Customer Reviews

Japan - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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This book seemed a little more balanced than most in its approach to discussing and explaining the ins and outs of Japanese culture.
At first, I thought it seemed negative and even possibly sarcastic at times. I was annoyed and almost offended. I wasn't sure I wanted to keep reading. But I was finding things in it that I hadn't learned from discussions, animes, online information, or the other books I had read such as "The Japanese Way" and "Japanese Cultural Encounters."

It didn't include personal stories nor was it academic-style. It is easy to read and easy to find what you're looking for. It's worth reading, re-reading, and keeping as a reference. It contains some useful information, including dos and don'ts and some of the not so glamorous realities of Japanese life, culture, economy. I did find some typos, which was surprising, but not anything big. The writing style was less personal and has a "unique" style compared to other Japanese culture books.

I liked it a lot and found it a good addition to my collection of books to understand the Japanese mind and way of life.
I recommend adding it even if you have other culture books.

I will note that it seems aimed at probably Americans or Europeans who have not lived in Japan, who do not speak Japanese, and who have not traveled to Japan. It's not extremely in-depth, but more a small, compact guidebook to get out when you need it and a quick, handy read overall.

On a recent trip to Japan, my travel companion had this book. I referenced it almost nightly to understand some of the things we were seeing and read it thoroughly on my return. I should have had it first, but in any case it was perfect for what I wanted-which was a quick understanding of the customs and some of the 'different' things that we saw-I would definitely recommend it.

This book is a short, yet thoroughly fascinating look at the etiquette and cultural conventions of Japan. It is invaluable if you intend to visit Japan and don't wish to commit a social faux pas, but is also interesting to read in it's own right.

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I read this book on the plane to Japan. It was very informative and prepared me well for a week's visit.

This is a very helpful book that explains the culture very well. Every aspect that most wouldn't even know about.