Rating: 
Summary: Excellent View on Being an Expatriot
Review: I've never lived in or even visited Japan, so I can't really comment on how valid the author's observations on Japanese life might be. She is, of course, handicapped by her inability to speak very good Japanese, and for me one of the most touching scenes of the book is her piling up her own books that she has written and weeping over them after she admits that her dyslexia has gotten the best of her. Doubtless many people would find her comments rather superficial; for me her encounter with the wife of a small-time gangster--her glass ball friend--was easily the most powerful vignet in the book. What the author is very good at, however, is describing what it feels like to be an expatriot; detached emotionally from your own roots, yet not really part of the culture you are living in. I lived in various countries in Europe for a decade, and she describes spot-on many of the feelings I had. Her own stories and family traumas enrich the book without overwhelming it. So, as a study of what it feels like to be an expatriot, I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: more than anything else, balanced
Review: I've read quite a few travelogue sort of books, and expected this to be sort of like Road to Sata, Angry White Pyjamas, or anything by Bill Bryson: modern, quirky, a touch cynical, and more than a bit uncomfortable. What I found instead was a book that was touching in its humanity and emotional depth. Ms. Davidson tells us of her experiences living in Japan over a handful of year-long trips, mostly teaching at a university for women. She and her husband travel around, interact with, and are shaped by Japan during their stays. I have read before about how strange Japanese society appears to a westerner, about how certain things are wonderful (the baths, the relative safety of the streets) but others are terrifying and depressing (the lack of true inclusion, the countless overhead power lines). Cathy Davidson's book, however, makes these observations almost tangible in their personal impact. Too, she explains how she has come to feel caught between Japan and North America, realizing after some time that she cannot ever feel truly at home in either country. This passage, along with the section in which she talks about a death in the family, makes this book not just great 'travel' writing, but a sensitive memoir of the intersection between two great cultures and a woman who seems to know herself very well.
Rating: 
Summary: excellent book
Review: I've read this book twice, and loved it both times. The author describes her experiences in a fascinating way. Recommended for anyone who is interested in Japanese culture.
Rating:
Summary: affectionate
Review: It's a relief to read a balanced book with such obvious affection and sensitivity toward Japan. When given this book I groaned -- fearing the typical gaijin "Then I had to remove my shoes!" "The fish wasn't cooked!" commentary. I've reread 36 Views as many times as I've recommended it.
Rating:
Summary: A rare, finely balanced point-of-view of Japan
Review: Not since Alan Booth's excellent "Roads to Sata" have I enjoyed a gaijin's memoir so thoroughly. As an Asian who now lives in the Western world, it is refreshing to find books of this category that are not obnoxiously shallow and reek of the Japan-is-so-exotic mentality. Perhaps partly because of the fact that this book was written by an eloquent woman, the memoir also possessed a touching sensitivity without being overly sentimental. Cathy Davidson allowed herself to fall in love with Japan, and yet was also clear-eyed enough to recognize the shortcomings. And after doing so, is careful to remind us that such shortcomings are part of every culture; if only in different forms. A splendid examination, both of the Japanese people and the self.
Rating:
Summary: Finding "The Other" in Japan . . .
Review: There are few technologically advanced cultures in the world that seem as "foreign" to Americans as Japan, which may be why a significant number of Yanks have been fascinated by Japan over the years. In 1908, Davidson and her husband went there, as so many North Americans have, as university English teachers on a one-year contract, though she had a life-long interest in everything Japanese. She learns the language far better than most of us could, though she obviously never feels she's learned enough. She adapts to Japanese ways of doing things, of thinking, of looking at the world, and this process also affects how she sees her own country. She's willing to be a _gaijin_ trying to fit in -- not that she has any choice -- but she's also willing to be critical of such things as Japanese racism and xenophobia. She forms close friendships which will last for two decades. Then a tragedy in her husband's family forces their return to Canada, which seems, for awhile, like a foreign country. Her account of their later visit to Paris is hilarious -- especially the way her mind seems to equate "foreign" with Japanese, pushing French phrases out of her mind and leading her to spout colloquial Japanese to French hotel clerks. And, even though on their subsequent visits to Japan, they consider permanent residence, they finally realize they could never become *that* adapted -- but they make up for it by building their new home in the North Carolina hills along distinctively Japanese lines. I like Davidson's calm, thoughtful approach to what constitutes "foreignness."
