Job Discussion Forums

[Mariana]

Hallo again! Sorry to be taking up so much space on the net but I have another request! Could anyone provide me with a list of reading material that would be useful to someone coming out to Japan, or at least considering coming out to Japan (ie, me!) since Lonely Planet and Rough Guide are all very well but...they don't exactly help people who are planning on doing more than just holiday there.I'd be very grateful.
Thanks in advance,
Yrs
Mariana.

[icollin]

Mariana,

I have tons of websites for you...
This one is really complete and you will find lots and lots of info on it.

http://www.japan-guide.com/
There is a drop down menu on the left side, and all the info is there.

I have some other ones...they are from my bookmark.

Have fun!

For VISA info --> http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/visa/index.html

For airline info and so on --> http://www.cjst.org/links/jpn/japantravel.html

For teaching info --> http://www.safejobsinjapan.com/

Random info on Japan --> http://www.japanreference.com/

Japan National Tourist org. --> http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/index_01.html

FAQ's --> http://japaninfo.esmartweb.com/FAQ-Primer.html

Japan info --> http://www.budgettravel.com/japan.htm

A guide to Japan --> http://www.multinova.com/orientation/abj17-e.htm

Japanese food --> http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e620.html

Another FAQ -> http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/GJ/BTG/faqhtml.html

Narita airport --> http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e/index.html

Packing for Japan --> http://gojapan.about.com/library/weekly/aa092200.htm

Getting a job in Japan --> http://www.wizweb.com/~susan/japan/

Japan Rail Pass --> http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en01.shtml


Hope this helps!!

Iannick

[Lynden]

I spent a year in Sakata, Yamagata-ken. Before going I read "Looking for the lost: Journies through a vanishing Japan", a description of the Tohoku region by Alan Booth. Because I was going to the northern part the book really prepared me for what to expect. A lot of what's out there is sentimentalist crap but this book isn't. Booth also wrote "The roads to Sata" which I only read after coming back to Canada. In it he describes his 2,000 km walk from the north to the south. I know what you mean about Lonely Planet. I like the books too but they only give you so much. I'd really recommend reading either of these two books. Anyway, if you do end up reading them tell me what you think! Gambatte!

[Glenski]

icollin presents a lot of very good websites. Some of the material is excellent. A few details are dated or slightly off, but I would recommend looking at all of the sites.

Actual books you may consider reading before you go, from my list of recommended reading, include:

Making It In Japan. Work, Life, Leisure and Beyond
by Mark Gauthier, 1993, Sanseido Co., Ltd. (256 pages), US$25.00
Gauthier is a Canadian who moved to Japan with his wife in 1990,
apparently with no job, no hotel reservations, and hardly any Japanese
speaking ability. The book is pretty comprehensive, and even though I
don't agree with everything he wrote, I think this is one of the best
books out for newcomers.

Teaching English Japan. Finding Work, Teaching, and Living in Japanby Jerry O'Sullivan, 1996, Passport Books, (227 pages), US$15.00
Half of this book is devoted to finding jobs and living in Japan. The
other half is devoted to teaching English. It's informative, but I don't
always agree with the tips he gives on how to teach. O'Sullivan is
British and taught English to Japanese in Tokyo and London for 10
years.

A Japanese Visa Handbook
by Motoko Kuroda, ICG Muse, Inc.
The title practically speaks for itself. This book tells almost everything
you'll want to know about what it takes to get a visa. It's not perfect,
but ideal for the novice.

What's What in Japanese Restaurants. A Guide to Ordering, Eating, and Enjoying
by Robb Satterwhite, Kodansha International, (178 pages), US$10
Robb maintains a web site (last known address was
http://www.bento.com/tokyofood.html). He's been in Tokyo since
1984. His site and this book are very good even for people who
think they know Japanese cuisine. Descriptions are in English, romaji,
and Japanese, so this is very useful if you want to bring it to the
restaurant.

Japan Handbook
by J.D. Bisignani, Moon Publications, Inc., (952 pages), US$22.50
Forget Lonely Planet. I think this is the best travel book on Japan.
Enough said. Well, ok, let me add that I used this to plan a 3-week trip
around Honshu and Shikoku. It never failed me. I took it along and
made use of it to find tourist attractions as well as make hotel
reservations from one day to the next, and I visited 21 cities in 23
days! Enough said now?

Systematic Japanese. A Simple, Effective Method for Self-study.
by Gene Nishi, Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., (255 pages), 2000, 2500 yen
Nishi graduated as an engineer from Waseda U, then worked as a
technical advisor and instructor in telecommunications systems for the
U.S. military before joining IBM. He has a very logical flow to his
teaching of grammar, and although the book teaches largely with
English instruction, it has lots of romaji and Japanese text.

