In 1977, seven years after Alan Booth arrived in Japan, he decided to walk from Hokkaido to Cape Sata. This book endures as the classic travelogue of walking across Japan.
Book Description:
Traveling only along small back roads, Alan Booth traversed Japan’s entire length on foot, from Soya at the country’s northernmost tip, to Cape Sata in the extreme south, across three islands and some 2,000 miles of rural Japan. The Roads to Sata is his wry, witty, inimitable account of that prodigious trek.
Although he was a city person—he was brought up in London and spent most of his adult life in Tokyo—Booth had an extraordinary ability to capture the feel of rural Japan in his writing. Throughout his long and arduous trek, he encountered a variety of people who inhabit the Japanese countryside—from fishermen and soldiers, to bar hostesses and school teachers, to hermits, drunks, and tramps. His wonderful and often hilarious descriptions of these encounters are the highlights of these pages, painting a multifaceted picture of Japan from the perspective of an outsider, but with the knowledge of an insider.
The Roads to Sata is travel writing at its best, illuminating and disarming, poignant yet hilarious, critical but respectful. Traveling across Japan with Alan Booth, readers will enjoy the wit and insight of a uniquely perceptive guide, and more importantly, they will discover a new face of an often misunderstood nation.
Books on Asia’s Take:
This is a witty and insightful book, told from the refreshing perspective of a Brit (why do so many Americans write travelogues?! Not that there’s anything wrong with that…) providing a necessary European take on the Japanese. The Japanese can no longer blame their weaknesses on the fact that “Japan is such a small country.”
In this issue we introduce books—classic and new—on the many famous journeys through Japan documented via guidebooks and travelogues. We cover mountain hikes, old roads to Edo, ancient pilgrimage trails, an island-hopping excursion and nation-crossing peregrinations. From classic must-read travel writing such as Oliver Statler’s Japanese Pilgrimage and Donald Richie’s The Inland Sea to Japan’s most famous tale of ribaldry on the Tokaido: Ikku Jippensha’s Shank’s Mare, you’re bound to find something inspiring! We’ve also included the latest guidebooks for hiking the Japanese Alps and the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage, as well as a travelogue on the Kiso Road, essential reading for those planning to conquer those routes (whether on foot or from the arm chair). This issue’s “New Writing” (located at the bottom of the page) features an excerpt from Edward Levinson’s book: Whisper of the Land, a new short story by Renae Lucas-Hall, and Eve Kushner’s article demystifying the kanji used for visiting holy places.
(Previously published as The Briefcase, Counterpoint, 2012)
Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Asian Literary Prize, Strange Weather in Tokyo is a story of loneliness and love that defies age.
Book Description: Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, ‘Sensei’, in a bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired and, she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as the seasons pass – from spring cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms – Tsukiko and Sensei come to develop a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love. Perfectly constructed, funny, and moving, Strange Weather in Tokyo is a tale of modern Japan and old-fashioned romance.
Now $6 on US Kindle
Books on Asia’s take:
Hiromi Kawakami writes lovingly about Tokyo and its people. Possessing a gift for understatement, she nurses the reader along with small insightful details which culminate in something large, meaningful and beautiful. This brilliant soft touch makes you want to keep reading, and reading, and reading…We’d classify this under the sub-genre of “sensei” novels, where, like Natsume Sōseki’s Kokoro, involves the gentle guidance that can only be found in the benevolent character of a sensei, or teacher.
Another Kawakami book, also translated by Allison Markin Powell is The Nakano Thrift Shop, about a used goods and antiques store in Tokyo and the every day customers who come and go, the strange procurements they bring, and the oddly normal relationships among those who work there.
Perhaps the best-known travel classic on Japan, this is haiku poet Matsuo Basho’s account wandering Japan in the 1600’s.
About the Author:
Matsuo Basho (1644-94) was the greatest of the Japanese haiku poets. The vitality and flexibility his genius gave to the strict 17-syllable form brought haiku to a level of immaculate perfection.
In later life Basho turned to Zen Buddhism and the travel sketches in this volume reflect his attempts to cast off earthly attachments and reach out to spiritual fulfillment. The sketches are written in the haibun style—a linking of verse and prose. The title piece, in particular, reveals Basho striving to discover a vision of eternity in the transient world around him and is his personal evocation of the mysteries of the universe.
