Rating: 
Summary: Advice - Some good, some bad
Review: "Culture Shock - Japan" is a book written during a specific time period for a specific target audience. Realistically, this is a guide for businessmen who found themselves transferred to Japan during the "Bubble Economy." At least, the book assumes that the reader is moving to Japan semi-permanently. The author makes it pretty clear that this is not intended to be a tourists guide.With that in mind, however, you can mine some good advice from "Culture Shock - Japan." The most useful chapters focused on social customs like gift giving, house visits, riding the subway and other day-to-day encounters. Social customs of this sort are more common, and less affected by the fading economy. You will definitely be able to avoid some embarrassing situations if you follow the advice. I skipped several chapters that did not relate to my situation, such as "Doing Business with the Japanese," and the chapter on buying a house. One the plus side, the book is a quick read (especially if you skip chapters like I did) and will help prepare you for oncoming culture shock. It gives an important message in that Japan is going to be far more different that you expect, and that you should prepare yourself. Recommended, with reservation. If you are going to Japan for a long-term stay, I think that this is a useful book. It just should not be your only book on Japanese culture and expectations.
Rating:
Summary: Advice - Some good, some bad
Review: "Culture Shock - Japan" is a book written during a specific time period for a specific target audience. Realistically, this is a guide for businessmen who found themselves transferred to Japan during the "Bubble Economy." At least, the book assumes that the reader is moving to Japan semi-permanently. The author makes it pretty clear that this is not intended to be a tourists guide. With that in mind, however, you can mine some good advice from "Culture Shock - Japan." The most useful chapters focused on social customs like gift giving, house visits, riding the subway and other day-to-day encounters. Social customs of this sort are more common, and less affected by the fading economy. You will definitely be able to avoid some embarrassing situations if you follow the advice. I skipped several chapters that did not relate to my situation, such as "Doing Business with the Japanese," and the chapter on buying a house. One the plus side, the book is a quick read (especially if you skip chapters like I did) and will help prepare you for oncoming culture shock. It gives an important message in that Japan is going to be far more different that you expect, and that you should prepare yourself. Recommended, with reservation. If you are going to Japan for a long-term stay, I think that this is a useful book. It just should not be your only book on Japanese culture and expectations.
Rating: 
Summary: Soften the blow of culture shock
Review: I found this book a fantastic introduction to Japanese culture, and definately gave me a basic understanding of all aspects of Japanese culture. It was insightful and extremely interesting to read. I read straight through it in about a day and wished there was a part 2. The next day, I was watching some anime cartoons, and found I actually got a lot more of the jokes!
Rating:
Summary: interesting and useful, usually
Review: I picked this book up before doing a one-year study abroad in Japan. It was an extremely helpful primer on many of the mannerisms and attitudes of the Japanese. Niceties and body language are well-described; essential, considering how different Japanese politeness and body language can be from Western customs! An informative book that not only tells you what to- or not-to-do, but also WHY. A step that will take you a lot closer to understanding Japanese habits, instead of just mimicking them. The language section is skimpy, and I don't really understand why they even included it. This is, after all, a book on culture, not a phrase book (I mean, it's a trade paperback - it will never fit in your pocket while you tour Tokyo!). However, that is just one minor complaint of an otherwise helpful and essential guide to life or travel in Japan.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointing book written with an outsider's perspective
Review: I read this book prior to spending a month working in Japan (as did another of my collegues who joined me there). Based on the information in the book we were extremely worried about what we would encounter in the work and social environment in Japan. We did not encounter the majority of the situations mentioned in the book although we were working very closely with a traditional Japanese company. As a female going to work in Japan, I only found 1 paragraph in the whole book which was relevant to this situation (the book focused on businessmen and their non-working wives traveling with them). The book does provide an interesting background but it is unlikely that you will encounter even half of the culture shocks mentioned.
Rating:
Summary: Real-size images of Japan and Japanese
Review: I'm a Japanese living in Japan. I bought this book to check if it worth recommending to my friends. Yes, I recommend this book. It'll tell you real-size Japan and Japanese without exaggeration. It covers usual life of ordinary Japanese people. It's a fair book.
Rating:
Summary: Take some, leave some.
Review: I'm moving to Japan in about a year, and this book definately gives a lot of insight into culture and traditions, but it seems to focus on buissness men and their wives. What's up with that? I'm going there as an English teaching assistant to 13/14 year olds, so half the book didn't even apply to me. The other half was very interesting. I wouldn't rely on this book alone, since it is a bit rigid, but it's worth picking up. Definately check out a wide variety of material. And don't forget Japanese cook books, as they often give insight into regional culture and tradition as well!
Rating:
Summary: Take some, leave some.
Review: I'm moving to Japan in about a year, and this book definately gives a lot of insight into culture and traditions, but it seems to focus on buissness men and their wives. What's up with that? I'm going there as an English teaching assistant to 13/14 year olds, so half the book didn't even apply to me. The other half was very interesting. I wouldn't rely on this book alone, since it is a bit rigid, but it's worth picking up. Definately check out a wide variety of material. And don't forget Japanese cook books, as they often give insight into regional culture and tradition as well!
Rating:
Summary: Panic-inducing!
Review: On the eve of moving to Japan for a year, I read Culture Shock! Japan, and wow, did it get my heart beating fast. It portrays Japan as a minefield of devastating cultural faux pas that will leave us either completely ostracized from society or deported. But, upon arrival, it was quickly evident that the culture gap isn't nearly as big as the book claimed. Nor were the social consequences of making a slip-up. It's true this book was probably written for American business men trying to close some big deal, and I guess it does contain a quite a bit of valuable information about Japan, but trust me: that info can be found elsewhere, and in a book that won't give you second thoughts about going. Steer clear of Culture Shock! Japan.
Rating:
Summary: You can do better!
Review: The only reason this book gets one star is because there are some useful lists in the back of the book about food, vocabulary, etc. But that information does not make it worth it to buy this book. The same information can be found in MANY books out there, preferably something without the negative slant this author seems to take towards Japan. Instead of simply showing the readers the differences between American and Japanese cultures, he insists on adding his own close-minded two cents. Though not overt, the author seems to look down on the Japanese people and culture, mostly because it is different from what he is used to. While there are many people out there who choose to believe a culture is wrong simply because it is different from what they are used to, I would prefer to read cultural books written by those that take a less judgmental approach.
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