Culture Shock! Japan is an easily readable guide to some basic Japanese etiquette and customs. Some of this information was interesting and specific enough to be useful (especially business etiquette), whereas other sections were more generalised in not-so-interesting ways.

My biggest disappointment was the section on minority sub-cultures, which I expected to be colourful and entertaining, if not particularly practical, but which turned out to be a list of general regional prejudices (people in area A are thought to be even more hard-working than the average Japanese person; people in area B are considered to be more snobby than the average Japanese person; people in area C are considered to be more yuppie etc. etc.). ( )

I was immediately thrown off by the less-than-clear image on the cover, and flipping through I saw that all the pictures were in black-and-white. I almost put the book back of the shelf, thinking that it must have been written in the 60s or 70s and that a good deal of the information would have changed and be out-of-date. Don't let the lousy graphic quality throw you off, though; this book was only published in 2005.

Much like the last book I reviewed about Japan, this is not a travel guide. Unlike the last book, it isn't really a memoir, either. The author drew upon his own experiences of living in Japan and told some amusing anecdotes, yes, but this wasn't a book about him.

Unlike travel guides, which do a good job of teaching you how to properly order sushi or how to hail a cab, this book prepares a person for living in Japan, not merely visiting. It covers things that travel guides won't, such as how to pay your bills, or how to get by at the office. As such, I learned a remarkable amount about daily life in Japan, from a westerner's perspective, that travel guides and memoirs often don't speak of. Travel guides assume you won't be there long enough, and memoirs assume that some tidbits would be too boring for the reader.

Thankfully, I'm the kind of anthro-nut who appreciates all the scraps of information I can gather.

I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone. It doesn't have enough information in it to appeal to a very wide audience. But for those who are curious about day-to-day tasks in Japan, or for those who are planning to move there for work, I definitely recommend this one. It may not be a definite resource, but it's certainly a big help, and will teach you things you probably never even thought to ask about. ( )

A light-hearted but in depth look at Japanese customs and culture, very readable with plenty of tips to help you fit in. ( )