Basho was born in Iga-ueno near Kyoto in 1644. He spent his youth as companion to the son of the local lord, and with him he studied the writing of seventeen-syllable verse. In 1667 he moved to Edo (now Tokyo) where he continued to write verse. He eventually became a recluse, living on the outskirts of Edo in a hut. When he traveled he relied entirely on the hospitality of temples and fellow-poets. In his writings he was strongly influenced by the Zen sect of Buddhism.
This issue of the Kyoto Journal, called “old roads, revisited” digs deep into the historical aspects of some of Japan’s ancient roads such as the Tokaido and the Yamanobe Road, as well as the famous woodblock prints of Hiroshige. Books discussed are Isabella Bird’s Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, Kaidoki (a 13th-century Buddhist monk’s tale of the Tokaido, translated by Meredith McKinney) and haiku poet Matsuo Basho’s Narrow Road to the Deep North.
A trend has developed over the past few years whenever there’s a discussion on Haruki Murakami or a review of his latest book. Murakami is a prolific writer, novelist, and translator who has written over 25 books. Millions of people have enjoyed his stories but whenever he releases a new novel the tall poppy syndrome comes into play and he tends to receive copious criticism. Since its release in 2018, Killing Commendatore has been the subject of quite a few unfavorable reviews. It didn’t help when this epic novel was banned at the Hong Kong Book Fair last year. Hongkongers must be over 18 to buy the book there and every copy has to have the cover hidden under wrapping and a warning sticker. Obviously, this 681-page multi-volume tome is getting a bad rap so it was time for me to plunge down the proverbial rabbit hole and decide for myself whether the book deserves such negative criticism.
The narrator of the story is a portrait painter who has recently split up with his wife who no longer wants to be with him. His friend Masahiko Amada offers him a place to live on a mountain near Odawara. This house is owned by his father, the famous artist Tomohiko Amada, who is now senile and living full-time in a care home. The painter is commissioned by a millionaire called Mr. Menshiki, who is living nearby, to paint his portrait but he soon discovers Menshiki has underlying motives. Menshiki wants the painter to help him get to know another neighbor who is also the painter’s student, the 13-year-old girl Mariye Akikawa. Menshiki believes she could be his daughter so he has purposefully bought his mansion on the same mountain to keep an eye on her.
Kindle US cover
As the story progresses, the narrator finds a bell in a pit behind a neighbourhood shrine. He also finds a violent painting in the attic with the title Killing Commendatore based on a scene from Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni. These discoveries open a circle of bizarre events, and several characters from the painting come to life, so the narrator must find a way to restore normality. A two-foot apparition appears first and calls himself the Commendatore, the physical manifestation of an Idea. This little fellow becomes a kind of mentor. Later in the story, another character from the painting, the bearded Long face, appears and leads the narrator down through a portal into the Land of Metaphor where the narrator must close the mysterious circle and use all his strength and courage to save himself and Mariye as well.
Keep in mind that Murakami translated The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald into Japanese in 2013. He loved the book so much he pays homage to Gatsby in Killing Commendatore, but Menshiki’s character is nowhere near as dashing and sophisticated as the Gatsby we studied in high school. Having finished the book, I can see why some people are less than enthusiastic about Killing Commendatore. If Murakami’s Menshiki more closely resembled the stylish Robert Redford who appeared as Jay Gatsby in the film version in 1974, this book would appeal to more readers.
In fact, Menshiki comes across as creepy. His obsessive-compulsive qualities, his stark white colorless hair, his strange views on life and death, the fact he uses NATO-issue military binoculars to spy on Mariye, the wardrobe in his millionaire home that is full of his ex-lover’s clothes, and the way he just wants to breathe the same air as Mariye made me feel uncomfortable as a female reader and wary of this character.
Paperback, Amazon Japan
It’s difficult to understand why Killing Commendatore was banned from the book fair in Hong Kong. The sex scenes are fairly brief and not too nasty (although one of the narrator’s sexual dreams was a bit graphic but also far-fetched so it was difficult to take it seriously). The situation between Menshiki and 13-year-old Mariye Akikawa seems very unnatural but their relationship is purely platonic. Mariye seems obsessed with her body and the onset of puberty but other authors have written far worse about this awkward stage of adolescence. The reason for the ban may have more to do with the fact the 1937 Nanjing Massacre was mentioned, an event in which at least 100,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians were murdered and/or raped by the Japanese. Or, the ban may simply have been enforced because Haruki Murakami sent a supportive message to Hong Kong’s pro-democratic protestors during a huge protest in 2014 and this was China showing their disapproval, flexing their power, and warning Murakami to stay in his lane.