Rating:
Summary: An Effortless Read
Review: This book can be split into two halves, although I doubt that was the intention of the author. The first several chapters are about the author's experiences in Japan: the awkwardness of adjusting to a new culture, language barriers, different social philosophies, etc. I found this portion of the book to be fantastic. It was very funny in places, and always enlightening. Although everyone's experiences are different, it basically lets you know that living abroad is an adventure, and not a smoothly paved road. While the second half still deals with a lot of these themes, it becomes a lot more philosophical and introspective. This is where the "Japan-ness" of the book doesn't really matter. It is about searching out one's place in life and feeling caught in between cultures (it could be anywhere, it just happens to be Japan and the United States in this case.) It is fascinating to see how other cultures deal with grief, loss, etc. The stories about Japanese funerals are so different from what one experiences in the west. This book provides a good, balanced view of living abroad and of living in Japan more specifically. She does a good job exploring and probing concepts that many others surely struggle with, but don't articulate as well. I breezed right through the book, I read it in two or three sittings and it never became tedious. The focus shifts in the book, but that's often what happens when one has major events in their life.
Rating:
Summary: A good quick read
Review: This book can be split into two halves, although I doubt that was the intention of the author. The first several chapters are about the author's experiences in Japan: the awkwardness of adjusting to a new culture, language barriers, different social philosophies, etc. I found this portion of the book to be fantastic. It was very funny in places, and always enlightening. Although everyone's experiences are different, it basically lets you know that living abroad is an adventure, and not a smoothly paved road. While the second half still deals with a lot of these themes, it becomes a lot more philosophical and introspective. This is where the "Japan-ness" of the book doesn't really matter. It is about searching out one's place in life and feeling caught in between cultures (it could be anywhere, it just happens to be Japan and the United States in this case.) It is fascinating to see how other cultures deal with grief, loss, etc. The stories about Japanese funerals are so different from what one experiences in the west. This book provides a good, balanced view of living abroad and of living in Japan more specifically. She does a good job exploring and probing concepts that many others surely struggle with, but don't articulate as well. I breezed right through the book, I read it in two or three sittings and it never became tedious. The focus shifts in the book, but that's often what happens when one has major events in their life.
Rating:
Summary: discerning and perceptive...........
Review: This is a wonderful story that gives insight into Japanese culture. Cathy N. Davidson opens her heart and soul to share her experience of living in Japan in a University town. She leaves behind the stereotypes and misconceptions about who the Japanese people are and what the Japanese are about. The experience of being a gaijin, a foreigner, in Japan is a fascinating experience. She uses her own personal experiences and friendships as the backdrop to develop an understanding of the differences that exist culturally and how she copes with the misunderstandings and indulgences that come together to create interpersonal relationships. The interesting aspect in this situation is that each side has a different perspective and the rules of engagement are not clear. She handles the differences with understanding and an inquisitiveness that is open and honest in seeking out the similarities that are below the surface and the culturally ingrained realities that drive the Japanese. The overworked and driven businessmen, the stressful educational system, childhood indulgence phenomenon, along with a difficult language and a written language that takes years to comprehend are all a part of the tale.
She also brings some deep personal insights into her own life into the story that make this book so much more than a travelogue!!
This book was a treasure for me to read after just returning from another trip to Tokyo and having experienced many similar situation and discussions.
Ms. Davidson's love and appreciation of a culture and country that is so different from her own shines through out her writing. Her delight in new experiences, different ideas and her open, honest heart make this book a discerning and perceptive narrative.
Rating:
Summary: discerning and perceptive...........
Review: This is a wonderful story that gives insight into Japanese culture. Cathy N. Davidson opens her heart and soul to share her experience of living in Japan in a University town. She leaves behind the stereotypes and misconceptions about who the Japanese people are and what the Japanese are about. The experience of being a gaijin, a foreigner, in Japan is a fascinating experience. She uses her own personal experiences and friendships as the backdrop to develop an understanding of the differences that exist culturally and how she copes with the misunderstandings and indulgences that come together to create interpersonal relationships. The interesting aspect in this situation is that each side has a different perspective and the rules of engagement are not clear. She handles the differences with understanding and an inquisitiveness that is open and honest in seeking out the similarities that are below the surface and the culturally ingrained realities that drive the Japanese. The overworked and driven businessmen, the stressful educational system, childhood indulgence phenomenon, along with a difficult language and a written language that takes years to comprehend are all a part of the tale.
She also brings some deep personal insights into her own life into the story that make this book so much more than a travelogue!!
This book was a treasure for me to read after just returning from another trip to Tokyo and having experienced many similar situation and discussions.
Ms. Davidson's love and appreciation of a culture and country that is so different from her own shines through out her writing. Her delight in new experiences, different ideas and her open, honest heart make this book a discerning and perceptive narrative.
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