This Is Japan
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
From the bustling neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the serene temples of Kyoto, This is Japan offers an immersive and authoritative portrait of a nation caught between ancient tradition and breathtaking modernity. Colin Simpson, one of Australia's most celebrated travel writers and journalists, chronicles his journeys through the Japanese archipelago with a keen observer's eye, presenting a vivid tapestry of the country's people, customs, landscapes, and culture. An extended and updated work incorporating The Country Upstairs — published in Britain as Picture of Japan — this volume broadens its scope to deliver a richly layered account of both urban Japan and the quieter, rural heartland that tourists rarely encounter. Simpson's prose is journalistic in its precision yet warmly humanistic in its spirit, drawing readers into intimate encounters with everyday Japanese life while situating those moments within the sweeping arc of a nation's history and identity. His writing illuminates the profound contrasts that define Japan — the coexistence of Shinto ritual and bullet trains, of stoic reserve and explosive pop culture — with wit, depth, and genuine affection. For anyone who has ever been captivated by Japan's enigmatic allure, this account raises a tantalising question: how well can an outsider ever truly know a country that guards its soul so carefully?
Author: Colin Simpson
Format: Hardback
Published: 1975, Angus & Robertson Publishers
Genre: Travel & exploration
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
From the bustling neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the serene temples of Kyoto, This is Japan offers an immersive and authoritative portrait of a nation caught between ancient tradition and breathtaking modernity. Colin Simpson, one of Australia's most celebrated travel writers and journalists, chronicles his journeys through the Japanese archipelago with a keen observer's eye, presenting a vivid tapestry of the country's people, customs, landscapes, and culture. An extended and updated work incorporating The Country Upstairs — published in Britain as Picture of Japan — this volume broadens its scope to deliver a richly layered account of both urban Japan and the quieter, rural heartland that tourists rarely encounter. Simpson's prose is journalistic in its precision yet warmly humanistic in its spirit, drawing readers into intimate encounters with everyday Japanese life while situating those moments within the sweeping arc of a nation's history and identity. His writing illuminates the profound contrasts that define Japan — the coexistence of Shinto ritual and bullet trains, of stoic reserve and explosive pop culture — with wit, depth, and genuine affection. For anyone who has ever been captivated by Japan's enigmatic allure, this account raises a tantalising question: how well can an outsider ever truly know a country that guards its soul so carefully?