Japanese for Everyone. A Functional Approach to Daily Communication
by Susumu Nagara, 1990, Gakken Co., Ltd., (383 pages), 2900 yen
Most grammar books are just about the same in their content.
Nagara's book starts in the same way as others, but covers a bit more
ground. I liked that because I couldn't find a suitable book as
a "second stage" text without going over my head. Be prepared for lots
of Japanese text, but this is an excellent book.

Basic Kanji Book, Volume 1 and 2
by Chieko Kano, Yuri Shimizu, Hiroko Takenaka, & Eriko Ishii; 1989, Bonjinsha Co., Ltd., (228 & 262 pages), 2400 yen and 2500 yen
I haven't found a perfect book to self-teach kanji, but these are very
good. The high school where I work uses them for exchange students
who are taught on an intensive system. Each book offers 500 kanji
with a nice semi-pictorial format to describe how each one was derived.
There are many good workbook style examples that build on each
other. By the time you reach Vol.2, you'll have to know how to read
instructions in Japanese.

101 Japanese Idioms
by Michael L. Maynard and Senko K. Maynard; Passport Books, 1995
Mixed with Japanese and English. Some of these will surprise your
Japanese learners, but let's face it. Even westerners don't know all of
their own idioms. A handy book with two nicely organized indices.

Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan
by Will Ferguson; 1998
Ferguson goes one step further than Alan Booth by hitchhiking his way
from Kyushu to Hokkaido. His experiences are just as amusing and
introspective and enlightening, but just a little more recent.

The Roads to Sata
by Alan Booth (first published in 1985)
Booth passed away in 1993, but this still seems to be a popular book
among travelers. He actually walked his way from the northern tip of
Hokkaido to Kyushu.

A Ride in the Neon Sun. A Gaijin in Japan.
by Josie Dew; 1999
Another traveler in Japan, but this time by bicycle. Dew cycled solo
from Tokyo to Okinawa and either pitched her tent or stayed in the
cheapest housing possible. I personally found this to be an irritating
account by an irritating person, but to each his own.

Being a Broad in Japan
by Caroline Pover; 3490 yen
(Sorry, I have not read this, but if you're interested, here's a snip from
the www.eltnews.com site which advertises this book.) "Being A Broad
in Japan includes everything you need to make the most out of your
life: case studies of Western women working in almost 50 different
types of jobs; anecdotes from many of the 250 Western women
interviewed; profiles of 23 women's organisations; essential Japanese
words and phrases; and indispensable resource sections listing
telephone numbers and Web sites for English-speaking housing
agencies, banks, doctors, dentists, gynaecologists, therapists, lawyers,
maternity classes, day care centres, employment agencies, labour
unions, graduate schools, and MORE. An essential book for any Western
woman living in Japan. "

[TokyoLiz]

You're an English teacher, right? Reading literature about the culture and from within it can help you understand the sensibility of both the Japanese and the gaijin visiting Japan.

Flight Paths of the Emperor, Steven Heighton

From Amazon.com - "Set mainly in the psychologically insulated communities of expatriate teachers in Osaka, Japan, these fourteen stories seek to understand issues of national or personal honour, and the problematic importance of family. Heighton also examines subtly related themes, like death, age, marriage, war and poetry, while hinting at autobiography throughout. Sophisticated, passionate and elegantly told, this collection, first published in 1992, was nominated for the 1992 Ontario Trillium Book Award and brought Steven Heighton much national acclaim."

Audrey Hepburn's Neck, Alan Brown

from Amazon.com Alan Brown's first novel is a comic tale of sexual desire and bad manners set in contemporary Tokyo. Twenty-three-year-old cartoonist Toshi is obsessed with slim American women, and his best friend, an American named Paul, is obsessed with Japanese men. Toshi begins having an affair with Jane, his English teacher, who turns out to be insane; Paul has an endless stream of Japanese boyfriends all of whom leave him. Audrey Hepburn's Neck is slyly funny and very observant. Brown is equally concerned with sex as an obsession and the erotics of cultural differences, but his comic masterstrokes are in being able to conjure up the humor in looking for sex and the sometimes tragedy in getting it. Audrey Hepburn's Neck is resonant, charming and very witty.

Kitchen, Banana Yoshimoto

Kitchen is actually two novels, one about loss and learning to appreciate people who aren't like the Jones. The other is about young people in love and taking a risk. It's very tender in its description of home life.

The Japan We Never Knew:A Journey of Discovery, David Suzuki and Keibo Oiwa

I haven't read the entire book, but I would like to! Suzuki and Oiwa examine the diversity of Japanese people - in terms of ethnicity, ideas, traditions and perceptions of the world.

