Japanese Mind [Paperback]

Robert Christopher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 1984

An entertaining and thorough introduction to all things Japanese. Much has been written about Japanese management. But this is the first book to explain the people, the life, and the culture of that fascinating nation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This could well be the most important appraisal of Japan and the Japanese by a Westerner in decades... a crisp and breezy survey of pretty well every facet of contemporary Japanese life."

Publishers Weekly

"A splendid primer...tantalizing and rewarding...explains Japanese notions of courtesy and reciprocity and other subtleties, paradoxes and implications of the national character."

Los Angeles Times

"A breezy, readable introduction to a people whose importance to America cannot be overestimated...Christopher conveys a wealth of information in a clear, jargon-free style."

Newsday

"Perceptive, tactfully written...Mr. Christopher has produced a readable, concise, one-volume guide to Japanese society and culture. With clarity, balance, and a healthy supply of anecdotes, he briefly touches almost every conceivable corner of Japanese life."

Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly

From the Inside Flap

An entertaining and thorough introduction to all things Japanese. Much has been written about Japanese management. But this is the first book to explain the people, the life, and the culture of that fascinating nation.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition edition (April 12, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449901203
• ISBN-13: 978-0449901205
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,714,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A misleading disappointment, April 14, 1999

By 

"patricksmyre" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Mind (Paperback)

As an American who has lived in Japan for over seven years, I find Mr. Christopher's account to be an apology for Japan rather than an attempt at presenting a balanced picture of the people and the society. Some of Mr. Christopher's conclusions are correct, but they are very general in nature and apparent to anyone who is even marginally acquainted with the Japanese (e.g. Japanese are group-oriented). Some of his facts are completely wrong, such as the assertion that Japanese television is more intellectually stimulating than American TV, even considering American cable networks. I can say firsthand that the content of Japanese TV is no more intellectually stimulating than a test pattern. The odd documentary on NHK (Japan's leading national broadcaster) is almost always of foreign make. Serious social issues such as Japan's continued discrimination against its Korean community are simply ignored. I am disturbed that Mr. Christopher's "evidence" consists almost solely of what he's been told by his Japanese friends. Not a single footnote appears at the end of his book. A far superior portrait of Japan is painted by Dutch author, Karel Van Wolferen ("The Enigma of Japanese Power") who argues intelligently and supports with evidence every assertion that he presents. My advice on "The Japanese Mind"? Don't waste your money.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars superficial treatment, with nothing to add, May 25, 2005

By 

Robert J. Crawford (Balmette Talloires, France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japanese Mind (Paperback)

This is a typical book by the kind of person who made a career out of a knowledge of the Japanese language that served them well when Japan became fashionable for a time due to its incredible economic success. Thus, there is an element of luck involved, in that he was stationed in Japan after the war, but it can't hide the fact that this is the product of a mediocre mind. Christopher asks none of the hard questions and never probes below the surface of Japan - the superficial facade they present to foreigners, or "tatemae" - and so it fails miserably. Instead, the reader is served up the most traditional exoticisms that have long been de-bunked, ridiculously romanticised notions that anyone who has lived in Japan comes to see as patently untrue. But then, Christopher never seems to have questioned any of it.

I have read a lot of books on Japan, and this one is one of the worst by far. As such, it is a total waste - unless you want a pure "Japanologist" point of view that is out of date by about 2 decades.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, easy to read book about the Japanese culture, April 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Mind (Paperback)

As am American, who grew up in Japan, I was fascinated to read this accurate and well written book about the Japanese mind. It explained alot of what I knew, or what people commonly think about the Japanese culture but never could figure out WHY the Japanese did this or that and what their logic was behind their actions. I have read the book 3 times and have learned new things each time. I highly recommend this book! Bravo Mr. Christopher!