Lost Japan @ richardeward.com

Lost Japan
by Alex Kerr
from Lonely Planet

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

• More accurate title would be "My Lost Japan"
  Although the topics Kerr addresses are relevant all over Japan and to many aspects of Japanese culture, this book is not going to reflect the experience of many Japanese people, much less many westerners in Japan. It is a memoir, a personal exploration of Japanese culture as it has been experienced by one man. And a remarkable experience it is - Alex Kerr somehow managed to accumulate in-depth first-hand knowledge of kabuki, calligraphy, Japanese art and painting, the business world of Tokyo, and living... more info

• A lovely read
  Most of the reviews of this book either support or criticize Kerr's point of view regarding the topics he covers. It seems to me Kerr does an admirable job of conveying what are obviously his own experiences living for a very long time in Japan. It seems neither reactionary, elitist, nor condemning. As a writer, I loved the book for its writing.
  Kerr has a talent for phrasing, metaphor, and humor that makes the reading a delightful breeze. Clearly his Japanese publisher felt it was a subject that would... more info

• Great Reading
  If you have any interest at all in Japan, this is a must read book. This is very well written, interesting to the point that I could not put it down, and a great book to read about this man and his explotis throughout his adult life living in Japan. I always loan this book to my friends with an interest in Japan, and give it as a gift to others.

• A must read for those interested in Japan
  Three years ago, Alex Kerr finally left the Japan he had called home for some 30 years prior to that. For a look at why, there is no better place to start than his seminal work on the willful and casual destruction of Japanese culture.
  Originally written in Japanese, Kerr's work documents the loss of what drew him to Japan in the first place: its spectacular traditional arts. Divided into chapters on Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, legendary American businessman Trammell Crow, Kabuki, Kerr's own art collecting and... more info

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