Rating: 
Summary: A sad misinterpretation of Japan
Review: More than merely stereotypical and incorrect, this book and books like it are actually dangerous to genuine understanding between cultures. I'm afraid the "Japan" Ms. Horn lived in for five years doesn't actually exist; however, the Japan she has fabricated for this book is so stereotypically perfect that she might have written it without spending even one afternoon in the country. It is blatently obvious that Ms. Horn doesn't speak a word of Japanese and was never able to break the barrier between "us and them". I don't know why some people will try to explain a culture without understanding it themselves, but it always saddens me when these deep misinterpretations are taken by others as fact. It's not difficult to mock a culture you don't understand, but it is terribly irresponsible in today's global society. I wonder if Ms. Horn would appreciate the trivialization of her own cultute in such a manner. I could site specific errors in the book, but that would take another book. If you wish to understand Japan leave this book on the shelf.
Rating:
Summary: A sad misinterpretation of Japan
Review: More than merely stereotypical and incorrect, this book and books like it are actually dangerous to genuine understanding between cultures. I'm afraid the "Japan" Ms. Horn lived in for five years doesn't actually exist; however, the Japan she has fabricated for this book is so stereotypically perfect that she might have written it without spending even one afternoon in the country. It is blatently obvious that Ms. Horn doesn't speak a word of Japanese and was never able to break the barrier between "us and them". I don't know why some people will try to explain a culture without understanding it themselves, but it always saddens me when these deep misinterpretations are taken by others as fact. It's not difficult to mock a culture you don't understand, but it is terribly irresponsible in today's global society. I wonder if Ms. Horn would appreciate the trivialization of her own cultute in such a manner. I could site specific errors in the book, but that would take another book. If you wish to understand Japan leave this book on the shelf.
Rating: 
Summary: A very amusing tale of Japan...
Review: Ms. Horn has spent 5 years in Japan, and relates her personal experiences there. Her personal point of view is very evident in the book - as a vegetarian, she describes a very special meals friends had invited her to, and as a pet lover, she describes the Japaneses' treatments of animals. This personal point of view can be a great bonus, but on the other hand has its drawbacks for those who are looking for a more accurate story about Japan. I really enjoyed this personalized point of view, since I'm Israeli and could easily see what Ms. Horn thought was funny, strange or disturbing. Someone who is not fimiliar with the Israeli attitude towards things might not have this full understanding of the author's point of view.
Rating: 
Summary: Eminently readable, but not what I expected
Review: Shifra Horn, a well-known Israeli writer, gives us her mostly-friendly take on Japanese culture. There was a lot of potential here, but this book could have been more than it turned out to be.I read this book hoping to find something more than the usual "visiting Japan" travelogue. I was hoping to find out what it was like for Horn, as an Israeli and a Jew, to live in Japan, but that's exactly what she denies readers for most of the book. The way it's been organized, the book is divided into two distinct sections, and the first section, unfortunately, gives mostly the kind of rambling overview of Japanese culture that you might expect from any travel writer. From the well-known (the Japanese obsession with business cards) to the cute (the Japanese obsession with toilets) to the obscure and sometimes jarring (the Japanese obsession with abortion), Horn writes capably, but deals out few surprises and little by way of her own perspective on the issues. Perhaps these essays filled a niche for Hebrew speakers, with little access to the wealth of material already available in English for Japan-philes, but as an English speaker, I felt like I'd read most of what she was saying before. Just when I was getting fed up, though, I found the second "half" of the book (significantly shorter). Here, Horn really gets going; it's like we're meeting her for the first time. She writes about what it's like to be an Israeli diplomat and Hebrew teacher in a country where, though Israelis and Judaism are often revered, the Nazi alliance hasn't faded from memory and antisemitism is making an unsettling comeback. Perhaps the book would have been more of an even read if she'd spaced out these more personal essays, rather than clumping them together into a ghetto of their own. As it is, the first section isn't astonishing, and the second half, unfortunately, just seems like too little, too late.
Rating:
Summary: Eminently readable, but not what I expected
Review: Shifra Horn, a well-known Israeli writer, gives us her mostly-friendly take on Japanese culture. There was a lot of potential here, but this book could have been more than it turned out to be. I read this book hoping to find something more than the usual "visiting Japan" travelogue. I was hoping to find out what it was like for Horn, as an Israeli and a Jew, to live in Japan, but that's exactly what she denies readers for most of the book. The way it's been organized, the book is divided into two distinct sections, and the first section, unfortunately, gives mostly the kind of rambling overview of Japanese culture that you might expect from any travel writer. From the well-known (the Japanese obsession with business cards) to the cute (the Japanese obsession with toilets) to the obscure and sometimes jarring (the Japanese obsession with abortion), Horn writes capably, but deals out few surprises and little by way of her own perspective on the issues. Perhaps these essays filled a niche for Hebrew speakers, with little access to the wealth of material already available in English for Japan-philes, but as an English speaker, I felt like I'd read most of what she was saying before. Just when I was getting fed up, though, I found the second "half" of the book (significantly shorter). Here, Horn really gets going; it's like we're meeting her for the first time. She writes about what it's like to be an Israeli diplomat and Hebrew teacher in a country where, though Israelis and Judaism are often revered, the Nazi alliance hasn't faded from memory and antisemitism is making an unsettling comeback. Perhaps the book would have been more of an even read if she'd spaced out these more personal essays, rather than clumping them together into a ghetto of their own. As it is, the first section isn't astonishing, and the second half, unfortunately, just seems like too little, too late.
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