What do you think?
Rate this book
269 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
"In the West, modernisation, while drastic, did not wipe away every single reminder of what life once was. But in Japan, cities and countryside alike have been bulldozed. Even the trees and rice paddies painted on backdrops are fast vanishing from day-to-day surroundings."
"Japan, with its social patterns designed to cocoon everyone and everything from harsh reality, is a much more comfortable country to live in. Well-established rhythms and politeness shield you from most unpleasantness. Japan can be a kind of 'lotus land', where one floats blissfully away on the placid surface of things."