Amazon Kindle
Norwegian Wood, the book that made Murakami a worldwide literary superstar, is extremely popular with twenty-something readers because of the way it deals with death and grief in such a heartwarming, nostalgic and intelligent way. Fans of this novel will be disappointed if they’re expecting the same from Killing Commendatore.
Murakami is best known for his interpretation of magical realism and his extremely popular books Kafka on the Shore and A Wild Sheep Chase are great examples. The Land of the Metaphor in Killing Commendatore provides a unique way of expressing a world that seems like a dream but isn’t a dream. The magical realism in this instance lacks the highly imaginative ingenuity I’ve come to expect from this author. Murakami might be the master of creating worlds that blur fantasy into reality but this land really failed to impress me. Critics expect more these days so he’ll have to pull out all the stops next time around, especially if he wants to win a Nobel Prize. These are the only faults I can find in the book and that’s the extent of my negative criticism.
On the other hand, there were so many wonderful reasons to love Killing Commendatore. There are plenty of Murakami-esque themes to discuss at length. The symbolism is very profound, the similes are a delight to read, and the narrator provides a terrific amount of insight into Murakami’s writing style and how he feels about his work as a creative genius.
Powerful, recurring themes and symbolically charged objects, animals and motifs really make this a typical and very wonderful Murakami creation. Nostalgia, grief and death are always in the background but issues such as morality, confinement, resolution, as well as purpose and strength of character are themes that will make Harukists—the die-hard fans of Murakami—squeal with delight. Time and the way it expands and contracts, and the fact our perceptions change over time are also subjects explored throughout the book. The focus on art and war, relationships, marriage and divorce are other issues that make this story relatable to nearly everyone who reads it.
Thoughts on Themes and Symbolism
Love and loneliness are deeply linked to nostalgia in Killing Commendatore. For the narrator it’s how he feels about his wife Yuzu, for Menshiki it’s Mariye’s mother, and for Tomohiko Amada it’s his girlfriend who was brutally executed by the Nazis.
Cover, Amazon Audiobook
I’ve always been intrigued by the food and drink Murakami includes in his books. Although his characters live in Japan, they eat a lot of Western food. Thousands of international restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets and patisseries have opened in Tokyo and other parts of Japan over the past 30 years. These days, Japanese people are eating more Western food than ever before but traditional Japanese food has and always will be very popular. The narrator in Killing Commendatore likes to cook fairly simple meals. He’s partial to a home-made ham sandwich and a tossed salad. When he stops at a road-side restaurant he opts for shrimp curry. He pre-prepares dinners so they’ll last a few days like macaroni mixed with broiled sausage and cabbage. He also thoroughly enjoyed the fine French food served at Menshiki’s home.
When Murakami writes about Western food, readers outside Japan don’t feel so alienated. His references to non-Japanese fare are also a very real reflection of how the Western influence is infiltrating Japanese culture as well as the way Japan is allowing Western lifestyles to blend into their everyday lives.
Cover, Amazon Audiobook
I love Japanese food so it was also refreshing to see the narrator enjoying some Japanese dishes. On one occasion, he visits a noodle shop in Odawara for tempura soba. At home, he prepared broiled yellowtail marinated in sake lees, deep-fried tofu, a cucumber and seaweed salad with vinegar, and miso soup. He also delighted in the sashimi Menshiki prepared at his home. This combination of food cultures allows for international appeal.
Let’s take a look at Murakami’s narrator, the portrait painter. He’s a typical Murakami character. He’s a man in his mid-thirties. Kind and respectful, he’s a mentor for young people, and committed to his artwork. Although a very giving person, he’s also a little naïve. Straight-laced, conservative, and a people-pleaser, he can be easily manipulated by others who have stronger and more persuasive personalities. Disappointed his wife wanted to break up with him but not particularly angry with her, he internalizes this pain. He also suffers from claustrophobia, a weakness integral to the plot.
