Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan (Paperback)

by Lisa Katayama (Author), Joel Holland (Illustrator) "Every family has its own version of what to do when the kids catch a cold, and these methods whether scientifically proven or notare passed..." (more)
Key Phrases: The Japanese

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Japan has a way of thinking that is just . . . different. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Tokyo-born journalist Lisa Katayama's collection of urawaza (a Japanese word for secret lifestyle tricks and techniques). Want to turbocharge your sled? Spray the bottom with nonstick cooking spray. Can't find someone to water your plants while you're away? Place the plant on a water-soaked diaper, so it slowly absorbs water over time. The subject of popular TV shows and numerous books in Japan, these unusually clever solutions to everyday problems have never before been published in English until now! Urawaza collects more than 100 once-secret tricks, offering step-by-step directions and explanations in an eye-catching package as unconventional as its contents.

About the Author
Lisa Katayama has written for Wired, Giant Robot, and Glamour, and is an editor at Planet magazine. She lives in San Francisco.

Joel Holland's illustrations have appeared in Holiday Hero as well as in Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and the New York Times. He lives in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811862151
• ISBN-13: 978-0811862158
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,551 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ancient Japanese secret, huh?, July 11, 2008

By	Zack Davisson "All Good Things" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Everyone knows how to cure the hic-ups, or to get wine stains out of white clothing right? There are all sorts of little household tricks and tips handed down via word of mouth, or from a helpful friend or parent in a time of need. The Japanese term for these is "urawaza", a word with a sly feel to it meaning a little secret that only you know about, something you discovered about a product that the producers didn't intend for you to know. Its main use is with videogames, referring to cheat codes left in by programmers who never intended them to become public knowledge.

This book is full of urawaza's, little "cheat codes" for common household objects like potatoes and old sales receipts, things that would normally never be used for more than their intended purposes. For example, magically clearing up a stuffy nose by shoving the white root section of a scallion in your nostrils, or rubbing a little egg white on your glasses to prevent them from fogging. Each tip is accompanied by a short explanation of why the process works, showing the molecules and process involved that accompany the magic.

The strange thing is, the tips actually work. I haven't tried all of them, but the ones I have given a shot work just as advertised. You might feel a bit strange at first rubbing a cut potato across your bathroom mirrors to make them fog-free, but you can't argue with the results. Want to know how to keep your bathwater from going cold using only orange peels, or how to make your dull hair glossy? "Urawaza" has what you need.

The only disappointment with this book is the lack of any real Japanese connection, aside from the title. There are a few little asides at the start of each chapter talking about the author's personal history or a few cultural notes, but that is about it. There was a good opportunity to include some Japanese vocabulary for each entry, just a few words here and there relating to the subject, and make this a language-learner along with its helpful and fun tips. Unfortunately they didn't go that route, but if you aren't studying Japanese and just want a cool and useful little book, then that isn't really an issue.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, useful and fun tricks, April 1, 2008

By	A. Whitney (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Urawaza contains dozens of cool tricks, everyday inspirations and ways to impress your friends and family by cleverly doing things better.

I have tried several of the tips. My faves are using a piece of bread to pick up glass (pg. 70)--works like a charm! This weekend I made potato salad and used the super-cool egg-peeling technique (p. 96) and impressed my BBQ guests!

Urawaza is a fun guide that appeals to that part within us all that likes to simultaneously be clever & practical. The book also couples simple scientific explanations that help us understand more about our environment through. It will be a hit with Japanese culture fans, DIY enthusiasts, those who appreciate Everyman wisdom and especially young folks who enjoy exploring our world in new ways.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More useful than you can possibly imagine!, September 5, 2008

By	K.K. - See all my reviews

It's certainly about time we had something from Japan that goes beyond the famous "101 Useless Japanese Inventions" (funny, though). Now we have "Very useful Japanese tricks." I really like how Lisa tells us why the tricks work as well. And the vignettes for how the situations might arise are so funny!

I've had this book for several months now, and it only gets more and more useful and fun. It's improved my quality of life in so many areas -- in the margins, but it's these little things that make it so fun. The other day I spilled wine on some white clothing. No problem. I impressed my grandmother and family to no end by cleaning up their coffee and tea-stained cups and coffee-maker with orange peel and salt. My wife dropped an egg on the floor, and it was so easy to clean up the mess. In our household, "what does it say in the Urawaza book?" is now the standard first response to many situations. In the office, warmed-over coffee never tasted so good. I don't need to worry about garlic breath after lunch. And my plant is thanking Urawaza for saving its life, since it stayed home without me but didn't dry out.

I just wish I could hold more of the urawaza in my head so I'd be prepared for all sorts of contingencies on the road too. I've recommended this so many of my friends, who immediately rush to go get their own copy after I've recited some of the great tricks.

Definitely one for every household. This also makes a great gift! (I'm set for this Christmas season - I always have trouble finding something that's fun and useful)