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10th out of 35 books
—
4 voters
Japanland: A Year in Search of Wa
by
Karin Muller
During a year spent in Japan on a personal quest to deepen her appreciation for such Eastern ideals as commitment and devotion, documentary filmmaker Karin Muller discovered just how maddeningly complicated it is being Japanese. In this book Muller invites the reader along for a uniquely American odyssey into the ancient heart of modern Japan. Broad in scope and deftly obs...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
October 31st 2006
by Rodale Books
(first published October 12th 2005)
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Being really interested in Japan and its culture, I was really looking forward to this book. It was disappointing. I haven't seen Muller's documentary, so I'm just going to judge this book as a stand alone, rather than a companion to a movie. This book includes some interesting experiences (I really liked chapter about Osaka), but, unfortunately, it is also extremely self-centered and shows yet another example of a Western person looking for enlightenment without honestly wanting to find it. The...more
Humorous, insightful, entertaining, at times even poignant, this companion volume to Karin Muller's multi-part PBS documentary of the same name was a fascinating read. At the beginning of the story Ms. Muller makes a decision to leave her stale and unfulfilling life in Washington D.C. for a year in Japan, ostensibly to study judo (she's a black belt) and film a documentary about the experience, but really to to find "wa"--a state of focus and harmony that she found in her judo instructors' "almo...more
yikes! This story (non-Japanese woman goes to Japan to learn about the culture and language by immersing herself in it) was all too familiar: the oppressive weight of being a barbarian gaijin in Japan, the terror of the everyday "yuubaba-san"-- the older woman who rules every detail of your life with a brutal iron fist ("there was a stain on your cutting board! You caused me to lose face!")
And also the lovely things about Japan-- the real unstinting generosity you find with strangers, the baths...more
And also the lovely things about Japan-- the real unstinting generosity you find with strangers, the baths...more
Karin Muller went to Japan to reassess her life and film a documentary about the people and culture and something called “wa” – existing in a state of effortless harmony with one’s environment. She spent a year among the Japanese and several months with a host family that tried her sanity as they sought to teach her what it is to be Japanese, a good woman, a good wife, part of something larger than herself. They found her a rather difficult pupil. Through their connections and others that she ma...more
Japanland: a year in search of wa did not live up to its title and should be regarded only as a travelogue kept by an American documentary filmmaker. The author Karin Muller was in her mid-thirties when wanderlust returned into her life, along with a desire to seek some wa or inner harmony she observed in her Japanese judo instructors for herself. Reaching the conclusion that one needed to “become Japanese” in this quest, she decides to live in Japan for one year. However, I would argue that she...more
This book offers an interesting glimpse into Japanese culture via the eyes of a foreigner. At times it is critical, at other times complimentary, as the author spends a year in Japan and experiences things the average tourist likely is not even aware exist. Throughout the story, the author transforms from a "culturally unaware" foreigner, to a person who, while not even close to becoming Japanese, has a deeper understanding of the idiosyncrasies and inner workings of the culture.
At times I felt...more
At times I felt...more
I have what some might call a minor major obsession with Japan. As such, it didn't take much convincing for me to buy this book, which is an account of the author spending a year in Japan in search of harmony and balance for her life.
What this is not, I should say, is a travel guide to Japan. It contains a lot of fantastic insights into the culture, both mainstream and more esoteric, but if you plan to read this book thinking that it will make your trip to Tokyo easier, you'll be disappointed.
On...more
What this is not, I should say, is a travel guide to Japan. It contains a lot of fantastic insights into the culture, both mainstream and more esoteric, but if you plan to read this book thinking that it will make your trip to Tokyo easier, you'll be disappointed.
On...more
Muller decides to explore Japan as a response to her discontent on how she was living her life in the US. A long time student of judo, she selects Japan to learn more about the concept of "wa," loosely translated as flow, or harmony.
The book chronicles the relationships Muller has with the people she meets and the places she visits. She's an engaging, and descriptive writer, and she has a way of picking the meat of the story, so the travel-log doesn't lag, or feel too banal. She focuses on the c...more
The book chronicles the relationships Muller has with the people she meets and the places she visits. She's an engaging, and descriptive writer, and she has a way of picking the meat of the story, so the travel-log doesn't lag, or feel too banal. She focuses on the c...more
I will give this 3-1/2 stars because I really enjoyed reading it, but it had some flaws. It reads like a travel documentary. The author gets to do a lot of unusual things that aren't on the typical visitor's itinerary. I was surprised at all the places she was given access to, especially observing geisha with clients. She describes a lot of different aspects of Japanese culture and social structure. She also tells the stories of several gaijin; I especially liked Roberto's story. She could have...more
Dec 12, 2008
julie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those interested or who have lived in Japan, and those who seek to travel or document their travels
Most first-hand accounts of being a foreigner in Japan are annoying. One is beaten over the head with first impressions, the futile attempt to describe in minute detail what was seen, heard, smelled, felt. There's also the soul searching ending with profound realizations. If you've ever been to Japan or traveled to a foreign country yourself it's almost certainly contrary to your experience and entirely nauseating.
