A Great Book!!

[Liz21]

I have started reading Hokkaido HIghway Blues by Will Ferguson. This guy (a Canadian) hitchiked from the southern most tip of Japan all the way to the north point of Hokkaido. Not only does it give insights into Japanese culture and society, it is HILARIOUS!!

Has anyone else read this one?

[Bucko]

I've read it, it's really entertaining. It's basically a collection of funny, interesting stories, however that's also its downfall - there's no real ending - however it is a travel log so you shouldn't really expect a gripping ending!

I watched a fantastic amateur documentary a few months back about a guy who walks from the bottom to the top of Japan. It's called 'Kintaro Walks Japan' and is about an American guy who walks from the bottom to the top of Japan in search of his father's place of birth, with only a small sketch to help him. Although it's highly entertaining, in my opinion it's actually a little too positive, and doesn't really highlight the true Japanese culture. 'Hokkaido Highway Blues' does a better job of that. 'Kintaro Walks Japan' is available free on Google Video, the this link:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... &q=kintaro

Actually, I'm thinking about doing my own hitchhiking adventure through Japan when summer ends (or when my Japanese gets better which probably won't be for another year!). Probably won't make a documentary or book or anything from it, but I'm hoping it'll make a good ending to my life in Japan.

[Liz21]

I'm just testing this reply...

[Belton]

I read this about a year ago.

I liked it to begin with and found it funny but as it went on it got darker and I ended up disliking the author.
I can understand the sense of alienation and dislike you might get for a culture after a while but he ended up being quite mean to people who were helping him and deliberately taking advantage of Japanese peoples hospitality or helpfulness. It left me a bit depressed all in all.

A different real life account I read recently was The Blue Eyed Salaryman by Niall Murtagh. An Irishman joins Mitsubushi by the regular Japanese route. Very Interesting. You can see the areas of Japanese culture he has problems with but he keeps a sense of affection and humour towards it all. It kind of confirms for me that I'd NEVER fit in to Japanese corporate culture.

Another eye-opener is Amelie Nothum's Fear and Trembling. A semi-authobiographical account of a Belgian woman born in Japan trying to pursue her adopted cultural identity as an OL
which is also a fairly good film Stupeurs et Tremblements

And while I think of it Peter Carey's Wrong About Japan also grated on me where again he was very mean and rude to a young Japanese who was only trying to be friendly.

I wonder what it is about Western writers take on Japan sometimes.

[LBRapid]

thanks for the links to the video and the book

I'll be sure to check them out

[jdniii]

Thank You! I really enjoyed that the Kintaro movie, so funny. I would love to do that!