Rating: 
Summary: One of Dave Barry's best works ever
Review: Perhaps it's because Dave Barry Does Japan was my first introduction to the humorous genius, but after reading just about every book of his to date, I still rank Dave Barry Does Japan as one of his cleverest works ever (second only to Dave Barry Is From Mars and Venus).Dave Barry masterfully pokes fun of both Japanese and American culture without falling into the trap of condescension or racism that all too many humorists do. Yes, the Japanese have some customs that seem awfully silly to an outsider, but so do we, and Barry never loses sight of that. His light-toned but serious chapter on his visit to Hiroshima is quite moving, and refreshes rather than disrupt the flow of humor in the remainder of the book. Anyone who has been to Japan knows exactly what Dave Barry is talking about in this hilarious book. Definite must-reading for anyone.
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Summary: How to really appreciate Japan - Regardless of the food!
Review: Had to go to Tokyo on a group business trip (technical training...Yuck!) Naturally picked up "Frommers" (or "Fodors" - whatever)so I would know what was going on. Never EVER figured I'd have to go to Japan on business (or pleasure, for that matter.) One of the lines in the introduction to THAT tourist guide went something like this, "If you have a unique sense of humor and really want to get a feel for everyday life in Tokyo... Pick up "Dave Barry Does Japan"" FROM ANOTHER TRAVEL GUIDE, NO LESS! I read it on the plane flight over, my boss read it on the way back. We laughed our behinds off because everything - EVERYTHING - in the book that specifically happens in Tokyo city happened in some way to us. These 'warnings', if you will, allowed me to relax about the people, the language, the food, the prices.... and just enjoy the undeniable humor in a situation where two very different cultures invariably collide. THE BEST book for a Tokyo traveler who is not necessarily into reverential worship or study of the Japanese culture - Just wants to enjoy the people, the trip, the total experience!
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Summary: It's a humour book, not a travel guide people!
Review: If you don't find this book wonderful you're probably taking it too seriously.
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Summary: Despite only a 3 week tour, DB sees more than a tourist.
Review: Having gone to school in Tokyo, served my time in various ESL programs around Japan, and done a dissertation on Japanese soil, I found this book to be a perfect introduction for those about to embark on a trip to Japan. Cultural observations made by Barry are actually very acute for having only been there for 3 weeks. I take a group of students there every summer and recommend this as a "primer" before hitting the "academic" readings. After only 1 or 2 days there are always a few who go out of their way to find "food without suckers" and live for the trip to the KFC or Makudonarudos. Some are old enough to search out the "BIG Bee-ru." - Todd Stradford
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Summary: Those who rated this one or two stars have NO sense of humor
Review: This was a hilarious book. The reviewers who bashed this wonderful book, well, I feel sorry for them because they cannot appreciate what is truly good in life: Walks on beaches, fast cars, and Dave Barry. A little slice of heaven. In fact, this book cured my cancer and my deafness. Also, when I was little, my leg was amputated, but while reading this great book it grew back. Buy this book! As my personal friend Tony the Tiger says, "It's grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!"
Rating:
Summary: Cultural idiocy has it's privledges
Review: I just spent a year in Japan, and Berry's book is dead on. He obviously knows nothing about the culture going into it, and that's the beauty of the work. His observations are from a fresh perspective, and to those of us who have studied the culture for so long, it's an eye opening "yeah, they do do that..." experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Frat Boy Travelogue - Why Bother
Review: About as funny as hanging with some "Ugly American" Frat boys on your first trip abroad. You know, the kind that just can't get over that the French use mayonnaise on Pommes Frites and that the beaches are topless ("Boy, these people are WILD!") . Barry does use Japan to take a hard look at American values and attitudes and the book does succeed there. But, he totally misses the Japanese spirit, mocking Shinto Temples as places too boring for him, and Sumo as nothing more than a bunch of naked fat guys wrestling (its not: its built on centuries of tradition and involves nuances and martial arts techniques lost on Barry). And food? He spends the whole trip in Japan -- a country with a rich culinary tradition --eating nothing but KFC and Pizza and mocking the rest. Hee Hee, Ha Ha. There is humor in Japan, but not in this Book. I only hope its never translated into Japanese. Its an embarrassment.
Rating: 
Summary: Not even close to his normal brilliance.
Review: I am a HUGE Dave Barry fan and have every book. This is the ONLY one that's not even close to being funny. It's a rather straight-forward account of his rather boring trip to Japan - it was like he was writing an article for the Travel section, not his column. I kept expecting his sharp wit, but there wasn't any - just observations that were way too normal for Dave. This book won't give you the laughs you'd expect from Dave.
Rating:
Summary: Very funny
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book. It not just only makes fun of the Japanese but also very much about Americans. It show the cultural difference, which get interpreted halerious by Dave Barry. Just read it!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely hilarious!
Review: Dave's account of the idiosyncrasies of Japanese culture is hilarious, yet accurate. Unless you've been to Japan, you really can't tell what's exaggerated and what's not. I stayed in Japan for about a month before, and agree with most of Dave's extremely humourous descriptions of his experiences. Indeed very interesting, and has more has more laughs for the buck than most humour books I've read.
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