Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan [Perfect Paperback]

Pauline Hager (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2002

An American housewife's husband is offered a position in Japan to work on a multinational project. After much soul-searching they accept, and their lives are never the same. Living in the countryside in housing specifically designed for Westerners, surrounded with friendly neighbors from The European Union, Canada, Russia and America, they thrive. Pauline gingerly maneuvers through complicated rules of Japanese social behavior, never knowing when a simple faux pas would be construed as an intolerable violation of proper conduct. Life in Japan was a challenge, but a close network of Japanese and fellow expatriate friends enabled the Hagers to triumph.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: Infinity Publishing.com (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0741407477
• ISBN-13: 978-0741407474
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,464,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A native of Clinton, Massachusetts, Pauline Hager graduated from the University of South Carolina, earning a BA degree in Education. Pauline and her husband are longtime residents of Southern California. Her husband was offered a position with the Japanese government on an international project and subsequently they moved to Japan. The Hagers lived in the country side in housing specifically designed for Westerners, surrounded by neighbors from the European Union, Canada, Russia, America, and Japan. They traveled extensively in Japan, including Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Hokkaido Island, among other famous sites, and other Far Eastern countries, namely China, Hong Kong, Lantau Island, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Upon their return to San Diego, Pauline wrote a book about her humorous and fascinating experiences in Japan, titled "Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan."

Her second book "Giorgi's Greek Tragedy" is a historical novel, which takes place in 1790 in the Peloponnese peninsula of Southern Greece during the occupation of the Ottoman Turkish Empire. A young Greek boy's parents are murdered by elite agents of the Ottoman's Sultan's Janissary Corps. Giorgi seeks revenge and when he is older, along with his younger brother, they join the outlawed Greek freedom fighters in the Taygetos Mountains to battle the Turks.

Pauline Hager is currently working on a third novel, and writes from her home in La Jolla, California. She contributes articles to a monthly e-Rag Sheet "Fox & Quill". In addition to writing, she enjoys reading books in all genres, walks two miles every morning, travels extensively, and works in her garden. Pauline and her husband built a miniature garden railroad (G scale, narrow gauge) in their back yard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Imagine your mother moving abroad, April 26, 2002

By 

Cynthia "MmeCyn" (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan (Perfect Paperback)

Imagine your mother, a nice, middle-class lady from suburbia who probably hasn't travelled much out of the US, suddenly ups and follows Dad's job halfway across the world. Confronted with something totally alien, she writes letters home or in her journal about these foreign experiences she's having. Basically, that's this book. Sometimes she's totally wrong about Japan and the Japanese; sometimes her middle class western prejudices and assumptions show through; sometimes she reveals insight she probably doesn't know she's revealing, but her voice in all this is totally honest. Any expat living in Japan will identify with a lot of her experiences (haven't we all been dressed up in kimono for a photo?). I confess that I bought this book because I had briefly met Mrs. Hager in Japan and mutual friend told me about it, and after a few pages thought "Oh no!" But though the book is amateurish and could certainly have used a good editor, I was hooked on it anyway and read it straight through. Not because I knew the people (I didn't, as it turns out), but because it was like reading somebody's diary!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction to Japanese culture, June 24, 2007

By 

Kaitlin Burkard (Ohio, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan (Perfect Paperback)

Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan is a detailed, straightforward account of how one American woman spent two years living in Japan and how she dealt with the people and strange customs she encountered there. Pauline Hager describes in great detail her hometown in Japan, her neighbors, and all the places in the country that she visits. She also describes some of the countries surrounding Japan, such as Singapore and Thailand, which she visits while living in the Far East.

This book would be an excellent companion for exchange students or anyone planning to live in Japan for an extended period of time. In addition to describing Japanese customs, Hager discusses the language, cuisine, religion, and holidays. There are even sections on the book devoted to sumo wrestling, the climate, the vegetation, you name it. As someone that has been a long-time fan of all things Japanese, this book was a delight to read.

The only flaw is due to the very nature of the book. Everything Hager sees is, of course, given from her own perspective. In addition to learning about the culture, readers must hear her own impressions and opinions. For some readers this may be a big problem. If that's you, then you might prefer something more impersonal like a guidebook. Personally I was not bothered that much. Hager had to adjust to living in Japan and learn how to adjust to its customs over time, sometimes learning the hard way. Anyone in her shoes would have to go through the same thing. It's all just a part of her experience in Japan. After all, while this book may be a helpful (if biased) guide to Japanese culture, it is also a memoir.

I would highly recomend this book to any American who is either planning to live in Japan or is simply interested in Japanese culture.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for those interested in Japan, or for the exhange student, May 6, 2007

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan (Perfect Paperback)

Asia is such a powerhouse area of the world that even if you never visit, you can learn valuable lessons from this book. Of course the author is middle class American, she makes this very clear. What is helpful is how she writes in such a way that you feel like you are there.

Wincing when one discovers they have made an error in how they dress for certain occasions, to everyday things like bathrooms, which depending on how ones home or hotel in Japan is set up, can be major cultural shock.

The book is one I recommend for those who like our family, have had and continue to have Japanese exchange students. And for those who will be American exchange students in Japan. Cannot recommend the book enough.