[Lucy Snow]

To add to the great suggestions by other posters:

The Enigma of Japanese Power by Karel van Wolferen. Ok, this was published during the time when the US was worried that Japan was going to take over the world (1989), but van Wolferen is an old hand who really delves into how Japanese society functions.

Pink Samurai: Love, Marriage and Sex in Contemporary Japan by Nicholas Bornoff. A lot of fun, covering everything from Soaplands to "no pants" restaurants.


Speed Tribes: Days and Nights with Japan's Next Generation by Karl Tao Greenfield. More fun--Greenfield looks at everything from a young woman going to an omiai (arranged-marriage meeting) to members of a motorcycle gang. Many of the young people in this book are probably not destined to become salarymen.

The Encyclopedia of Japanese Pop Culture by Mark Schilling. Covering everything from anime to Pink Lady, it's a good overview.

Wages of Guilt by Ian Buruma. Buruma is a very perceptive writer, and in this book looks at the way WWII is remembered is both Germany and Japan.

Straightjacket Society by Masao Myamoto, M.D. Ever wonder why the Japanese bureaucracy just can't seem to solve the decade-long economic crisis? And what does it really mean when the nail that sticks up gets hammered down?

[icollin]

Hey, thanks to all of you for the books suggestions!
I wasn't asking for the info, but I am happy to see all of this!! Thank you for the great help!

[Mariana]

Wow, thanks, everybody!!! I never expected such a fantastic response! I'll definitely look into all of your suggestions. (Should keep me busy for a wee while! )
Once again, thanks a lot to everyone who responded!
Yrs
Mariana.

[Justin Matthews]

I agree. Those are good suggestions!

[blue jay]

Hi Mariana,

I found a good selection of books about Japan from this website:

Ohayo Sensei:

For travel and exploration:
http://www.ohayosensei.com/books/travel.html

For living and relating:
http://www.ohayosensei.com/books/relate.html

For teaching (employment):
http://www.ohayosensei.com/books/teach.html

These are some other topics they have for Japan:

Teaching (Materials), TOEFLTeaching/Prep Materials, Business, Traditional World, Contemporary Culture, Pop Culture, Traditional Culture, Mind and Spirit, History, Architecture, Cuisine, Japanese Literature (in translation),
Learning the Japanese Language, Gaijins In Japan, Fiction with Japanese/Asian Themes, Kids' Books, For Expats Only, and Classic and
Contemporary Videos

For travel:

I personally liked Japan: A Budget Travel Guide, Updated by Ian L. McQueen because he is very thorough in his descriptions and also gave a good background introduction about Japan. I found it useful.

For living and relating:

I personally appreciated Culture Shock: Japan because I found it helpful in addressing any issues I had with experiencing culture shock while I was living in Japan.

For Gaijin in Japan:

I personally enjoyed reading The Lady & the Monk by Pico Iyer. It's a beautifully romantic view of Kyoto's 4 seasons through the eyes of Pico Iyer. I won't say mure to give it away. Every time I miss Kyoto I read it.

For fun mysteries set in Japan:

I personally absolutely loved reading Sujata Massey's series of mysteries with the protagonist Rei Shimura. These are some of the titles: The Salaryman's Wife, Zen Attitude, The Flower Master, and The Floating Girl.

Salaryman's Wife takes place in a skiing resort, Zen Attitude in a zen temple, the Flower Master is about flower arranging and The Floating Girl is about Manga.

For non-fiction books from the perspective of a Japanese-American author:

I personally like KYOKO MORI:

The Dream of Water: A Memoir is a wonderfully written account of Mori returning to Kobe to deal with her mother's suicide and is re-aquainted with Japanese culture.

Polite Lies: On Being a Woman Caught Between Cultures looks at how Japanese women's lives and how they react according to their culture.

Anyways...those are just a sample...read as much as you can and as many books you would like to on these topics.

I found that I read a lot about Japan on all these topics before I went to Japan, while I was in Japan and after I left Japan. I still like to read books about Japan.

It's interesting to note that your impressions of Japan and your impression of the book written about Japan will depend on your point of view at that particular time. But your perspective can change.

When I first read The Lady & the Monk, I didn't like it because I was living in Osaka & I was miserable. When I read it the second time I was living in Kyoto & I loved it!

The first time I read Memoirs of Geisha I really enjoyed because I was living in Kyoto at the time. When I returned home & re-read it in Vancouver I found myself disliking parts of it!

So anyways..Enjoy your reading..

blue jay

[foster]

Also, being a woman, I would suggest "Being A Broad in Japan" by Caroline Pover. Helpful, perhaps a bit dated, but geared to helping Western women cope.

Gambatte!!

[JimDunlop2]

Wow. Great book references. That should almost be compiled into a nice, neat list and made into a sticky.

[Sweetsee]

How about if you only read one book?

[Sadken]