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I Love Japan [Paperback]

Craig Briggs (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Book Description

December 31, 2004
Japan is an intriguing country and culture that both delights and confounds the visitor.

In I Love Japan, Craig Briggs gives you uncommonly insightful yet amusing insights into living, working and playing in Japan. In this collection of short and witty essays, Briggs brings you Japanese culture real and unfiltered--through the eyes of a keenly observant, sensitive, and often times smart-assed foreigner.

About traditional Japanese cuisine: "Part of the enjoyment of eating soba is the 'slurping'--taking air in rapidly over the soba and enhancing the dining experience. Choking on soba, however, does not enhance the dining experience. And "losing your lunch" in such a traditional setting will also make you "lose face"."

Experience the tradition of sumo wrestling and cherry blossom viewing. Understand the danger of climbing Mt. Fuji or of just taking a commuter train at rush hour. Learn and laugh about quirky Japanese refinements to common, often unsightly acts like public drunkenness and trash recycling. And, visit some of the countries surrounding Japan and be thankful you live in Japan instead.

Part travel guide and part survival kit, I Love Japan is the only book with the courage to tell you just what really is happening in Japan.


Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Craig Briggs? love affair with Asia began in 1993 when this former collegiate German major was transferred to Hong Kong. In 1998 he moved to Tokyo where he began writing an irregular column for Tokyo Notice Board. He escaped from Japan in 2004 and returned to Hong Kong.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 184 pages
  • Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (December 31, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0595339697
  • ISBN-13: 978-0595339693
  • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,722,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars a hand book for first time visitors to japan, May 2, 2005
By 
This review is from: I Love Japan (Paperback)
Craig Briggs is like P.J. O'Rourke without the alcohol induced crankiness or political rants; Dave Barry without the boogers, and Dan Rather without the hallucinatory research department. His style is smart, friendly, casual and pleasant. Plus he actually imparts useful information. It's almost like reading letters from a friend overseas -- if your friend has a good sense of humor and can write well. If you're thinking about heading for Japan, this book is an easy and fun way to get a read on on the culture in the form of observational columns. And it's size is perfect fit for the back of the toilet.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Real Japan Guidebook, April 30, 2005
By 
Gigi (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
This review is from: I Love Japan (Paperback)
I found this an interesting read. Even though I have been to Japan many times, I discovered new things about the country and the people. And, it is entertaining throughout. If you are a foreigner planning to live, work or visit Japan, you should read this book. When I travel to Japan again, I will bring the book with me.
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5.0 out of 5 stars I Love Japan, December 5, 2008
By 
This review is from: I Love Japan (Paperback)
Written in an observational style that feels as if each chapter could be a bit from a stand-up comedy routine, Briggs has penned a very funny satire on ex-pat life in Japan. Specific cultural and universal human truths are dramatized to hilarious effect. Useful information yes but more a conversation with other fish out of water that; "no" you're not imagining things, and a reminder that keeping a sense of humor is not only a key to survival, but how to find happiness in any situation. I don't think it is meant to really be a travel guide ... rather more like group therapy. Btw, I've never been to Japan but found myself laughing out loud in chapter after chapter. There was the one about the mystifying and byzantine laws about trash disposal in "Talking Trash" and an equally funny bit about the mysterious disappearance of garbage on the street when there isn't a public receptacle anywhere to be found. His top 10 lists sometimes show 15 or don't get past five, but the writers at Letterman have nothing on Briggs. And the sweet chapter on Japanese pets, and his personal story about his beloved dog Roxy had me crying out loud as well.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
burnable trash, pinkie fingernail, urinal cakes
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Craig Briggs, Hong Kong, Great Leader, Love Japan, Cheap Trick, Arisugawa Park, Narita Airport, Japan Airlines, United Airlines, Prime Minister, New York, Betelnut Girls, Narita Express, Doggy Promenade, Bongo Friendee, Asahi Homes, Colpo Grosso, Lady Taxi Driver
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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