As part of our continuing series of new books with the title formula of "xxx" land (hmm, no listing of that tile yet, maybe one of the upcoming porn memoirs could use that title just as long as if you do, you send me a copy so I can add it to my review of "land" books,) we look at Karin Muller's Japanland (oddly enough Rodale wasn't listing this on their site so the link is to Amazon where as of today there is a Pub Weekly review and that's about it.) Japan really isn't all that foreign these days, is it? With the internet, gaming culture, Pocky, Studio Ghibli, Gwen Stefani, and the Karate Kid aren't we more aware of the culture than ever before? I guess I don't get the fascination with the country. Don't get me wrong, given the chance I would go back in a second but I guess I don't get the quasi-mystical atmosphere several Americans give the country. In a way it works with the popular culture coming out of Japan to give the country an overall aura of Final Fantasy in America. Japan-land of cute little characters and spiritual warriors. Okay time for a disclaimer. One of my directors picked up the galley for Japanland: A Year in the Search of Wa for me at BEA this year, as we both studied at Nanzan University through the same program, so my reading of the book is colored by similar experiences. Said director also spent most of August re-learning Japanese for a business trip this month. Talk about dedication. So what did this former gaijin think about Japanland? The first half of the book was extremely embarrassing. Yes, Japan has strange customs and the older generations still follow a very rigid class structure. And yes, Americans live a life of individualism. What really bothered me was the author's reaction to the Japanese way of life. For someone who wanted to embrace all that is Japanese (and understand Wa) she certainly struggles to stay American while with her host family. The events the author recounts while living with a host family should seem familiar to anyone who has traveled the country. I remember my first time in a Japanese supermarket with my host mother and being completely lost. But I tried to do everything as well as I could out of respect and debt (which the author acknowledges throughout the book but does very little to fill). It's impossible for any foreigner to gain the respect and trust that the author hoped for in Japanese society, especially if they want to stick to their American values. All she seems to do is lament the fact that her host family disapproves of her and ends up giving up on trying to fit in to their social structure. I know she's trying to give a real account of how she felt, but I hoped she would show a little more respect the host family that helped her out when she first went to Japan, pretty much on a whim. Most foreigners come to understand and accept a culture without becoming resentful of the people. The book turns around by the time Karin's mother arrives, after roughly one hundred pages. The writing becomes really compelling once the author returns to the travelogue form. Her adventures in the small towns with local craftspeople offer something that very few people ever really experience in Japan. As Karin's mother is a potter in America, they are given a certain amount of access to a hidden side of Japan. The memoir aspect of the book disappears by chapter 15 and we get the written equivalent of a Discovery Channel or PBS travel show. Quirky, interesting characters that appeal to American sentiments and investigative looks at traditions that define Japanese culture. We follow the author as she tries taking a pilgrimage around Shikoku island, sits through Kabuki, watches a Sumo match, and spends some time studying the Geisha. There's nothing too exciting about these adventures, but they give you a nice introduction to some of the more popular tourist activities in Japan (and I mean tourist both for the foreigner and the citizen alike), but these tales are almost quaint in their telling. This isn't Japan that we read about, but the aptly titled Japanland, much like Disneyland. It's a great book for the tourist who wants to see the place where Lost in Translation was filmed, but the book misses the heart of things and feels a little shallow. It was good to read about the outcasts in Japan. They are often ignored in most literature about Japan. There are some telling scenes of the author and other foreigner and the gay sub-culture of Japan. I almost wish that the book had spent more time focused on the author's journey with her mother through the crafts of Japan. My suggestion for anyone really interested in learning more about Japan- start reading any of the several gaijin blogs out there. They give a more accurate view of daily life in Japan.