Karin Muller's memoir is none of these offensive things. Her writing style is qui...more
Karin Muller's memoir is none of these offensive things. Her writing style is qui...more
To those who walk away from reading this book and wonder, "How could anyone like it when Karin Muller is so self-centered? Typical Westerner." I pose my own question: Did you read the book in its entirety? There is quite a contrast from the start to the end. The author's primary motivation was for growth and self discovery, and it would be impossible for her to start out completely understanding and accepting of the Japanese at the very beginning.
"Typical Westerner." There is, my dears, no such...more
"Typical Westerner." There is, my dears, no such...more
Muller's greatest strength as a memoirist draws from her talent and skill as a documentarian. For the most part, she writes about the details of Japanese life in a "news-reporter" style- very clear and factual. At times she veered into a narrative style, at which I think she is frankly less successful. During passages in which she offers opinions and cultural analysis, or where she uses metaphor to describe her observations and experiences, I found myself getting bored.
On the other hand, where...more
On the other hand, where...more
Karin Muller has a very nice voice. I liked her. I thought she told her story well. There were chapters and storylines I liked better than others, and some I wasn't too moved by. I liked hearing about her living accomidations and her relationships with the various people she got to know. The last 30 or so pages of the book were kind of a snooze for me. I wasn't too into hearing about her last minute pilgrimage to bring her year to a really amazing zen-like head. I more enjoyed hearing about her...more
I enjoyed this book a lot because it surprised me. I don't know what I expected from it, but it breaks away from a lot of the memoirs about Asia in that the author is neither a teacher nor in the military. She does have an interest in the martial arts, but that isn't her primary reason for visiting Japan. I found the information she imparted not only to be something very unusual, but something I'd not seen in other books and therefore very enjoyable and I wanted to learn more because it was not...more
Who can fathom the ways of readers? Here I was, smack-dab in the middle of a book about a person who travels to China, and I suddenly find myself drawn to a book about a person who travels to Japan. This one. Go figure.
Nevertheless, a compelling read. Japan is not all it appears, it seems. In fact, that's the central theme of the book, the mask that Japan and the Japanese wear for the rest of the world. All is well, the mask says, while underneath the person dies for another day. This take on Ja...more
Nevertheless, a compelling read. Japan is not all it appears, it seems. In fact, that's the central theme of the book, the mask that Japan and the Japanese wear for the rest of the world. All is well, the mask says, while underneath the person dies for another day. This take on Ja...more
"Our differences are obvious from the very first day. Yukiko is very traditional. I am not. She is quite sure, for example, that all these newfangled cooking devices, like microwaves, break down food. I've done nothing to disabuse her of this notion because there is only one microwave in the house, and it is now conveniently located on my kitchen counter."
This is a story of about the author, Karin Muller's, attempt to ingratiate herself into the world of Japan. Not the touristy, superficial wo...more
This is a story of about the author, Karin Muller's, attempt to ingratiate herself into the world of Japan. Not the touristy, superficial wo...more
"Wa" is the Japanese word for a seemingly effortless state of harmony.
The author, a documentary filmmaker, goes to Japan in an attempt to
find "wa" for herself. The book is a result of her year living there,
and has so many great insights to the Japanese culture, seen through
her Western eyes. She meets lots of interesting people (an upper class
family who is her host family for a while, a homeless person, a
swordmaker, a geisha, to name a few), and puts herself in lots of
humorous situations.
I had al...more
The author, a documentary filmmaker, goes to Japan in an attempt to
find "wa" for herself. The book is a result of her year living there,
and has so many great insights to the Japanese culture, seen through
her Western eyes. She meets lots of interesting people (an upper class
family who is her host family for a while, a homeless person, a
swordmaker, a geisha, to name a few), and puts herself in lots of
humorous situations.
I had al...more
I really enjoyed reading about the various places and some events that the author visited throughout Japan but I felt that she spent most of her time criticizing different aspects of Japanese culture. It is understandable that certain things can be quite frustrating but I think if the author had brushed up on some things about Japanese culture before she arrived in Japan, some of the friction that occurred would have been lessened and she still could be herself while respecting the Japanese cult...more
It was an interesting read and a great adventure. Although sometimes the author puzzles with her inability to understand or need to be treated as an equal, her story gives a nice modern look of Japan, caught between ingrained traditions and overwhelming technological advancements. Many contradictions within this book stem from the author's inability to understand the Japanese and create a forever negative undertone that suddenly disappears during the brief final chapter. Not a book I would read...more
I believe this is a good book for many Americans to read. It's about the perspective of an American during her long term stay in Japan and the treatment she endures at time is very similar to the way we look at immigrants in our country. I think it would be helpful if people were given the opportunity to be on the receiving in of those cold shoulders.
