Exploring Japanese Culture: Not Inscrutable After All

Dr. Nicos Rossides live in Japan for seven years of his life and decided to write this book about this incredible society.
The book is divided in eleven chapter, each of them focusing on a different aspect of the Japanese culture and society.

“If you bought this book thinking it may be useful as a travel guide, tough luck. It is not for you.”
The best explanation of this book is given by the author himself even before the preface and it’s the phrase I just quoted. In this book you won’t find things like “go to Nara if you want to see some cute Deer walking on the street”, it is more a collection of small essays regarding Japanese culture.

At first, the book didn’t make a good impression to me as I found the preface and the first chapter a bit dull and difficult to read, due to part of the terminology and of the phrases structure are a bit complicated. After that, however, the books starts having a more rapid pace and the topics covered gets really interesting. Some times it also makes you laugh with some really funny facts.

The book talks a bit about everything related to Japan like art, lifestyle of the Japanese people, pop culture… with even pictures to help you visualize what the author is talking about.
The are fun facts and anecdotes for everybody: both for the one that started recently to getting interested into this country and also for the ones there are really fond of it. For example, I consider myself interested in Japan since more or less ten years ago, but lot of things I never heard about are described in this book, like the Divorce Ceremony.

If I have to list my favorite chapters, sure they are the following: Cool Japan, Language and Literature. The part dedicate to the “Cool Japan” is full of facts, written with a good level of detail about Japanese Pop Culture. Same for the literature part that talks about both old and new famous Japanese writers. As a self-taught Japanese student, I found really useful and interesting the notion given by the author on the language part.

I think there are certain points where thing should be have been explained and analyzed better. An example could be when the author talks about Maid Cafe specifying that there aren’t male maids, making this appear as an unilateral phenomenon; I think it could have at least mention the existence of butler cafe and the ones that are hybrid between this two typologies.
Another thing that I didn’t like is that he only hints at the problem of patriarchy in Japan and don’t analyze this aspect of their culture. I can’t say if this was avoided on purpose to not be controversial or what.

I think this book is a good way to gather up a basic knowledge of Japanese culture in various aspect of it, as the author knows what is talking about… but it can also be interesting for every Japan-lover as I think that you will find even a small notion you didn’t know.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting look into Japanese culture from the perspective of an outsider this ended up being a relatively quick read, although at times I found the writing for dry and hard to get through.

I particularly liked the chapters relating to Japanese culture changing in the face of more 'Westernised' practices seeping into the country while still remaining true to its roots. Japanese culture as a whole is such a unique and introspective lifestyle that I found it fascinating to see how it was adapted.

This probably won't be to everyone's tastes, but for the most part I thought it was well researched and told with an obvious passion and understanding of the subject matter

Many things were already known to me, but some others, like the different way of talking and the Japanese world of Business were super interesting. This is a book to recommend to every person who is interested in Japan and Japanese people.

Molte cose erano piuttosto risapute e le conoscevo, ma altre come le varie distinzioni degli onorifici nel linguaggio e il modo di comportarsi dei Giapponesi nelle aziende, sono state molto interessanti. Questo é un libro da consigliare a chiunque abbia un minimo di interesse nel Giappone e nei giapponesi.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

“a department store of cultural and social practices in the Land of Wa”

This wonderful book explores Japanese culture through various themes which allows us to gain an understanding of Japanese beliefs, values, behaviour, perspectives and history. Author Nicos Rossides has extensive in-country experience working in academia and business before marrying into a Japanese family.

Expected topics such as flower arranging, sumo and interior design are covered with fresh insights, but overall the text describes “what it takes to successfully navigate life among people who have been brought up with distinctly different frames of reference.” This ability to examine as both an outsider and an insider is a useful skill to anyone who has moved from one location, culture or class to another and Nicos Rossides describes this process with clarity and wit.

This is not a travel memoir based on a year of backpacking around the country. The front of the book says “If you bought this book thinking it may be useful as a travel guide, tough luck!” However, this book is an excellent guide and starting point for serious study of Japanese culture. The ‘department store’ of cultural analysis covers aesthetics, cultural exports, literature, language and social issues. I personally enjoyed learning about hinkaku (品格) in sumo, which describes a certain type of dignity, grace and quality.

Helpfully, it includes chapters on business, government and legal systems. If you are looking to improve your Japanese by reading the newspaper or watching NHK, having an understanding of these systems is quite useful for comprehending current events.

This book does not dissect every aspect of Japanese culture, but Rossides draws from a wide breadth of sources that lighten up what could have been an overly serious piece of work. For example, in the chapter on workplace attitudes and behaviours, office etiquette, keiretsu (interlocking business relationships) and continuous improvement, he references both the Netflix series Atelier and the Corporate Governance and Managerial Reform in Japan from Oxford University Press. This provides a frame of reference for those who may have no intention of working with or for a Japanese company, but would like to understand those who do. Although the concepts and situations are well described, you will finish this book with a long list of other articles and books recommended throughout this book. Much of the research provided draws upon the social sciences, but Rossides isn’t above a personal anecdote or a bit of pop culture.

Social dynamics are discussed with the quiet understanding that the reader wishes to understand Japan in hopes of being liked, of being accepted and making friends. While it acknowledges Japan’s risk aversion and what that means in terms of social comfort zones, he also draws on Dunbar’s number for a discussion on which social intimacy values are universal and which are shaped by culture and the individual.

“What is friendship if it is not (at least partly) the cumulation of shared stories and experiences – even embarrassing ones.”

