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Summary: Being ethnocentric is funny. Ha ha.
Review: ...P>Don't get me wrong - I'm big fan of Mr. Barry's: I think I've managed to read most of his published works and generally found myself laughing through most of them. There ARE some funny passages here (I know lots of people who have had the exact same reaction to Japanese cuisine as Barry), but they are few and far between. The general pattern of this book seems to be 1) point out something different from American culture, and then 2) reiterate that he considers it weird. Granted, trying to understand an alien culture is not exactly an easy thing to do, but I would expect some effort to be given to the subject.Usually, Barry shows a reasonable amount of insight into his topic (ex. "Dave Barry in Cyberspace"), but that insight does not appear to be present here....
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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: Funniest book ever
Review: As a Japanese citizen, living in the US, I thought I might be offended by this book, but after reading it I decided that this is the funniest book ever written. But it is not just funny and hilarious, Dave Barry sees Japan through very human eyes and all his observations are true. The way he describes Japanese culture and behavior is right on. Japanese culture and traditions may seem quite strange and foreign to many people but reading this book with its many discussions on everyday- life in Japan, will help to see Japan for what it is and not for what it use to be. Dave Barry does not make fun of Japan, he brings it to us in a very amusing and comical way.
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Summary: Live Here. Read This. Loved It!
Review: As a servicemember who has been living in Japan for 5 years, all I have to say is that after reading Dave Barry's book "Dave Barry Does Japan", everything he stated in it is 100% true. If you're a fan of his work, then you'll like it anyways because it is hilarious, but you cannot truly relate to it unless you've either been to Japan or live here as I do. I have experienced nearly every single thing he did, and I know what he's talking about. I highly recommend this book. It's also a great primer for you if you're thinking of visiting this beautiful country. Buy it. You won't be sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: Very entertaining!
Review: Basically this is a very humorous book about Dave Barry goes on a trip to Tokyo, pay for by Random House :), with lots of stories about the various mischiefs that he and his family got into due to cultural shocks. Just like many others of Dave's books, a lot of the 'facts' in this book had been madeuped. So don't take what it say seriously or else you are going to run into more troubles than Dave when you go to Japan one day ;)
Rating:
Summary: The weirdest loonyride
Review: Dave Barry is back, in a hilarious recounting of his time in Japan, for the purpose of writing a book ("You hope to write a book in three weeks?" "Well, it won't be a GOOD book!" *laughs* "I see.") Apparently being linguistically inept, Dave has to deal with non-English speaking Japanese people, the best airlines in the world, Americans smelling bad, big feet in teeny slippers, Japanese Kabuki theater, and marrying an elderly geisha. It's clear that Mr. Barry has respect for the Japanese, even as he lampoons them (like he does everyone else. He devotes a chapter to Hiroshima; also, he covers the ability of the Japanese to be dignified while being snockered; covers a crime wave and gangsters; checks out the Japanese foodstuffs; and feels hip for the first time in years. Barry is his usual irreverent, hilarious self as he covers the "three hippie tourists" in the conservative world of Japan. This is not a book to be missed! Oh, and "Loving Singing Eating Italian Tomato Restaurant". Nuff zed.
Rating:
Summary: The weirdest loonyride
Review: Dave Barry is back, in a hilarious recounting of his time in Japan, for the purpose of writing a book ("You hope to write a book in three weeks?" "Well, it won't be a GOOD book!" *laughs* "I see.") Apparently being linguistically inept, Dave has to deal with non-English speaking Japanese people, the best airlines in the world, Americans smelling bad, big feet in teeny slippers, Japanese Kabuki theater, and marrying an elderly geisha. It's clear that Mr. Barry has respect for the Japanese, even as he lampoons them (like he does everyone else. He devotes a chapter to Hiroshima; also, he covers the ability of the Japanese to be dignified while being snockered; covers a crime wave and gangsters; checks out the Japanese foodstuffs; and feels hip for the first time in years. Barry is his usual irreverent, hilarious self as he covers the "three hippie tourists" in the conservative world of Japan. This is not a book to be missed! Oh, and "Loving Singing Eating Italian Tomato Restaurant". Nuff zed.
Rating:
Summary: The book was great.
Review: Dave Barry is one of the funniest men in america
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Summary: Small pieces of large chunks
Review: Dave Barry spent 3 weeks in Japan. The end result is this book. I did like it very much though. The experiences he writes about are indicative of what those who live here have to deal with each and every day. He takes the view, as most middle aged Americans do, of ignorance. And it is this ignorance that drives the humor. It could be said to be the complete opposite to Alex Kerr's Lost Japan. He readily admits to the ignorance, and tries to understand. I did feel that a little more research, or perhaps any research could have made the stories a lot funnier. But for those who haven't been to Japan, or have recently arrived it is a good start at taking everything you see with a dose of humour.
Rating:
Summary: Small pieces of large chunks
Review: Dave Barry spent 3 weeks in Japan. The end result is this book. I did like it very much though. The experiences he writes about are indicative of what those who live here have to deal with each and every day. He takes the view, as most middle aged Americans do, of ignorance. And it is this ignorance that drives the humor. It could be said to be the complete opposite to Alex Kerr's Lost Japan. He readily admits to the ignorance, and tries to understand. I did feel that a little more research, or perhaps any research could have made the stories a lot funnier. But for those who haven't been to Japan, or have recently arrived it is a good start at taking everything you see with a dose of humour.
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