Thursday, September 8, 2016



3 out of 4 stars
You can find the book here
Release Date: December 22, 2016

I am always on the lookout to these types of books that take a deeper look at the culture of a specific city from a permanent resident's perspective, so this was right up my alley.

What I really appreciated was the way that the author seemed very introspective and thoughtful throughout this whole entire book, and how I could relate to the way that he was observing people. He touches bases like: culture, tradition, cleanliness, quietness, and the impact of technology. The whole book isn't really written from an emotional perspective, which fits this nonfiction narrative. It's more of a look at the psychological effects and why people in Tokyo do what they do, which immensely fascinates me; but if it isn't in your interest or you aren't in this mood, then maybe this isn't the essay collection for you.

He really starts to unpack the stereotypes and preconceptions that you may have of the city, and explores all of the hidden places that may be older but enjoyed by a regular like him. (jazz clubs, shrines, roof gardens, family-owned stores,etc.) The way that he wrote it makes me want to go and just travel to that place to explore the various ways of live in different parts of the world.

Not all of the essays were held in equal value, which is to be expected as I felt myself skimming and drifting off in some instances, but overall this made me think about how I perceive cities and how I have imagined Tokyo to be as. The author does observe the collective actions of most people around, so sometimes it did err on the side of stereotypical, therefore I wasn't completely satisfied. Although he would counteract that with discovering something extraordinary that he just had to share which defied the outer image. Overall, would reccomend this profound book to anyone who is yearning to learn more about Tokyo.

**Thanks to onlinebookclub and the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**

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