Customer Reviews

The Japanese

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I have read a lot of books on Japanese society and culture and this was one of the most interesting and entertaining. The author lived in Japan for many years, is fluent in Japanese and has operated as an active participant in the Japanese culture. So while gaijin will always be on the outside looking in to some extent, this author got a whole lot closer than most. The tone of the book is informal and occasionally irreverent (laughed out loud on several occasions). The author went more in depth in explaining some issues than I have seen in other works. The previous reviewer's comments are unfounded in my opinion, as the angry tone and the alleged comments about crime and punishment were not in the book (at least the edition I read). The author does make some critical comments about Japanese culture, but overall is very sympathetic and positive toward the Japanese. Perhaps this reflects the fact that the book was written at a time when people were more realistic about cultural differences -- good and bad -- and felt more comfortable candidly talking about them. Overall, this is a very good introduction for beginners, or follow on book for aficianados of Japanese culture.

Jack Seward covers the spectrum of Japanese Life and Thought in his book 'The Japanese: The often Misunderstood, Sometimes Surprising, and Always Fascinating Culture and Lifestyles of Japan. With a jaunty air he covers the need for hot springs and communal baths, matters sexual, crime and punishments and the colourful ways you can leave this world by disembowelment. He also looks at the humor in mis-translation and the Japanese thought on our miscreant Western ways.
Its a good read and a must for anybody visiting Japan or a hard core arm chair traveller.

I found Jack Seward's book valuable for the amount of interesting insights it contained, but I think that many of his views and assessments are outdated. In addition, he occasionally gets sidetracked by passionate feelings on certain subjects (America's high crime rate, prejudice against biracial children). These long monologues are extremely angry and at times offensive (Seward claims that crime is an activity engaged in primarily by 'Negroes' and that those who would rehabilitate criminals are 'bleeding hearts'), and I felt that they detracted from the book's credibility. I think Seward's book might have been revolutionary when it was first published, but I didn't find it very helpful in the year 2000.

The author seems to have taken a slip-shod approach to some subjects. Certain areas of the work clearly reveal a lack of research without intellectual curiousity on the part of the author to present a balanced viewpoint. Assertions are made without support or footnotes. Much of the information is dated and does not reflect current conditions in Japanese society. The major crime here is presenting a stereotyped view of a culture which is more complex than the author would have the reader believe.