Lost Japan

Rating:
Summary: The Modern Day "In Praise of Shadows"
Review: I was hooked by "Lost Japan" immediately and could not put it down until I finished the last page. This book should be required reading for anyone who's lived in Japan, anyone who's interested in Japan, or even anyone who thinks all there is to Japan is samurai and geisha (or alternatively, anime and Pokemon). Lost Japan is very reminiscent of Jun'ichiro Tanizaki's "In Praise of Shadows": they are both works lamenting a disappearing Japan, and both are told in a series of seemingly unrelated essays and anecdotes. Unfortunately, as several reviewers have mentioned already, sometimes Kerr goes to the point that his stories are so self-focused that they detract from the big picture. The entire chapter on literati, for example, did not add much to the story for me at least. However, overall Kerr's style is a success.

What impressed me the most with this book is how well Kerr was able to avoid falling into the easy traps of Japan Bashing or Japan Worship. It is obvious that he loves Japan, but at the same time his vision is clear enough so that he can view Japan objectively and speak hard truths. Most likely, any reader of this book who has been to Japan for any period of time found themselves nodding along to many parts of this book that were both critical of and in praise of modern Japan. Kerr says so many things that seem so obvious, and yet they feel so novel because the Japanese themselves have not publicly admitted that there are serious, fundamental problems in contemporary society. The sad thing is that it has been about a decade since Kerr's essays were published in Japan and it is questionable whether Japan has made any real progress in that time. To that end, I look forward to reading Dogs and Demons to see how Kerr's thoughts have changed in the interim after writing Lost Japan.

I did not agree with everything Kerr had to say, but I found his arguments and ideas stimulating and fresh. I hope Japan pulls itself out of its cultural and economic recession soon, but as Kerr hints at, a mere decade is no cause for panic in a country where events are measured in centuries and millennia. Japan has suffered worse destruction in its past; here's hoping that the difficulties of the past decade will be made worth it with the rebirth of a new Japan that is able to combine features of its past with the realities of the present.

Rating:
Summary: The Modern Day "In Praise of Shadows"
Review: I was hooked by "Lost Japan" immediately and could not put it down until I finished the last page. This book should be required reading for anyone who's lived in Japan, anyone who's interested in Japan, or even anyone who thinks all there is to Japan is samurai and geisha (or alternatively, anime and Pokemon). Lost Japan is very reminiscent of Jun'ichiro Tanizaki's "In Praise of Shadows": they are both works lamenting a disappearing Japan, and both are told in a series of seemingly unrelated essays and anecdotes. Unfortunately, as several reviewers have mentioned already, sometimes Kerr goes to the point that his stories are so self-focused that they detract from the big picture. The entire chapter on literati, for example, did not add much to the story for me at least. However, overall Kerr's style is a success.

What impressed me the most with this book is how well Kerr was able to avoid falling into the easy traps of Japan Bashing or Japan Worship. It is obvious that he loves Japan, but at the same time his vision is clear enough so that he can view Japan objectively and speak hard truths. Most likely, any reader of this book who has been to Japan for any period of time found themselves nodding along to many parts of this book that were both critical of and in praise of modern Japan. Kerr says so many things that seem so obvious, and yet they feel so novel because the Japanese themselves have not publicly admitted that there are serious, fundamental problems in contemporary society. The sad thing is that it has been about a decade since Kerr's essays were published in Japan and it is questionable whether Japan has made any real progress in that time. To that end, I look forward to reading Dogs and Demons to see how Kerr's thoughts have changed in the interim after writing Lost Japan.

I did not agree with everything Kerr had to say, but I found his arguments and ideas stimulating and fresh. I hope Japan pulls itself out of its cultural and economic recession soon, but as Kerr hints at, a mere decade is no cause for panic in a country where events are measured in centuries and millennia. Japan has suffered worse destruction in its past; here's hoping that the difficulties of the past decade will be made worth it with the rebirth of a new Japan that is able to combine features of its past with the realities of the present.

