Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A charming collection of quirky insights into Japanese culture. The Magic of Japan is Hector Garcia's intensely personal account of his fifteen years in Japan. A self-professed "otaku" or Japanese anime geek since childhood, Garcia has worked for a Japanese software company, mastered the language, and become one of Japan's most popular bloggers.
This book is the culmination of his experiences and showcases Garcia's unique ability to delve beneath the surface of Japanese culture to describe its spiritual underpinnings. This collection of essays and beautiful photographs will appeal to his worldwide fan base--including those who devoured his previous bestsellers A Geek in Japan and Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life--Japanophiles, armchair travelers and anyone with an interest in cultural and travel memoirs.
The Magic of Japan features Garcia's keen observations on a wide variety of topics:
- Well-known destinations such as Miyajima, Ise Shrine, Kyoto and Hakone, as well as wonderfully offbeat spots like the abandoned "Battleship" island of Gunkanjima and mountainous Gunma prefecture in the snowy depths of winter.
- The exotic tropical resort of Okinawa is introduced through an account of his wedding day, which took place there.
- Tokyo is covered in an essay describing the 50 things he loves most about life in the world's largest city--from vending machines and hole-in-the-wall jazz bars to rainy days and cats.
- Garcia shares his thoughts on a vast array of topics--from cherry blossoms and Shintoism to the importance of group dynamics in Japanese society. He is not afraid to show the darker side of Japan with reflections on social issues like bullying, suicide and organized crime.
- As an authority on mindfulness, Garcia encourages us to emulate aspects of Japanese life he admires--for example the Japanese approach of shoshin or childlike openness to daily life, as well as to eschew those things that bother us--for example group-think and absurd jobs.
The book ends with a gloriously random selection of all things Garcia considers especially magical about Japan--from izakaya to shiitake mushrooms, summer fireworks and green tea