Japan
36 Views of Mount Fuji, by Cathy N. Davidson (1993). Taking its title from a series of Hokusai woodblock prints (most of which are reproduced in the book), Cathy Davidson's beautifully written memoir of her relationships with the Japanese she meets forms a composite portrait of Japanese culture, centered around the powerful and elusive symbol of mist-shrouded Mt. Fuji.
The Budding Tree, by Aiko Kitahara (trans. by Ian MacDonald) (2007). Six fictional stories of love (and not-love) play out in Edo-period Japan, each tale focused on an enterprising woman finding her independent way in a changing society.
The Commoner, by John Burnham Schwartz (2008). Love's mettle is tested against implacable centuries of Japanese tradition in this novel set in post-war Japan and inspired by the life of Empress Michiko, the first commoner to marry into the imperial family.
Geisha, by Liza Dalby (1983). Cultural anthropologist Dalby turns in her American dress for kimonos and tabi (split-toed socks) to become the only American to be trained as a geisha. Studying in the Pontocho district, Dalby details the fascinating life of a geisha amidst cherry trees and white powder in modern Japan.
Hitching Rides with Buddha, by Will Ferguson (1998). "Nowhere on earth does spring arrive as dramatically as it does in Japan. When the cherry blossoms hit, they hit like a hurricane," writes Ferguson. Hitchhiking the entire length of Japan, from southern Cape Sata to the northern tip of Hokkaido, Ferguson follows the blossoming of Japan's sakura, the country's aesthetic symbol of spring.
Japan: A Traveler's Literary Companion, edited byJeffery Angles and J. Thomas Rimer (2006). This collection of short stories by Japanese authors highlights the diversity of a nation commonly understood as homogeneous—from the cold of Northern Honshu hamlets to lively Tokyo to the temples of Kyoto.
Japanland: A Year in Search of Wa, by Karin Muller (2005). At the age of 34, Muller, a documentary filmmaker and practitioner of judo, heads to Japan on a quest for wa, or harmony. During her year there, Muller makes a pilgrimage to Buddhist temples and tries to "discover the ancient heart of modern Japan."
The Lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto, by Pico Iyer (1991). Travel writer Iyer spent a year in Kyoto with the goal of learning about Zen Buddhism and Japan. While living there, Iyer befriends Sachiko, a Japanese housewife, and they go sightseeing together. The book is as much about their relationship as the culture of modern Japan.
Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden (1997). Arthur Golden has degrees in both Japanese art and history, and spent almost a decade researching geisha culture to write this best-selling first novel. Set in Kyoto, in the geisha district of Gion, Golden's novel is rich with delicate details—the pouring of sake, elaborate kimonos, and graceful social maneuvers—that transport the reader to the Japan of ages past.
Road Through Miyama, by Leila Philip (1991). American Leila Philip paints an enchanting portrait of life and social mores in the rural Japanese town of Miyama in Southern Kyushu, while also detailing her life as a master potter's apprentice.
*The Roads to Sata: A 2,000-Mile Walk through Japan, by Alan Booth (1985). By turns whimsical and poignant, Booth's artfully irreverent look at his adopted homeland sheds light on a culture that can be tough for Westerners to understand.
Wrong About Japan, by Peter Carey (2005). Carey, the author of eight novels and a Booker Prize winner, offers to take his 12-year-old son, Charley, to Japan. His son agrees, on the condition that they'll see Japanese anime and cool, weird stuff rather than temples and museums. The resulting book is part father-son tale, part tour of contemporary Japan.
