Synopses & Reviews
From the sneakily successful travel series with over 1,000,000 copies in print, here is the pocket-sized guide that combines verbal self-defense with cultural insight. Specifically focused on getting in, getting around, and getting the deal done,
Wicked Japanese prepares the gaijin (that's you) for a world so alien that just wearing the wrong necktie can spell certain death to the bargain you flew 18 hours to seal.
Impress your host with your politeness--and recite the correct apology for grazing a stranger with your sleeve: Buchoho de makoto ni moshiwake gozaimasen ("Sorry to have injured you with my stupid clumsiness"). And if planning to work for a Japanese company, show that you're a team player: Yumei na daigaisha no hitotsu no hagurama ni nalitai ("I wish to be a tiny cog in a huge and honorable machine"). 93,000 copies in print.
Synopsis
It's a wicked world out there. And to help the millions of Americans who venture beyond our shores every year come the phrase-books that put the visitor in control. Together with 933,000 copies in print.
About the Author
Howard Tomb is the author of the Wicked Travel books. He also writes for the Sunday Travel Section of the New York Times.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION- Mystery and Mastery…5
- Instant Translation Guide…6
CULTURE- The Four Major Belief Systems: Shinto, Buddhism, LIFO, and FIFO…7
- Quote the Masters…10
- For Women Only…12
- Oh, Noh!…14
- The Sutra on the Eight Realizations for the 1990s…16
GETTING AROUND- Road Signs…17
- The Crowded Subway, Judo, and You…18
- Zen Cab: What is Final Destination of Motionless Taxi?…20
- Emergencies…22
ENTERTAINMENT AND OBSESSION- Play-by-Play Sumo…23
- Baseball Cheers…24
- Golf as War…26
- Defensive Driving…28
THE PRACTICAL GAIJIN- Ceremony of the Bon Bon…29
- Straw Bed and Raw Breakfast…30
- Wise Loss of Face…32
- Rent-a-Coffin…33
SOCIAL JAPAN- Visiting the Japanese Home…34
- Dining Etiquette for Barbarians…35
- Honorable Tea…36
- Avoiding Ambulatory Food…38
- Fugu Roulette…40
- Slurp as Buddha…41
- Impressing Your Geisha…42
- Getting Naked in Japan…44
- The Karaoke Bar…46
- Ale Bonding…47
WORKING FOR THE JAPANESE- "Life" in a Japanese Company…48
- Company Songs…50
STALKING THE DEAL- Bow to Conquer…52
- Flight of the Crane and the Proper Introduction…53
- Translating Attitudes…55
- The First Business Meeting…56
- Sumo-Style Sales Techniques…58
- Interpreting Non-Verbal Signals…60
- Never Just Say No…61
- The Inevitable Thank-You Note…63