As time goes by, the narrator in Tomohiko Amada’s home becomes more susceptible to the old man’s neurotic personality and his mind opens up to some strange and bizarre happenings. By this stage, the narrator’s grounded personality and seemingly normal disposition combined with his sensitive nature allow for the introduction of extraordinary and outlandish circumstances that appear perfectly plausible to the reader. Murakami goes into great detail about this narrator’s attitudes to life and his art so you start to see a correlation between the painter and the author. Could this narrator and Murakami share similar characteristics? Was Murakami asking himself the following questions as he wrote this book?
“As I gazed at my reflection I wondered, Where am I headed? Before that, though, the question was Where have I come to? Where is this place? No, before that even I needed to ask, Who the hell am I?”
“As I stared at myself in the mirror, I thought about what it would be like to paint my own portrait. Say I were to try, what sort of self would I end up painting? Would I be able to find even a shred of affection for myself? Would I be able to discover even one thing shining within me?” (pp.23-24)
Menshiki’s compliment below could just as easily be applied to Murakami’s style of writing, explaining why he’s so popular all over the world:
“There’s something about your paintings that strikes the viewer’s heart from an unexpected angle. At first they seem like ordinary, typical portraits, but if you look carefully you see something hidden inside them.” (p. 84)
Murakami has said in interviews that he writes what he wants to write. He may have written Norwegian Wood to break into the mainstream world of publishing and gain worldwide literary credibility, but his books full of magical realism seem to be written just as much for his own personal pleasure as ours. Whether you like Killing Commendatore or not, without a doubt, Murakami must have enjoyed writing it.
“What I wanted now was to paint what I wanted to paint, the way I wanted to paint it (something Menshiki wanted as well). I could think about the next step later on. I was simply following ideas that sprang up naturally inside me, with no plan or goal. Like a child, not watching his step, chasing some unusual butterfly fluttering across a field.” (p 178)
“What I’d created was, at heart, a painting I’d done for my own sake.” (p. 191)
Murakami is one of those writers who clearly wants to get under your skin. He wants you to think deeply about the book and feel really connected to its characters. The narrator has the same intentions in Killing Commendatore as a portrait painter:
“I had to find what was hidden beneath the surface. What underlay her personality—what allowed it to subsist.” (p. 407)
Some people have said this story finishes with too many loose ends but I completely disagree. I thought everything tied together beautifully at the end of the book but Murakami is well known for leaving details unsettled. In Killing Commendatore, the narrator deliberately leaves two of his artworks unfinished: the painting titled The Man with the White Subaru Forester and his portrait of Mariye Akikawa. A concrete reason is not given for either decision.
Another of Murakami’s books Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage finishes abruptly and leaves the reader with all sorts of questions at the end of the novel. This state of leaving a creative piece unfinished is typical of Murakami. He wants his readers to find their own answers to his riddles.
“Paintings are strange things: as they near the end they acquire their own will, their own viewpoint, even their own powers of speech. They tell the artist when they are done (at least that’s the way it works for me).”
“But the artist knows. He or she can hear the painting say, Hands off, I’m done. The artist has only to heed that voice.”
“So it was with The Pit in the Woods. At a certain point, it announced itself finished and refused my brush. Like a sexually satisfied woman.” (p. 475)
Western music is a common theme in Murakami’s novels. In fact, Haruki Murakami owned a jazz bar called Peter Cat (named after a beloved pet) in the 1970s in Tokyo. He worked through the night for many years here and this is where he wrote his first novel, Hear the Wind Sing. Murakami loves the rhythm and groove associated with jazz music and he has said in interviews he tries to emulate this flow and tempo in his writing. There are several references to Western music in Killing Commendatore. The narrator enjoys listening to old jazz like Thelonious Monk. He also likes classical music and mentions Mendelssohn’s Octet by I Musici and popular singers from the Seventies and Eighties like Bruce Springsteen, Roberta Flack, Sheryl Crow and Donny Hathaway.
I have my own interpretation of certain themes and symbolism in Killing Commendatore. The bell the narrator finds in the pit represents claustrophobia and confinement. The pit represents darkness. Crows appear here and there throughout the entire book to signify the passing of time. The narrator is always aware of the rain or if it has been raining. Rain becomes a symbol of reality and life. The hornets that killed Mariye’s mother represent death. Mariye’s cat is a symbol of comfort for her. Walls are physically and metaphysically present within the story and represent the shackles of our existence. This story teaches us to recognize those walls that subjugate us so we can free ourselves from them and lead more exciting and satisfying lives.
