Customer Reviews

The Secrets of Mariko: A Year in the Life of a Japanese Woman and Her Family

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The best books about other cultures are those that start at the bottom and work up. In this book Elisabeth Bumiller interviews a Japanese women and her family, friends and others linked to the family to give a very detailed picture of a Japanese family from 1991 to 1992. We get to join festivals, sit in at PTA meetings, visit mobsters, learn about local politics, find out what family issues the Japanese have and even the family's view on America and international events.
NOTE: The author has very strong views of her own and will state them, but don't let that get in the way of the rest of the book. She digs up a LOT of information and makes it clear that while the Japanese might have different ways of thinking or doing stuff, they do have some of the same goals, dreams and fears.

This book takes a personal look at Mariko, who is a wife, mother, and daughter in modern-day Japan. This book cuts through typical Japan-bashing rhetoric, and provides an intimate look at Japanese family life during a time when familial roles are being challenged and re-defined almost daily. This behind-the-scenes view of family life is one that few non-Japanese get to experience. I particularly enjoyed how the book illustrated the rhythm of Mariko's daily life over a year's time. The book shows how Japanese women have much more freedom of expression and independence than men which is quite contrary to what most westerners believe.

This book provides glimpses of the lifestyle of an average Japanese housewife. Written by a journalist rather than an anthropologist, the author explores the life and important events of Mariko over the course of a year. Through the author's interviews, we learn the history of the family and the views of Mariko, her husband and children on such topics as family life, parenting, and work. As a journalist, Bumiller is quite interested in Japanese opinions and attitudes about current events, so Mariko and her family explain some of their complex feelings about the U.S. We visit the children's schools and work places, and see where they go on vacation. Along the way, Bumiller also interviews prominent Japanese who are in some way connected to aspects of Mariko's life, such as politicians, the head of the mob, and a talk show host. By the end of the book, readers are familiar with many details of average Japanese family life, something that would be unattainable unless one were to either grow up in Japan or live for long enough in Japan to develop close friendships with locals. But even Bumiller points out that she has only scratched the surface, and there is much about Mariko's life that we can never comprehend just by reading a book.

After having lived in Japan for almost twenty years it was a pleasure to read The Secrets of Mariko. Most books portray the Japanese with an overdose of stereotypes and generalizations so people who are not familiar with Japan can get innacurate ideas. By interviewing Mariko and her family and acquaintances in depth, the author of this book managed to come up with a fairly accurate portrayal of modern Japanese life. �@�@Even though the interviews took place in the early 1990's�@and Japan has changed since then, a reader can get a pretty good idea of what life is like for many Japanese families today. Mariko's family situation is, of course their own and is unique in many ways. The family's attitudes and ideas, however are not unique. If a reader wants to get a good understanding on modern Japanese life this is an excellent book to read. �@

True, this book is written from a Western perspective, but as most of the readers are coming from that same perspective, this did not bother me. This book examines the life of Mariko and her
family and gets beyond the surface to examine work, love, gender roles, growing up, school, traditions, and more in modern-day Japan. It is fascinating and will make you want to know more about Japan and Japanese culture.

Like many African American women, I haven't had many intimate contact with women of Asian ancestry so I was really excited about this book when I found it at the local college library. The author does a fantastic job of observation into the life of a "typical" Japanese housewife. The book gave me a deeper understanding of one aspect of Asian culture that I couldn't have learned otherwise. At times, the reading lags a bit because of its ordinary-ness but at the same time it is the ordinary day to day struggles that Mariko encounters that makes the work so engaging. I recommend it highly to anyone that is willing to spend a day reflecting on something other than themself.

I have just finished this book, and found it thoroughly enjoyable in a sober sense. Each chapter gave me something to think over; the book left me with a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and the way relationships are intertwined in that nation.
As I am studying Japanese, I may have found this book much more interesting than someone who has no particular interest in Japan. That said, if you have an open mind and interest in the culture, there's a good chance you'll love this book as much as I did.

At times, it seemed the author was a little too self-seeking. I would certainly hope she has kept in some form of contact with Mariko, and perhaps passed on some royalties from the book - given the massive amount of time Mariko and her family spent with the author (she did give Mariko's family a gift at the end, but to me that didn't seem enough).

Aside from that, the book was a real eye opener and I couldn't put it down.

Bear in mind the author spent time with Mariko between 1991-1992, so by now there will certainly be some cultural discrepencies and perhaps attitude changes.

This book isn't anything spectacular but I felt it was nice to enjoy, light reading if you're interested in Japan. There's nothing really technical about it, and the conclusion you come to is pretty typical of what you read of most Japanese literature. The author never bashes anyone or any experiences she goes through, but she does subtly make her own opinion rather clear, while examining herself, something the reader can relate to.

As much as the author's view on the complex dynamics of the Japaese appears simplistic and limited, nonetheless, her observations are keen and her articulation of her own reactions are flawless. This is not meant to be a judgemental account of the West looking at the East. Rather, it is a collection of one's own analysis and predilections of a society- an attempt at wrapping one's mind around an organic, enigmatic phenamenon. Thoughtful, genuine, true to the Asian experience that not all things can be said on the words of a page.

via mariko, a japanese woman, the author, liz bumiller, provides insight into japanese society: family and intimate relationships, economy and work, government and politics, healthcare and medicine, education, and religion.

not a bad read, if you want to know about the personal troubles of a japanese woman and how these minor troubles relate to the major social issues of japan.