestrian writing in which the same standard Japan cliches and themes were raised again and again to the point where self-parody became a real danger. Many of these works amount to little more than the product of a writer's conceit in having been published.

However, the best travel book I have ever read on Japan has just been published: 'Hokkaido Highway Blues' by Will Ferguson.

in 1996, Ferguson hitchiked the length of Japan, hardly a feat worthy of the 'extreme' category of travel writing currently in vogue, but certainly of interest to those of us who have spent time in foreign locales of no particular touristicattractions and have admired them precisely because of their normalcy- as a microcosm of the country at large. Ferguson spends much time in such locales nominally following the cherry blossom front from the southernmost point of Kyushu, up the lesser known Japan Sea side of Japan to the northern tip of Hokkaido. Along the way Ferguson converses and interacts with drunken truck drivers, high-school aged fisherman, sporty hedonistic new people, possible gangsters, overbearing intellectuals- a piece of Japanese society at large.

This is also a book that shows Ferguson to be an articulate, perceptive and very witty writer. Ferguson can paint words with the tender strokes of an impressionist only to be followed by Dave Barry-like ironies and double entendres. Ferguson is aware of the Japan cliches and stereotypes but does not ignore them. He calls a spade a spade when necessary but invariably with great wit and insight. On worn out cliches he is savvy enough to provide new perspectives that are enlightening yet not encumbering the reader with dull, indulgent academia.

Ferguson displays an inner understanding of Japan that matches Alan Booth ('The Roads To Sata'-hitherto considered THE travel writer on Japan) and far outdistancing the myriad sophomoric writers of the late 80's (including Pico Iyer's highly literate but maudlin and fanciful ' The Monk and the Lady'). Ferguson seeks not only to grumble but to praise Japan, and always with both incisive anecdotes on the state of modern Japan plus humourous self-parody of the 'gaijin'. Particularly funny are the situations in which Ferguson, a Canadian, is automatically deemed to be American everywhere he goes despite protestations to the contrary. This allows Ferguson to take some lighthearted jabs at both the U.S. and Britain while acting as a kind of underhanded, tongue-in-cheek Canadian ambassador. Thankfully, unlike Booth and Iyer, Ferguson does not seem to take himself so seriously .

Perhaps that which is most endearing about Ferguson to the reader, is that he is 'one of us', a run-of-the-mill expat, in his case as an language teacher at a remote Japanese high school who spent several years in Kumamoto (one who can really WRITE however). He is knowledgable enough about Japan and the language without falling into the common expat writer's trap of becoming a know-it-all pedant.

I highly recommend this book to any foreigners living in Japan, to Japanese people who can read English, anyone who has lived in Japan and anyone about to come- in short, just about anybody with an interest in Japan.

Canadian author Ferguson, a teacher in Japan for a number of years, hitches from the bottom of the island nation to the top. Invaluable stories provided of what happens along the way: best way to understand the Japanese, and especially their view and interactions with Westerners. Unlike many tourists, Ferguson doesn't care for museums (though he does provide some really nice background history on many locations, customs, etc.). Stand with him while visiting a zoo, in which an entire class of students have their back to a caged area with animal and point to him, caucasian, as infinitely more exotic. Author Ferguson precisely captures the feeling of how non-Japanese may never be accepted within this society and the consequential love/hate relationship that results. As good as Pico Iyer's view, but more candid and true to life: the missed-timing of one of the possibilities at his journey's end is so true to life. A blast to read without the getting drenched on the highway.

Will Ferguson, author of "Canadian History for Dummies," "Bastards and Boneheads," "Why I Hate Canadians," and "How To Be A Canadian (Even If You Already Are One)," has truly hit the mark with "Hokkaido Highway Blues." As someone who has studied Japanese culture and language for the last five years and will be teaching in Japan through the JET Programme in the next few years, this book was a much-needed laugh and a cultural revelation about Japan.

Japan is a surprising country in many ways: its customs, obsession with Western culture, slang and fads, the blend of city and country, ancient and modern. Ferguson takes the reader on a memorable journey from the southernmost point on the island of Kyushu (Cape Sata) to Cape Sooya on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, home to the Canadian World amusement park. I kid you not. This is another example of perplexing Japanese behaviour. Canadian World is a theme park that recreates Avonlea on PEI and has Canadian guides greet visitors and teach them Canadian crafts. I'll be sure to visit when I'm homesick for Canada. Right.