“When you’re locked up alone in a cramped, dark place, the most frightening thing isn’t death. The most terrifying thought is that I might have to live here forever. Once you think that, the terror makes it hard to breathe. The walls close in on you and the delusion grabs you that you’re going to be crushed. In order to survive, a person has to overcome that fear.” (p. 271)
The narrator must overcome his fears in order to save himself and his student Mariye. His trip to the Land of Metaphor gives him the opportunity to strengthen his mind as well as his character and realize his true direction in life.
Drawings of an owl, as well as complete and incomplete ensō circles, are on the cover and the final pages of the book. Owls represent wisdom and magic in Western culture and good fortune in Japan. In the story, an owl flies in and out of the attic and the narrator values its presence.
When you’ve finished reading the book, you’ll inevitably go back to read the first chapter so in this way you’ll have come full circle. This is a very clever technique most readers will appreciate. The ensō circle in Japan can represent universality, strength, simplicity, beauty, nothingness, or everything.
In Zen Buddhism, painting the ensō circle is a discipline to free the mind of all emotions and help you reach a form of enlightenment. Murakami may be using his craft to achieve a sense of self-realization but at the same time, he has either deliberately or inadvertently provided a self-portrait of his own literary landscape for all of us to enjoy.
From the Fatherland, With Love by Ryū Murakami (Transl. Ralph McCarthy, Charles De Wolf, Ginny Tapley Takemori)
(Pushkin Press, 2013)
Reviewed by Andrew Douglas Sokulski
From the Fatherland, With Love is an exhilarating, poetic, tearful, shocking, thrilling, and intensely realistic novel that focuses on what could occur if a force from North Korea were to invade Japan. At over 600 pages, the book provides immense detail on every aspect of both the North Korean and Japanese sides, while conveying the complexity of the associations between humanity, loyalty, individuality and community.
Ryū Murakami chooses not to portray North Korean as a heartless, vicious people, but as people who have been put through painful training and who carry severe, harsh experiences from their past.
From a simple story about a man’s relationship with a boomerang, to stories of characters who struggle with family or the staleness of society, the author detects a ray of brightness shining through each character’s individual and shared life experiences. Despite the caustic differences between major character groups, there also lie intimate similarities. Murakami does a stellar job at conveying to the reader that at the end of all discussions or disputes, greetings and partings, we are, at the most foundational level, all part of humanity.
Murakami writes with a captivating prose that clearly links each small story with another to create a magnificently beautiful entirety. From time to time, his exhilarating poetic sense not only rhymes powerful points together, but at intervals, matches one’s own heart beat. As the reader’s eyes follow the words he or she can feel the beauty and excitement: a wondrous tension of both clarity and shock.
In one stand-out scene is a Korean officer decides to pull his gun on himself rather than be captured. Murakami writes: “With a groan he reached toward his chest, looking for the button on the pocket. He found it and wrapped the thread around his index finger. He was about to pull it, when a strange image floated up in his mind. It was of the dog inside the gate at the house of the felon Maezono. A black dog with shiny fur and an elegant, slender face, its legs and body sleek and supple. Why was he thinking of it now? Such a beautiful animal. Choi pulled on the thread with all his might.”
Murakami elaborates how a small group of Koreans took over the entire city of Fukuoka with such finesse, they were deemed impossible to usurp. The Japanese government, despite working long hours and ruminating tirelessly over strategies, could not come up with a successful plan to retake the city.
Known as a writer who supports underground, under-represented aspects of society, Murakami proves again that those given the least amount of spotlight know best the strengths and weaknesses of others.
“From The Fatherland, With Love” is a lovely, intimate read that both broadens and deepens the reader’s perspective on the different classes, sectors and levels of society that divide our world. Read an excerpt!
An exclusive Books on Asia interview with Jane Lawson
Before we start our interview with Jane, I want to give a little background on my first encounter with her Tokyo Style Guide: Eat, Sleep, Shop. I was traveling in Australia with my husband and we stopped in one of those typical little Aussie country towns where cars are parked at angles to the sidewalk on the main drag and people are pushing coins into meters. We parked, fed the meter the proper coinage and wandered into the local bookstore (as you do). It was a tiny store crowded with people. I always go to the Travel shelf first, to see what they have on Japan and there were scant few books (like, three!). One was Tokyo Style Guide.