In this way, the book allows us to not just examine the social structures of Japan, but to also reflect on the structures in our own lives. He wisely recognises that the act of a foreigner moving to Japan also removes them from their own social structure, loosening the ties to people ‘back home’ who aren’t very closes friends or family. Again, this forces us to think about how the expat experience shapes how and why we form new friendships abroad. This book is as much about self-reflection as it is about studying Japanese culture. Aside from the extensive references to social science research, the author provides lists of recommended books. Other examples of art and experiences are sprinkled throughout the chapters.

Exploring Japanese Culture is refreshing in that it consistently makes a reference to an aspect of Japanese culture, and then seeks to find a similar example in another culture. The author constantly self-examines his research and the field of Japanese studies to ask whether this is distinctive or truly unique, or perhaps unique in the way it is expressed. For example, the Japanese may have a wider range of words related to the types of love, but that is not to say those feelings or categories of love are not experienced elsewhere. This approach again provides a frame of reference to a reader unfamiliar with these aspects of Japanese culture.

It also avoids one of the major off-putting issues found in other books and articles about Japan. The Japanese people are described as a people, not unknowable creatures like Tolkien’s elves on some other mystical plane of existence. Social issues are addressed with understanding, compassion and sympathy, rather than yet another “Weird Japan” take. Cross-cultural references include drawing parallels between karoshi (death by overwork) and the opioid crisis in the United States. In describing restraint, he compares Japanese viewpoints on self-indulgence to the Protestant work ethic and the above mentioned different categories of ‘love’ in Japan to similar categories in Greek. An in-depth look at the relationships between masters and apprentices reveals how these relationships affect Japanese arts, business relationships and employment. This process is compared to the artistic workshops found in Renaissance Italy. Rossides recognises that Japanese culture is distinctive, but attempts to present these ideas and concepts in a way that is accessible and humanising.

Perhaps it’s too early, or the author is too ensconced in academia and big business, but it would have been good to see a bit more about entrepreneurship in Japan. It’s mentioned briefly near the end of the book, in a section on how the Japanese seem to have little interest in amassing wealth, despite having a taste for good food and luxury goods. I believe more and more young people are turning toward entrepreneurship. More rural areas are offering incentives to bring in tech workers from the city, and many young women are finding that entrepreneurship is the only option when childcare waiting lists are years long. However, this developing trend may be too recent to be included in this text.

I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cross-cultural research, the social sciences and of course, Japanese culture. I believe this book covers such a wide range of topics that there will be something of interest to you, even if you are already familiar with terms such as karoshi or hikikomori. A few references to relatively recent events, such as Brexit, the election of President Trump, Harvey Weinstein and the saga of Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn might prematurely date this excellent book, but overall it is an excellent read.

This book was provided by the publisher for review.

Very informative! But also a great Read that had very engaging writing. Good reading for a world traveler or an arm chair traveler!

Japanese culture has always been fascinating, after taking a class on the history of China and Japan I've become even more enamoured with discovering more about the culture. I enjoyed the fact that Rossides was a foreigner who had engrained himself in the culture; he was able to explain it in a way I could understand. Rossides covers a wide range of topics from work to fashion. "Exploring Japanese Culture" really covers a little bit of everything. The chapters are short and compact which I appreciated; they aren't connected together in any way which I also enjoyed, it did not need to be one cohesive narrative throughout. It made the book easier to pick up, put down and come back to. Rossides does not hold back but dives right in, and it can be tad overwhelming. The phrases Rossides uses can be a bit confusing, but once you dive into its easy to take into stride. I learned a few new interesting facts about Japan and its culture that I had not known before, overall it's a great book for someone who is ignorant about Japan to read to become knowledgeable about the subject.

I went into "Exploring Japanese Culture" hoping for fresh insights in said culture that I wouldn't have read someplace else already. What I got was a detailed view of all aspects regarding daily life, literature, the legal system and communication. The author lived in Japan for 7 years and therefore is a very reliable source for all the nuances that Japanese culture confronts us with. As a learner of the Japanese language, planning my own trip in my head, and loving Japanese literature (in translation), this book was very helpful. Now, the Japanese culture is a bit less of a mystery for me! In contrast to other reviews I've read, I quite liked the personal touch in this book, otherwise it would have been very dry and boring to read.

In conclusion I would recommend "Exploring Japanese Culture" for everyone with an interest in Japan and its culture, as it's a detailed yet personal analysis of day-to-day life in this (for me) exotic and mysterious country.

Having lived in Japan for over 13 years, I come at this review fairly critically. I'd say that it provides a good general overview of Japanese culture as the author explains various terms, some anecdotally which is where he is at his most interesting. Much of what is included in this book could be found by perusing articles in the Japan Times. I almost wonder if the book wouldn't have been better formatted as a glossary since the bulk of the writing does seem to be inspired by the terms he introduces.
There is also the question of who this book is aimed at. As he immediately states, it is not for the average tourist. It provides more of an in depth look at the culture and when you consider that, I think that students of the Japanese language will be drawn to this book. If that is the case, one wishes that the terms were also presented in the Japanese language itself, or that a glossary of the terms written in Japanese was appended.
This is a fairly good modern take on Japanese culture, quite readable, and an adequate addition to what is already out there.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to review this book.

"Exploring Japanese Culture: Not Inscrutable After All" by Nicos Rossides provides an informative overview of various aspects of Japanese culture. The book offers valuable insights into the traditions, customs, and societal norms of Japan. Rossides presents the information in a straightforward and accessible manner, making it suitable for readers seeking a basic understanding of Japanese culture. While not overly detailed, the book serves as a good starting point for those interested in exploring this rich and diverse cultural landscape.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.