Hmmmm... Well... I picked up this book because I'm interested in memoirs written by foreigners who visit Japan. In this case, the author is an Australian who currently lives in New York City and visited Japan to learn more about how Japanese culture affects anime.

Parts of the book were funny but, overall, it was frustrating. "Wrong About Japan." That is exactly what this book is about, a series of beliefs about Japan that are debunked. However, the truth about Japan is never presented. The author learns how he is wrong about almost everything he assumed about Japanese culture but doesn't seem to try to learn the truth. Before his trip, Carey watches hours and hours of anime, building up symbolism and his interpretations of the symbols. Once in Japan, he is taught that he misread the symbols, finding symbolism where there wasn't any, and missing the symbolism that is present. His interpretations were almost always completely off-base but the truth is dismissed as something a non-Japanese can never understand.

The last line in the book sums it up well - "let's get out of here before we learn we're wrong." Again. For the n-time on this trip, maybe they had misunderstood something.

Summary - An interesting look at two travelers' thoughts on Japan and their experiences with Japanese culture. Very little insight into the Real Japan.