Rating:
Summary: Another Lonely Planet Journeys gem
Review: I've had really good luck with several Lonely Planets Journeys published books--their editors have done a great job of finding stories by exceptional writers that would not find a voice elsewhere. Lost Japan is really the perfect title for this book as although I've never been there, I became nostalgic at the centuries old culture that Japan began losing so exponentially after WWII. He happened to be there at the right time to capture a cultural crisis and found himself in the odd position of valuing things that the "modern" Japanese were discarding. It's a brilliant observation about a foreign culture and the added interest is his own lifestyle of a bohemian sort. He would often just move into abandoned houses in villages where he did not know a soul. His story of both the remaining rural culture and a modern culture (in the 80s) that did not understand basic real estate business rules having never seen their own real estate ever devalue is fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Kerr's book captures the essence of a sadly vanished world
Review: Kerr's book is that most unusual of travel books -- a superbly written work of literature which brings to life a world which has sadly vanished. Kerr's exploration of some of the more arcane aspects of Japan -- from calligraphy to Kabuki -- provides considerable insight into the elusive heart of Japan. Particularly fascinating are Kerr's descriptions of the interplay between modern and traditional forces in Japanese culture and his expose of the destruction within Kerr's own lifetime of much of which is precious and unique in Japanese culture. Essential reading for any visitor to Japan who wishes to understand what is going on behind the facade of modern Japan.

Rating:
Summary: Unusual views of an Unusual Culture
Review: Kerr's work provided insight into Japanese culture that tremendouslsy enhanced my appreciation. Sometimes when I am on a Japanese train I remember his stories or simply consider the messages. He fascilitates wonderful views of an always fascinating society.

Rating:
Summary: A reasonable synopsis of life in present Japan
Review: Lost Japan consists of a number of well-written essays on the current situation in Japan. Although the book's major emphasis is on the arts, it includes in passing a number of accurate observations on everyday life. It is the best book I've found to date to explain to relatives and friends what it is like here.

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking and insightful
Review: Lost Japan is well written and presents a wonderful set of essays on the dilemma of old versus new. Based on my visits to Japan, I think Kerr is right on in viewing that the Japanese culture has tipped way to far in squelching the old. Kerr presents a very well thought out argument about the value and importance of cultural treasures. In contrast to some other reviewer that have been made, I disagree that Kerr is presenting an elitist view. It is simply a highly personal view, and when you present a personal view you are exposing your inside thoughts. That is a strength of the book. In essence the march of the new and antiseptic modernism over the old is a progression faced in many cultures, so the discussion applies not only to Japan, but maybe a bit more in the extreme there. A worthwhile read.

Rating:
Summary: lamenting
Review: Much has already been said about this book, and if you have arrived here, you have already heard some of it at least. Buy it. Read it.
This is a very personal book, a lament for a vanishing culture that comes from someone who obviously wishes it wouldn't; but who has obviously, and with great sadness, watched the process accelerate. Lost Japan captures and praises all the things Kerr wishes would remain, but does so while admitting that they have already begun to disappear. It is his eulogy to Japan, where he puts down in words all that was worthwhile. Also read his new book, Dogs and Demons, which works as a companion piece in that it examines Japan's present and future

Rating:
Summary: An outsider's view of a nation in transition.
Review: The book itself wasn't always meant to be a book, but rather a collection of articles which were pieced together to form the requisite chapters. Kerr, a long time resident talks at length about his experiences in a changing Japan. From the country he knew as a child to the present day, much has changed to his dismay.

The athor discusses his involvement in collecting art, restoration of a minka (Japanese rural home), the kabuki theater among others. Each chapter mirrors the title, for he mourns much of the changing face of Japan. While well written (perhaps well translated is more apt - the work was originally written in Japanese), the author is sometimes guilty of placing Japan and China into neat boxes. To paraphrase him, lovers of China are thinkers, and lovers of Japan are sensualists, he asserts.

Central to the theme of the book is the rift he describes in the post-war generation and the bearers of the old tradition (eg. the omuko in Kabuki and the scroll mounter). However, he is not so pretentious as to admit his fondness for the more flamboyant onnagata in Jukemon and Tamasaburo Bando, who, according to Bowers, deviate from tradition significantly. Thus one gets the impression that the book, while jampacked with historical fact, is a work of the heart than of the mind.

Informative, and written in an easy reading style. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A thought-provoking insight.
Review: The book's strength stems from its originality in giving readers a critical insight into the contemporary ironies of Japan's rich and vast culture. He breaks down topic by topic, components which make up the "culture", and defines it as such. The eloquent writing lends its credibility from the author's impressive academic background and personal experiences, which not only validates the issues he takes on, but adds a personal voice to the subjects. I appreciate the book for its critical but honest outlook on the country's state of culture without exoticizing this much written about subject.