The first thing that struck me was how beautifully bound the book is. The cover is embossed, and reminds me of Japanese washi paper. The photo art was very appealing. Upon opening the book, I was taken by the quality of the paper, which while thick, didn’t contribute to the weight of the 319-page guide, designed to be light and compact enough to carry in a handbag. My first thought was: A lot of love that went into making this book!
Books on Asia: Once I opened the book and started reading, I was entranced by the writing. I even called my husband over from the other side of the bookstore and said, “Take a look at this!” Being a bit of a stickler for Japanese manners myself, it was rewarding to see your first paragraph on what to wear while visiting Japan:
“You’ll quickly notice that the Japanese are rather snappy dressers and, even at their most relaxed, almost always immaculately groomed. So, when you plan your travel wardrobe, bear that in mind in order to feel less self-conscious.”
This paragraph alone showed me how well you know Japan and that you yourself take some responsibility of being a tourist here. You’re telling your reader right away that we’re stepping into a special place, so please take note!
Jane Lawson: I’ve been living in or travelling around Japan for 35 years and, as you know, the more you know about this fascinating country – the less you know… its layers are deep. Sometimes it’s hard to pull out the basics and pare them back for sharing with first-timers but I felt there was core information required for visitors in accessing the best of Tokyo – and a big part of that is respecting cultural nuances.
BOA: How much of a part of this creative process were you? Did you have any input on the design or cover? Or is Tokyo Style Guide part of a series of such guidebooks of cities around the world?
Jane: The book is part of a ‘loose’ series but they all have their own personalities. For Tokyo I wanted to break away a little from earlier titles because what translates well for one city doesn’t necessarily work for the next and I felt Tokyo needed to be really user friendly, as a city this busy can be overwhelming. So I broke it into chapters around areas I like to focus on and designed them as structured but flexible walks. I shot the book while I was researching and plotting out the routes so they are a visual aid as well as an embellishment to the text. I worked closely with the designer to ensure the images gave readers a true ‘feeling’ for each area. The maps look simple but we worked painstakingly on them to make sure they were easy to understand.
BOA: Let’s talk about your “Suggested Walks,” which I really loved. The maps are charmingly simple and easy to understand and you offer a bit of nature and Japanese culture along the way; places for people to take a time-out after ducking in and out of myriad shops all day. You even recommended a cemetery! I love that.
Jane: I designed the walks so readers could get the most out of each area in a balanced way—spending time in a garden or visiting a gorgeous temple, admiring traditional buildings, viewing spectacular art in locations as they naturally fall along each walking route which includes fabulous shopping and excellent coffee, bar and dining options. If you’re in the middle of a walk and you don’t know where to find a toilet or stop for caffeine or a bite to eat it can ruin the flow and send you on a wild goose chase. I’ve included all the sorts of things I would if I was actually guiding the reader around for the day.
BOA: So, how did you discover Japan?
Jane: I became quickly fascinated during Japanese language and culture classes at high school and at age 15, I visited Japan for the first time with my family. I was completely smitten. Tokyo was mind-blowing even back then! After high school I started working for a Japan Airlines travel subsidiary in Sydney—Jalpak—with mainly Japanese co-workers and excellent staff travel discounts which fed my obsession!
BOA: At some point in your book, you come right out and say that this guide is not for otaku, like gamers, cosplayers and maid cafe dwellers. And I noticed there was only a little bit of kawaii, hardly any Hello Kitty.
Jane: I certainly don’t want to alienate anyone but the series is aimed at those who fancy their travel or holidays with a good dose of style, design, beautiful scenery, culture, comfort, great food, coffee, shopping and insider secrets.
BOA: Let’s just do a sampling here of these ‘insider secrets.’ A little quiz, if you like. Ready?
What part of Tokyo would you go to buy wax food models?
Jane: Kappabashi, aka ‘kitchen town,’ very close to Sensōji (or Asakusa Kannon Temple)! It’s great to explore both of them while you are in the Asakusa area.
How about vintage children’s books?
