This book is interesting if you want to dig in the Japanese mindset beyond the public image of pachinko, karaoke and sushi.
I liked it as a Japanese enthusiast on a binge of "Japan reading" before a trip. The chapters about Time and Ideas were really insightful.
However, it has several slow parts - namely, the beginning and the chapter about religion. I also had somewhat unrealistic expectations and I was disappointed when it glossed over aspects of the society that I wanted to know more about, but this is no encyclopedia.
Pet peeve: the recurring comparisons to Britain sounded a bit grating, with a faint whiff of "Britain may be on the forefront of social evolution".