A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony Author: Hector Garcia | Language: English | ISBN:
B008BSJEGO | Format: PDF
A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony Description
For every fan of manga, anime, J-pop, or Zen, A Geek in Japan is a hip, smart and concise guide to the land that is their source. Comprehensive and well informed, it covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by sidebars and numerous photographs, providing a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan. Designed to appeal to the generations of Westerners who grew up on Pokemon, manga and video games, A Geek in Japan reinvents the culture guide for readers in the Internet age.
Spotlighting the originality and creativity of the Japanese, debunking myths about them, and answering nagging questions like why they're so fond of robots, author Hector Garcia has created the perfect book for the growing ranks of Japanophiles in this inspired, insightful and highly informative guide.
- File Size: 15999 KB
- Print Length: 160 pages
- Publisher: Tuttle Publishing; Paperback with Flaps edition (April 16, 2012)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
- Language: English
- ASIN: B008BSJEGO
- Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray:
- Lending: Not Enabled
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,029 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #24
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Travel > Asia > Japan - #45
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Asia > Japan - #77
in Books > Travel > Asia > Japan > General
- #24
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Travel > Asia > Japan - #45
in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Asia > Japan - #77
in Books > Travel > Asia > Japan > General
This isn't a Fodor's guide in any universe. This is a current, cultural cross section of Japan. I have read many books on Japan, and this is among my favorites. Despite not having any earth shattering new information, it is well put together and very engaging. Despite the repeated Naruto references... (Actually four I think). It is definitely geared towards a younger crowd, though not really only for teenagers. I feel like the target audience is about 16 to 36. Young folks looking to learn more about other cultures and hopefully travel there one day.
The earlier sections discuss the history of Japan briefly. It's actually fun. A brief mention is made of the shogunate and all, but the author quickly moves on to the more interesting historical aspects. We read about the four writing systems used in Japan. We also look at Ukiyo-e (simply one of my personal favorite art styles), martial arts, calligraphy, religion (Shinto is really interesting), and traditions such as the tea ceremony and de-bunking myths about Geisha.
The heart of the book discusses current culture and society in Japan, from working folks, to younger folks. The author discusses the interesting after hours 'work party' atmosphere prevalent in Japan. He also makes mention of schooling and the intense competition for entrance into prestigious high schools and universities. We also read about the intense pressure put on these school kids.
A lot of content is spent on modern pop culture in Japan. By modern, I mean post WW2. We look at the history of manga and anime. One section is dedicated to current music in Japan and mentions bands such as L'arc en Ciel and Orange Range.
The final section covers briefly some of the sights to see when visiting Japan.
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