Ferguson is hilarious at times when telling Japanese about Canada: "In Ka-Na-Da everyone lives in peace and harmony. It sure is great being a Canadian. You get to share all the material benefits of living next door to the United States, yet at the same time you get to act smug and haughty and morally superior. You just can't beat that kind of irresponsibility."
"Hokkaido Highway Blues" is as much a reflection of being Canadian as it is about Japan.

Ferguson nails cultural attitudes, the art of Japanese conversation, spreads out dishes of miso, unagi, tako, tonkatsu, and other delicacies for us to sample, shows us the many shades of green, rocky shores, and Shinto shrines, and makes us love his vision of Japan. His humour, honesty, and excellent storytelling abilities make this a true treasure for anyone interested in Japan (JET teachers should be required to read this before they go!), the exhilaration of hitchhiking into the unknown, and making do in a foreign environment.

I have lived in Japan about 8 years and have read several books about Japan. I enjoyed Booth's "The Road To Sata" but he chose to walk the whole way so he did not have as many encounters with Japanese people as Will Ferguson did (Will hitchhiked most of the way). I really enjoyed Will's witty writing style and he mentioned so many things that foreigners experience while living in Japan. Some reviewers commented that the author often makes fun of the Japanese and does not show enough respect for their culture. But I think anyone who has lived here a while has to develop a sense of humor and laugh at certain things or they will go crazy. Will pokes fun at himself quite a lot too and there are some very touching moments like when a Japanese man talks about his experience as a POW. I also recommend Dave Berry Does Japan, Learning To Bow, and The Road To Sata.

Will Ferguson writes as someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in Japan. His observations are those of an outsider, but of an outsider that has spent time researching and trying to understand the culture he is living in. Whilst some may find him insensitive to Japan and its people, those that have actually spent time there will enjoy this book immensly. I was particularly impressed by his depth of understanding of the nuances of Japanese culture, some of which made some of my experiences clearer! Anyone who has spent time, or who in planning on spending time in Japan, will find something to identify with in Hokkaido Highway Blues.

I'm still in the middle of this book at the moment, but I'm having such a wonderful time reading it that I felt like I had to jump in with a comment. Ferguson is frank and blunt, but has a wonderful sense of humor. He's far from easy on the Japanese in his assessment of them, yet every observation is so personal and thoughtful that you're convinced his thoughts are motivated by only the most wholesome love and concern for the country. This is a light read and moves quickly -- chapters are short and to the point, so it is easy to pick up and put down. Well, putting it down is sometimes tough...

Since applying to the JET program, I've been reading quite a few books about Japan. Will Ferguson's "Hokkaido Highway Blues" is definitely my favorite narrative. Ferguson doesn't take himself (or the people he meets) too seriously. Much of the book is very amusing and there were points where I found myself laughing out loud. It isn't all fun and games though - Ferguson reflects on feeling like an outsider and knowing that he can never truly belong in Japan. For those of us considering living in Japan, I think this book presents both the fun and celebrity of being a westerner in Japan and the harsh reality of being on display.

Will Ferguson has managed a pretty special feat in the writing of this book - he has managed to be funny and poetic in turns, and show the different facets of Japanese life by telling us about the people he meets and the places he goes on his travel from the South to the North of Japan, following the Sakura (Cherry Blossom).

This is not your usual travel book. For starters, Ferguson travels (mostly) by hitch-hiking, and therefore meets a wide variety of everyday Japanese people in his travels. The only musuem he writes about is one that has a rather large stone vagina. He is in turns dimissive and exhultant about Japanese culture. He is, in other words, typical of most of us who spend any time in Japan - he realise that he both loves and hates the place, and that the sooner you come to terms with this the better.

This is not your typical book about Japan, and is all the better for it. Some books written by Westerners about Japan end up being love stories written about a country that doesn't really exist. Some end up being rants about an evil empire, that similarly doesn't exist. Ferguson brings us Japan as he sees it, and to me it is believable.

And by the way - this is a very funny book. Insightful and humourous. What a bargain.

That guy is one crazy Canadian. His humor is certainly what brings this book to life as well as his colorful discriptions of life in Japan. I am still not finished with the book but I will be sad when I turn the last few pages. I am very picky when it comes to reading books...so mark my words, this is an excellent source of entertainment while travelling yourself (except the fact that it is a heavy hard-back book, making it rather travel-friendliless)..or kicking it the wash room. Enjoy!

This is a great book - funny, accurate and mindfull. I read this while living in the Japanese countryside. Ferguson captures the quirky side of the people and transfers his experiences into a thoroughly satisfying read. On the back of my copy it reads "I enjoyed Hokkaido Highway Blues immensely. Mr Ferguson is a very gifted writer." Bill Bryson.

That's pretty high praise and I totally agree.