Customer Reviews

On the Narrow Road: A Journey into Lost Japan

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Unlike Alan Booth, who wrote my favorite books by a westerner in Japan, Lesley Downer seemed to admire and revere Basho. Alan Booth seemed to think he was a drunkard and a leech. Lesley Downer attempts to follow the path that Basho took 300 years earlier through the wilds of northern Honshu. Miss Downer does take advantage of modern transportation throughout her travels unlike Basho who couldn't, but probably would have if it had been available.

I found it a little bit incredible that Miss Downer was disappointed that so much from Basho's time had disappeared. I'm surprised that she found as much evidence of his travels as she did in the 1980's.

Still, the book is engaging, interesting, well written and different. It certainly should be included if, like me, you are interested in reading anything written by westerners who have lived in Japan.

Lesley Downer retraces Matsuo Basho's famed 17th century journey to unknown northern Japan documented in his book "On the Narrow Road to the Deep North." Ms. Downer rediscovers a "lost" Japan. The journey and the writing are well worth the effort.