An entertaining and thorough introduction to all things Japanese.

Much has been written about Japanese management. But this is the first book to explain the people, the life, and the culture of that fascinating nation.

'This could well be the most important appraisal of Japan and the Japanese by a Westerner in decades...a crisp and breezy survey of pretty well every facet of contemporary Japanese life.'-Publishers Weekly

'A splendid primer...tantalizing and rewarding...explains Japanese notions of courtesy and reciprocity and other subtleties, paradoxes and implications of the national character.'-Los Angeles Times

' A breezy, readable introduction to a poeple whose importance to American cannot be overestimated...Christopher conveys a wealth of information in a clear, jargon-free style.'-Newsday

'Perceptive, tactfully wirtten...Mr. Christopher has produced a readable, concise, one-volume guide to Japanese society and culture. With clarity, balance, and a healthy supply of anecdotes, he briefly touches almost every conceivable corner of Japanese life.'-Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly

Contents

Foreword
Section One The Japanese tribe
1 The oddest couple: Japan and America
2 The heart and mind of Japan
Section Two Growing up Japanese
3 All in the family
4 The education race
5 A woman's place
6 'My home'
Section Three The social animal
7 Masses and classes
8 Automatic controls
9 The Gaijin complex
Section Four Wrok and power
10 The information society
11 Machines and mandarins
12 The fruits of industry
13 Mom, pop and the robots
Section Five Looking ahead
14 A talent for survival
Bibliography
Index