This is the a short list of books which attempt to deal with the enigma which is Japan. 1. The Asian Saga – James Clavell (Fiction) Shogun Taipan Gaijin Noble House King Rat Whirl Wind What can I say about Clavell’s work? Each time I pick up one of his books my girlfriend shrieks with [...]
Well, its been another rough month out here on the edge of civilisation. Aside from the normal day to day lunacy of Tokyo, I managed to squeeze a short trip in to Nagasaki. Nagasaki is a great city with a real cosmopolitan feel to it. For example, I bet not many people know that Dutch [...]
You know what I really hate? I am not talking about the mild contempt I hold for Amsterdam’s Schipol airport (has anyone ever met anymore who took a flight from there which left on time?), or the growing dislike I am nurturing for people who wear socks with sandals, but an all consuming passionate hate [...]
The Spiritual Tourist Sometimes, especially after another hectic week hanging around airports, when the meetings blend into one long procession of smiling suits and bowing figures, I just have to escape. Tokyo is a fantastic, throbbing place to live. It’s hard not to be swept up with the infectious enthusiasm for life as I dart [...]
My life had come full circle. In a few days I would be leaving Japan for a job on the other side of the world. I had come to Hiroshima on one last whirlwind trip of Japan. My life in Japan began with a trip to this city and it seemed fitting it should end [...]
Praise be !!! There is, after all, a god. Let joyful shouts ring round the Yamamote line, let thankful foreigners prostrate themselves at the powers that be – Diet Coke is now available in Japan. Of course, Diet Coke has always been available in Japan, just not in descent size cans. Some stores sold a [...]
It was cold, very cold. Small flurries of snow were whipping around me, my teeth began to chatter ominously. I was standing on a deserted street in Sapporo late one winter night. “Welcome to Sapporo, one of Japan’s most pleasant and lively cities!” exclaimed my frozen tourist information map. I had left a relatively warm [...]
Standing amongst the delicately scented flower gardens of Kamakura, and soaking up the deep sense of history which seems to seep from every crevice of the numerous temples and shrines, it is almost impossible to believe that you are only a short hop from the bustling Tokyo metropolitan centre. A sense of peace and tranquillity [...]
Perched on the edge of Kyushu I closed my eyes, and apart form the salty tang to the air, could almost believe that I was back in Holland. It may come as some surprise that Holland and Japan have always had strong links since the first Dutch ships arrived nearly 400 years ago. Considering they [...]
