Japanese Summer

by Todd Garlington

Interested in Japanese culture but discouraged by purely touristic or academic accounts? Japanese Summer invites the reader on a unique three-month journey through urban, rural, and hidden Japan. In contrast to a lengthy survey, this deft memoir offers a collection of vignettes in journal form. Those drawn to the arts and humanities will appreciate the contemplative tone and vivid descriptions. Informative passages touch on language, customs, and aesthetics while pertinent philosophical interludes address the paradoxes of culture in general.

On a more personal note, Japanese Summer also documents a fleeting period of young adulthood. The perception of mono no aware or “the sadness of things” emerges as a memorable season comes to pass. Themes of intimacy and alienation explored during the mid-nineties remain fresh if not more relevant today.

For ePub readers, select Other Editions.

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Genres: Japan, Nonfiction

68 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2012

About the author

Todd Garlington spent his childhood in the Australian Capital Territory and his youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. Film school brought him to Los Angeles, but a love of language ultimately prevailed over an interest in images. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters in Professional Writing. After a rigorous stint in film and television where he served more as a factotum than a wordsmith, he transitioned to the vocation of independent author. His written work explores temporality, decadence, and the paradoxes of personal and cultural identity.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I'd like to say, this book saved me the price of an airline ticket! Well... it is rich with imaginative ideas. And conveyed in an intimate diary format that's not too long, for the more impatient readers such as myself. Sometimes stuff like this can be bogged down by its own subject matter. Garlington keeps it moving and alive.

I've always been interested in elements of Japanese pop culture and art, and the way traditional Japanese culture plays into both. This book connected the dots for me in way that was both surprising and edifying.