Shakotan Blue

by Lucas Kelleher, Erica Tom (Editor)

Part travel guide, part memoir, Shakotan Blue follows American Lucas Kelleher as he tries to assimilate into the community of Shakotan, a sleepy fishing village situated on a remote peninsula in Hokkaido, Japan. Sharing innumerable cultural insights along way, Lucas demystifies Japan by explaining the traditions and customs most commonly misinterpreted in the west.

Injected with humor and wit throughout, Shakotan Blue is as entertaining as it is educational. Join Lucas as he dances Yosakoi, pounds mochi, and even runs through ritual bonfires in his relentless pursuit of the authentic Japanese experience.

517 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2015

About the author

Lucas Kelleher is a writer and group fitness instructor living in Seattle, Washington with his wife, Marissa. In 2011 and 2012, he lived and taught English in a remote fishing village in northern Japan, the first foreigner to reside there. This became the basis for his book, Shakotan Blue. Born and raised in Iowa, Lucas graduated from the University of Washington in 2008. Most mornings you will find him at the gym, where he regularly leads group exercise classes set to upbeat music. He is a hard teacher, but he is fair. Lucas is also the editor of KelleherBros.com, a website where he and his brothers provide thought-provoking commentary on matters of media and society–but mostly talk about old video games.

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming memoir about life in rural Japan!

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucas's book is filled with vivid descriptions of his year in Shakotan as well as humor. I felt as if I knew the people he spent time with. The foods, the holidays, the interesting little day-to-day challenges and successes were entertaining as well as informative. His insertion of Japanese language/characters made the narrative more authentic. This book is a must-read for any American wanting to get to know the real Japanese culture.