Jane: There’s a gorgeous little place in Koenji called Ehonya Rusubanbansuru Kaisha – it’s a mouthful but worth seeking out for beautifully illustrated pages with a bit of history.
How about Japanese cooking knives?
Jane: Kappabashi (has several knife specialty stores) but you can also purchase them at Japanese department stores and there’s a good shop in Tokyo Midtown that beautifully displays all kinds of stunning cutting implements for the home.
What if one should have a hankering for natural Japanese cosmetics made with green tea, konyaku starch, and yuzu?
Jane: Oh, in gorgeous Kagurazaka—the atmospheric sloping streets and cobbled laneways of this area, not far from Shinjuku, make this one of my favourite places to wander alone in Tokyo. This previous samurai entertainment quarter still boasts a couple of geisha houses and plenty of traditional stores. Makanai Kosume (cosmetics) is one of them.
BOA: You also recommend some dining precincts tourists rarely get to see, and certain department store gourmet basement dining where one can get the real deal to take back and eat in the hotel room.
Jane: Food is an important part of travel experiences as it can offer you great insight into the culture. Sure I recommend a few flash restaurants for those wanting to have a special night out, but it’s the local joints specialising in a specific dish or styles of Japanese food, where the locals eat, that can bring unexpected joy – and a way to make friends! I really wanted to make sure I included a wide range of eateries so that folks could try a bit of everything along the way and feel like they’d truly tasted Tokyo. It’s probably not obvious to readers but a lot of thought went into what landed on the pages food and drink wise. Of course some nights you just need a break from being out and about. Fortunately, Tokyo’s department store food halls or depachika are out of this world!
The choice of fresh, flavoursome and often healthy dishes is stunning and of course there’s amazingly decadent desserts, chocolate and even ice creams which are secured and surrounded with dry ice packages so they’re still in pristine condition when you get ‘home’.
BOA: When you were talking about one of the museums of Japanese arts and crafts, where to find second hand kimonos, natural dyed fabrics and even festival wear, I couldn’t help but think of Kyoto. I had no idea you could find all that in Tokyo. That said, we hope you’ll be putting out a Kyoto Style Guide…
I so appreciate your support and am keeping my fingers there will be a Kyoto Style Guide (or similar) one day!
BOA: What else do you have in store for your readers? What tours would you recommend for lovers of Tokyo Style Guide?
Jane: Well…. I’m a bit biased but if people dig my Tokyo Style Guide I think they’d really enjoy my tours. Zenbu Tours are high-end but we stay in wonderful accommodations, eat amazing food and work hard behind the scenes to ensure each tour is unique, fun, fascinating and delicious! There’s a real focus on the Japanese aesthetic: design, architecture, art, beautiful spaces, places and presentation. We spend time with local experts in everything from ceramics to textiles, from tea ceremony to markets, and zen meditation to cuisine like shojin ryori and kaiseki. Of course they’ll just have to come along to find out exactly what they are! 😉
I really hope Books on Asia readers enjoy Tokyo Style Guide —and tell them not to be shy —I love getting little reports from people who are in situ. Tokyo is a place you could keep exploring until the end of days; this book is really just a start and I hope provides encouragement for folks to keep returning!
About the Author:
Also by Jane Lawson
After many years working as a chef in Sydney, Jane Lawson moved into publishing, combining her love of travel, cooking and books. She is the author of Snowflakes and Schnapps, Spice Market, Grub, Yoshoku, A Little Taste of Japan, Cocina Nueva, Zenbu Zen and 2016’s Milkbar Memories. She is also the co-author of BBQ Food for Friends, which won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2003. Jane has been traveling around Japan for over thirty years. She runs independent tours to Japan on a regular basis, guiding her clients to the best that the country has to offer, from culture to fashion, food and lifestyle. Her particular area of interest is Japanese cuisine. Visit zenbutours.com for more information.
Author Barry Lancet chats with podcast host Amy Chavez about Lancet’s popular thriller series (Japantown, Tokyo Kill, Pacific Burn, and The Spy Across the Table) based on the exploits of Jim Brody, an antiques dealer who travels between Japan, Asia and the U.S.
When you’ve finished reading the book, you’ll inevitably go back to read the first chapter so in this way you’ll have come full circle. This is a very clever technique most readers will appreciate. The ensō circle in Japan can represent universality, strength, simplicity, beauty, nothingness, or everything.
