Japan Inside Out

Rating:
Summary: Beware-This edition is getting old
Review: As a 10-year resident of Japan, I am now on my third copy of Japan Inside-Out, and although it has more information on more sites than any other travel guide I have found on the market, its current edition is 1989. This is fifteen years ago, and the information it provides is becoming less and less accurate. I strongly encourage the authors to update this invaluable resource, because in the past it has been so very helpful.

As a result of it being dated, I can only give this book three stars as opposed to the five stars I would have given it when it was new.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Lonely Planet
Review: Japan Inside Out is special. The Glucks know practically everything about Japan. Japan Inside Out is comprehensive (over 1300 pages written telegram style to save space) and every page has obviously been written with tender loving care. The Glucks, who have been in Japan since 1951, truly love the country, but have been here long enough to see through the cliches and truisms that other guidebook writers fall for. Their book is truly a labour of love, and is indispensable for anyone who really wants to see more than just Kyoto and Tokyo. Japan Inside Out is the only guidebook that will help you find the Grave of Jesus Christ in Aomori, explain those funny hand positions on the Buddha statues, or tell you where you find the snake shop in Tokyo. Japan Inside Out gives you background about everything. Armed with Japan Inside Out, you won't have to wander around a temple thinking, "Gee, I bet this place might be interesting if I knew something about its history, architecture, or its religious importance." There are interesting anecdotes and stories about everywhere you might want to visit. For the budget traveller, Japan Inside Out is full of good information about cheap places to stay and eat. Although it was written in 1990, making its information about accommodation and restaurants untrustworthy, I will never travel without it again.

Rating:
Summary: "Japan Inside Out" is simply the best intro to Japan.
Review: Jay Gluck, author of the acclaimed "Zen Combat," has here provided an almost priceless service to the potential visitor to Japan. In this massive volume, Gluck salts each page with information not usually found in a travel guide: info that can actually be used! His winsome, approachable style (and that of his wife, Sumi, and son Garet) makes "Japan Inside Out" a joy to read, and there is literally no wasted space in the book. Gluck's original illustrations add much to the book's atmosphere as well. The strongest point about "Japan Inside Out" is the intimate approach to the individual's travel goals. The Gluck family's love for and exquisitely detailed knowledge of Japan gives the book a flavor of immediacy and authenticity (along with piercing wit and humor)which is glaringly absent from more recent volumes on Asian travel. Anyone planning a trip to Japan MUST read this book. Perhaps my most powerful praise for "Japan Inside Out" is that it would entertain and edify even those who never plan to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Lonely Planet
Review: Jay Gluck, author of the acclaimed "Zen Combat," has here provided an almost priceless service to the potential visitor to Japan. In this massive volume, Gluck salts each page with information not usually found in a travel guide: info that can actually be used! His winsome, approachable style (and that of his wife, Sumi, and son Garet) makes "Japan Inside Out" a joy to read, and there is literally no wasted space in the book. Gluck's original illustrations add much to the book's atmosphere as well. The strongest point about "Japan Inside Out" is the intimate approach to the individual's travel goals. The Gluck family's love for and exquisitely detailed knowledge of Japan gives the book a flavor of immediacy and authenticity (along with piercing wit and humor)which is glaringly absent from more recent volumes on Asian travel. Anyone planning a trip to Japan MUST read this book. Perhaps my most powerful praise for "Japan Inside Out" is that it would entertain and edify even those who never plan to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.

Rating:
Summary: "Japan Inside Out" is simply the best intro to Japan.
Review: Jay Gluck, author of the acclaimed "Zen Combat," has here provided an almost priceless service to the potential visitor to Japan. In this massive volume, Gluck salts each page with information not usually found in a travel guide: info that can actually be used! His winsome, approachable style (and that of his wife, Sumi, and son Garet) makes "Japan Inside Out" a joy to read, and there is literally no wasted space in the book. Gluck's original illustrations add much to the book's atmosphere as well. The strongest point about "Japan Inside Out" is the intimate approach to the individual's travel goals. The Gluck family's love for and exquisitely detailed knowledge of Japan gives the book a flavor of immediacy and authenticity (along with piercing wit and humor)which is glaringly absent from more recent volumes on Asian travel. Anyone planning a trip to Japan MUST read this book. Perhaps my most powerful praise for "Japan Inside Out" is that it would entertain and edify even those who never plan to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.

Rating:
Summary: THE Definitive Guide to Discovering the Heart of Japan
Review: This book was invaluable in planning both of my trips to Japan. Wonderful reading on it's own, it is without peer in planning a trip which includes the hidden magical places that are the essence of the old and new Japan. Before and during the trips the breadth and depth of the information increased my understanding and appreciation of this fascinating culture a thousand fold. Additionally, the practical information, cultural customs, day to day "how to" suggestions, made the whole process of traveling richer and easier. I would never want to travel without it!