“Japanese Behind the Scenes” Looking at the Japanese from the point of the Western view

The former editor of Hiragana Times has written a book about Japanese people in which she explains the reason why Westerners envy the Japanese custom of parents taking baths with children, the fact that women are stronger than men in Japan in spite of the country’s reputation as being “heaven” for men, the reasons why otaku and manga are attracting worldwide attention, and other interesting topics. Written in Japanese, the book targets Japanese readers who are anxious or curious about the “Japanese brand” overseas. It is also recommended to foreigners who are studying the Japanese language.

The writer is fascinated by Britain, has visited the country more than 70 times, and has written many essays about Britain in which she describes basic differences between the two countries. In this book “Japanese Behind the Scenes,” the author lightly touches on the funny sides of Japanese culture that are envied and admired by non-Japanese from a western point of view. She points out that the power of “harmony” that Japanese have is an aspect of Japanese people’s nature that non-Japanese may not be able to adopt. Written by IGATA Keiko. Published by Sunmark Publishing Inc. 1,680yen.