Customer Reviews

My Mother is a Tractor: A Life in Rural Japan

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A friend reccomended this book to me before I begin a study abroad in Japan. I had read alot of "memoir of Japan" type of books and was prepared for something similar to "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" or "Learning to Bow". I quickly learned that Klar prefers to push copious amounts of information all into one fun book. I was taken aback at the lack of organization at first. Klar will launch into a brief, but detailed, talk of perverts in Japan and immediately jump into a Memorial Peach Park opening ceremony. However, the book has a ridiculous amount of (semi) useful information and still remains a memoir of sorts. The book will have you laughing out loud and enjoying Klar's writing style.

Before I went to Japan to study in October of 2004, I visited the internet and discovered Nicholas Klar's webpage. He told some really entertaining stories about his times in the JET program (or programme). I was not going to be a JET, but I really wanted to discoved some the "people" side of the Japanese. So I read all I could of his adventures and essays online. Then I emailed him. He was kind enough to reply. In fact, when I inquired about buying his future book he nearly fell all over himself with enthusiasm. This was probably the starving author coming out in him. In any case, I was impressed that he would remember me a year later when the book was published and I was also impressed that the book is a fun read.
I think Nicholas's JET kids were fortunate to have him in their schools. His book does indeed show the Japanese to be both quirky and fun, which many people might find unexpected. He can tell a story that brings a tear to the eye, as well as one that brings a chuckle to anyone, familiar with Japan or not.
Buy the book and have a good read.

A few years ago I went through literally all 130,447 Results of the nonfiction category of Amazon's Book section under the keyword "Japan". In the struggle I composed a fairly abundant reading list for books on people living in Japan including: Hokkaido Highway, Roads to Sata, Dave Barry Does Japan, Thank You and Ok, Lady and the Monk, 30 views of Mt Fuji, In Search of Wa, Rising Sons and Daughters, Learning to Bow. Klar's adventure is similar to the usual "disoriented foreigner steps into Japan for the first time and tries to use a squat toilet" formula of your typical gaijin memoir but still finds itself able to separate from the pack.

The book consists of Klar's days as a foreign teacher on the JET program. Anyone interested in becoming a JET should be sure to give it a read since the experience is recollected with chapters recounting the living conditions, working conditions, and the endless "enkai" parties. In between Klar dedicates chapters with insight into everyday Japanese society and culture covering the usual topics like love hotels, festivals, toliets, and "gomi" piles, but also reaches out to some primary sources as well with references to bizarre current events in regards to the cultural and political scene of the time.

It was a good read, with a much more relate-able narrator compared to the other authors I knew of that had found themselves in Japan. Klar also includes several pictures from his stay, which are a pleasant addition mostly absent from other Japan diaries. I would have liked to see more chapters dedicated to the experiences of the actual teaching part as a JET participate, relationships with teachers/students etc., but his endless bike adventures were rich enough to forgive that.