Japan (Insight Guides) [Paperback]

Insight (Creator), Scott Rutherford (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2003 | Series: Insight Guides

This guide includes a section detailing Japan's history, nine features covering aspects of the country's life and culture, ranging from architecture and cuisine to hi-tech business dealings; a region by region visitor's guide to the sights, and a comprehensive travel tips section packed with essential contact addresses and numbers. Plus hundreds of photographs and 19 maps.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Since 2000. Hammond, American Map, Langenscheidt Dictionaries, Insight Travel Guides, Delorme – the famous names in the Langenscheidt family. These represent the most authoritative, up-to-date, and extensive travel and reference products available. In January 2003, the renowned Berlitz Publishing became part of the Langenscheidt Group. The Langenscheidt Publishing Group, the premier group of map and travel companies, offers over 4,000 North American and international street maps, road maps, atlases, language-learning, bilingual dictionaries, and travel-related products covering countries, cities, and languages in every continent.

Product Details

• Paperback: 406 pages
• Publisher: Insight Guides; Updated ed. edition (August 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 981234828X
• ISBN-13: 978-9812348289
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,799,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Inaccurate and Editorialized, April 7, 2010

By 

K. Davis - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japan (Insight Guides) (Paperback)

I borrowed this book from a local library to help prepare for a future trip to Japan and to gain some *ahem* insight into Japan's culture, geography, and the sights and sounds of its many regions. I was surprised by what I found.

The first half of the book is dedicated to Japanese culture and history, and with this, comes a heaping portion of editorial. Most of it is tongue-in-cheek. There is no mention of origami in the art of Japan section, and the architecture section is poorly researched - two very unique and critical aspects of Japanese culture I think any book on Japan should adequately cover. Most of the commentary stems from occasional "observations" that, through their short and stoney wording, are surprisingly offensive and pessimistic (and I am not Japanese, or Asian for that matter). Yet through the criticism comes soaring praise, and then suddenly, more criticism.

I started wondering if I was reading a guide to Japan or a criticism of Japan as a country.

The second half of the book offers enough information to get you started on where you would like to go and what you might like to see on your visit, but it is by no means thorough, or even accurate.

I'll give it credit that some of the pictures in the book are absolutely breathtaking. Others, I found, were outdated and appeared to be either the result of a lazy photographer or an intended criticism of Japan - grainy quality, subdued backgrounds and blurry foregrounds. Koyaanisqatsi came to mind.

The final section is a short, tragically incomplete list of hotels, restaurants, and shops in most parts of Japan "worthy" of visiting. Other than a vague price range, telephone number, and address, there is little else on each establishment. Although I expect to do my own research for places to visit and where to stay, I would at least like a general idea of what to expect to hasten my research. And when six hotels in the same area are simply labeled "clean and cheap," it doesn't help narrow my search.

If you are planning a trip to Japan, do not try and use this book as a guide. There are far better guides and "on-the-spot" companions. If you simply want to learn about Japan, this book might be sufficient for the casual reader, because the enthusiast will most definitely feel shortchanged.