I picked up this book because i'm fascinated with Japan. And it was nice to read about the culture from an outsiders view, though I would love to...more
I picked up this book because i'm fascinated with Japan. And it was nice to read about the culture from an outsiders view, though I would love to...more
Japanland is a fierce, funny account of a filmmaker's desire to experience the harmony, or "wa," she believes is found in traditional Japanese culture. Muller lives in Japan for one year, staying with a modern host family in suburban Tokyo for five months and in a variety of other locations for the rest of her time in the country. She wrangles with the transportation system, learns about the ancient arts of swordmaking and pottery, encounters "New Human Beings," tries to be a geisha for a day, f...more
What I love about certain travel memoirs is that, the really well-written ones give you a good sense of what it might be like to live in that part of the world.
Karin Muller’s account of living in Japan for a year falls into that category.
A freelance documentary filmmaker, she wakes up one morning and realizes that her life needs changing. From years of judo practice, she knew that the Japanese had a word for the seemingly effortless state of harmony that she longed for: wa.
What follows is a thor...more
Karin Muller’s account of living in Japan for a year falls into that category.
A freelance documentary filmmaker, she wakes up one morning and realizes that her life needs changing. From years of judo practice, she knew that the Japanese had a word for the seemingly effortless state of harmony that she longed for: wa.
What follows is a thor...more
I haven't read many travel memoirs, but I find myself hoping that all of them are as engaging as this one.
Of course, it helps to have an interest in the places the author writes about. My best friend first got me interested in Japan, and there's something about its cultural differences from the West, its contradictory values, and its unique way of blending the past and the present so seamlessly that fascinates me. Karin Muller's journey into this country only deepened my knowledge and wonder.
In...more
Of course, it helps to have an interest in the places the author writes about. My best friend first got me interested in Japan, and there's something about its cultural differences from the West, its contradictory values, and its unique way of blending the past and the present so seamlessly that fascinates me. Karin Muller's journey into this country only deepened my knowledge and wonder.
In...more
though this book was riddled with editing errors---i felt as though i was reading an advanced reader's copy---it was a good book, nonetheless. karin muller clearly is the gregarious, overbearing, mannerless American in Japan. i just came back from Japan and was very aware of their culture prior to setting foot in their country. it doesn't seem as though karin was. but her info and insight were great and invaluable. if you're heading off to Japan, i highly recommend you start reading this before...more
This book takes me back to japan. (I lived there for 4 years) I enjoyed reading her experiences with the Japanese people and all of the little cultural differences. Karin really immersed herself in the Japanese culture. She really put herself in their shoes (literally-as a geisha at one point) and got a true sense of how it is to live in Japanese society. She met a lot if people from different social classes, upbringings etc. And became friends with many of them.
This book is a nice easy read an...more
This book is a nice easy read an...more
I found this book fascinating. It's about a woman who goes to Japan for one full year to shoot a documentary. It makes me feel like when I went to Japan for vacation that I really went to the Epcot Center version of Japan. There's just no way I saw anything remotely like the real Japan. Except for one night when we ended up drinking with a big group of students in a hole in the wall restaurant. That was pretty cool. Otherwise, we didn't even scratch the surface of the real Japan. Huh.
I always enjoy reading about peoples' experiences living abroad. This book was particularly interesting, not only because the author was living in Japan, one of my all-time favorite places on the planet, but because she was exploring parts of the culture that have not been explored as much by Western foreigners. She was also refreshingly honest about the difficulties of being a foreigner in Japan, without criticizing the Japanese or making excuses for herself.
Maybe it was the timing of reading this book that made me enjoy it so much, but I really, really liked it. I started it just after returning to the States from my first solo vacation, which is, admittedly, a bit of a cheesy time to start a book about a woman who takes a solo journey to Japan.
Unlike Eat, Pray, Love , Japanland doesn't try to be anything life-changing or preachy. Karin Muller writes with an amazing wit and real-life tone that makes you think she could be your best friend telling y...more
Unlike Eat, Pray, Love , Japanland doesn't try to be anything life-changing or preachy. Karin Muller writes with an amazing wit and real-life tone that makes you think she could be your best friend telling y...more
My sister gave this book to me and recommended that I read it, but I'm not quite sure why, other than the fact that I'm living in Japan. It wasn't published all that long ago (6 years), but from the Japanese people that I know here, her accounts of people's attitudes towards unmarried, single women is outdated.
It was an okay read that had some information about Japan that I didn't know and was interesting (Geisha culture, festivals) but it's a book I could take or leave.
It was an okay read that had some information about Japan that I didn't know and was interesting (Geisha culture, festivals) but it's a book I could take or leave.
For anyone interested in Japan, this book is a must-read. I am glad that I found it now, while we are still here (in Okinawa) and wish that I had discovered it two years ago! Karin Muller is amazing in her dedication to Japanese culture and language. I can't help but think that she is a bit of a masochist, but her methods certainly work for her. And, she inspires me to rededicate myself to my own Japanese experience. Thanks, Karin!
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| Around the World ...: Suzanne recommends: Japanland | 4 | 17 | 1 de Oct 05:28 |
2 de Jul 10:11
2 de Jul 10:21