One of the Top Three books mentioned by Tina deBellegarde in the Books on Asia Podcast No. 12
What would it be like to move to Japan, leaving everyone you know behind, to become part of a traditional Japanese household? At Home in Japan tells an extraordinary story of a foreign woman who goes through a fantastic transformation, as she makes a move from a suburban lifestyle in California to a new life, living in Japan. She dedicates 30 years of her life to being a housewife, custodian and chatelaine of a 350-year-old farmhouse in rural Japan.
This book traces a circular path from were Rebecca began, to living under Japanese customs–from the essential day to day details of life in the house and village, through relationships with family, neighbors and the natural and supernatural entities with which the family shares the home. Rebecca Otowa then focuses on her inner life, touching on some of the pivotal memories of her time in Japan, the lessons in perception that Japan has taught her and how she has been changed by living in Japan.
An insightful and compelling read, At Home in Japan is a beautifully written and illustrated reminiscence of a once pure life made extraordinary.