Japan Through the Looking Glass

A series of meticulous investigations gradually uncovers the multi-faceted nature of a country and people who are even more extraordinary than they seem. Our journey encompasses religion, ritual, martial arts, manners, eating, drinking, hot baths, geishas, family, home, singing, wrestling, dancing, performing, clans, education, aspiration, sexes, generations, race, crime, gangs, terror, war, kindness, cruelty, money, art, imperialism, emperor, countryside, city, politics, government, law and a language that varies according to whom you are speaking. Clear-sighted, persistent, affectionate, unsentimental and honest - Alan Macfarlane shows us Japan as it has never been seen before.

“A well-informed analysis of Japanese culture and society."”

Intelligent and engaging ... an excellent book for anyone with an interest in Japanese culture. Sunday Telegraph
An elegantly arranged narrative that takes in everything from the mythical roots of sumo to the ubiquity of Shinto shrines. The Times
An engaging and well-informed analysis of Japanese culture and society ... Readers fresh to Japanese studies will find something fascinating on every page; those more familiar with writing on Japan will appreciate the smaller details, many born of Macfarlane's rich comparative insights. Independent
He triumphantly decodes this enigmatic country. Japan Times
A must read for businesspeople and anyone planning a visit to this vibrant land. Monsters and Critics.com

Alan Macfarlane is professor of anthropology at Cambridge. He has often visited and taught in Japan. He is the author of The Glass Bathyscaphe and Letters to Lily (Profile, 2003 and 2005).

This entertaining and endlessly surprising book takes us on an exploration into every aspect of Japanese society from the most public to the most intimate. A series of meticulous investigations gradually uncovers the multi-faceted nature of a country and people who are even more extraordinary than they seem. Our journey encompasses religion, ritual, martial arts, manners, eating, drinking, hot baths, geishas, family, home, singing, wrestling, dancing, performing, clans, education, aspiration, sexes, generations, race, crime, gangs, terror, war, kindness, cruelty, money, art, imperialism, emperor, countryside, city, politics, government, law and a language that varies according to whom you are speaking. Clear-sighted, persistent, affectionate, unsentimental and honest - Alan Macfarlane shows us Japan as it has never been seen before.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.