Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei [Paperback]

David Mura (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1992

A journal of discovery by a poet and third-generation Japanese-American who explores the sense of difference that haunts him both at home and in Japan.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An American poet of Japanese descent, Mura lived in Tokyo for a year with his wife; his account is lengthy and sometimes awkward, but always interesting.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

A journal of discovery by a poet and third-generation Japanese-American who explores the sense of difference that haunts him both at home and in Japan.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (May 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385423446
• ISBN-13: 978-0385423441
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,700,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Resonates with the memories of this sansei, February 19, 2002

By 

Glen Hoshizaki (California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei (Paperback)

I can't comment with any authority on this book regarding its literary merit. However, I can say that, having lived life as a sansei just as David Mura has, I found this book a compelling read -- a book whose feeling and emotion was/is quite consistent with mine. This is so even though for the most part we seem to have lived very different kinds of lives. Our principal commonality appears to be that a stay in Japan during young adulthood played a pivotal role in helping us learn something about ourselves. Trivial and obvious? Perhaps. Anti-white and/or anti-American (as has been stated by other readers here)? I don't think so.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Written in 1991, very dated now, October 15, 2007

By 

robbieandrose (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei (Paperback)

I agree with the reviewers who found the book repetitive, a little boring and more about his family than Japanese culture. While he attempts to provide many insights I fear that most of them are dated now 16 years later. Also the author makes such a big deal about seeing the hometown of his grandfather and when he finally gets there after 300 pages there is absolutely no payoff.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars important subject, yet so boring, June 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei (Paperback)

I was drawn to this book because I'm interested in the issue of cultural identity of immigrants and their descendants. The subject of the book is an important one and I admired the author's brutal honesty. However, it has to be said that this just isn't a book that compels you to keep reading (not for me, anyway). We read about countless, mostly banale conversations in bars, and the book's 'revelatory insights' are underwhelming to say the least. There are a few interesting nuggets but they are few and far between. I'm not quite sure why I waded through the whole thing.