Travelers' Tales Japan True Stories

by George, Donald W.; Carlson, Amy Greimann

• ISBN13: 9781932361254
• ISBN10: 1932361251
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-07-26
• Publisher: Travelers' Tales

Summary

What is it about Japan that so beguiles foreigners? It is a small country and yet an economic powerhouse, a land of great natural beauty — from green-cloaked mountains to glistening rice paddies — a place of intricate arts and crafts and amazing cuisine, and home to a people whose kindness and sensitivity surprise westerners at each turn. It is no wonder that Japan simultaneously astonishes, delights, and frustrates travelers, and the diverse tales in this book reveal the nation in all its contradictions: a place of tranquil temples and high-tech toilets, exquisite ancient inns and lurid love hotels, where electric baths sit beside indoor ski slopes, and cherry blossoms fall on kindly grandmothers, cynical salarymen, wise monks, and wild lovers alike. Gathered in this collection are pieces by several notable authors, each offering anecdotes that tell of encounters to be had or avoided, each with uncommon insight to enrich the traveler's experience.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xv
Donald W. George
Amy Greimann Carlson
Map	xviii
Part One Essence of Japan
Taiko Drumming	3	(6)
Alan Booth
The Magic of Miyajima	9	(13)
Donald Richie
I Feel Coke	22	(5)
Pico Iyer
When the Heart Becomes Quiet	27	(11)
John David Morley
Smo	38	(7)
Brad Newsham
Somebody Stab Him Again	45	(5)
Dave Barry
The Essence of Japan	50	(7)
Donald Richie
When the Cherries Bloom	57	(5)
Donald W. George
Into the Denki Furo	62	(5)
Jeff Greenwald
P's And Q's and Envelope Blues	67	(11)
Bruce S. Feiler
Illiteracy and the Attacking Toilet	78	(5)
Kevin O'Connor
Tea with an Old Friend	83	(6)
Linda Butler
Back to Izumo, Back to Springtime	89	(10)
Greg Dvorak
Part Two Some Things to Do
The Great Tokyo Fish Market	99	(11)
T. R. Reid
Department Store Panic	110	(5)
Jim Leff
Bilingual Laughter	115	(4)
Cathy N. Davidson
The Indoor Slopes of Tokyo	119	(5)
Jonathan Alter
Transcendence	124	(17)
Susan Orlean
Sandbath Resurrection	141	(6)
James D. Houston
Of Gomi and Gaijin	147	(4)
Steve Bailey
Osaka: Bumpers and Runners	151	(9)
Alex Kerr
Ryoanji Reflections	160	(4)
Donald W. George
The Arithmetic of Beauty	164	(5)
Katherine Ashenburg
Rain Droppings	169	(8)
Brad Newsham
An Alchemy of Absences	177	(6)
Pico Iyer
Monster in a Ryokan	183	(8)
Mary Roach
Part Three Going Your Own Way
Unforgettable	191	(9)
James D. Houston
Land of Wonder, Land of Kindness	200	(8)
Ray Bartlett
The Tangerine Buddha	208	(10)
Michael Fessler
Grief	218	(18)
Cathy N. Davidson
Dance Through the Wall of the Body	236	(9)
David Mura
In Search of Beauty	245	(9)
Alex Kerr
Capsule Cure	254	(9)
Steven Wardell
A Yen for Cleaning	263	(8)
Louise Rafkin
Love Boat, Japanese-Style	271	(6)
Cleo Paskal
A Queer Night in Tokyo	277	(6)
Marianne Dresser
Red Lights and Green Tea	283	(11)
Bruce S. Feiler
Rice Harvest	294	(10)
Leila Philip
Last Train to Takatsuki	304	(27)
Michael Ward
Part Four In the Shadows
The Wa of Baseball	331	(8)
Robert Whiting
Whose Hand is This?	339	(4)
Amy Greimann Carlson
Every Yen's Worth	343	(10)
Clayton Naff
A Thousand Cranes, A Thousand Suns	353	(7)
Alan Booth
Why I Burned the Flag	360	(4)
Cleo Paskal
Raw Horsemeat	364	(5)
Alan Booth
Part Five The Last Word
Reflections	369	(4)
Lafcadio Hearn
The Next Step
What You Need to Know	373	(6)
Weather, permits, health, the works
Cultural Considerations	379	(4)
Local customs
Events & holidays
Important Contacts	383	(2)
Embassies & tourist offices
Activities	385	(2)
Fifteen fun things to do
National parks
Additional Resources	387	(2)
Japan online
Giving back
Recommended Reading	389	(4)
Glossary	393	(8)
Index	401	(2)
Index of Contributors	403	(2)
Acknowledgments	405