Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan

by Pauline Hager

An American housewife's husband is offered a position in Japan to work on a multinational project. After much soul-searching they accept, and their lives are never the same. Living in the countryside in housing specifically designed for Westerners, surrounded with friendly neighbors from The European Union, Canada, Russia and America, they thrive. Pauline gingerly maneuvers through complicated rules of Japanese social behavior, never knowing when a simple faux pas would be construed as an intolerable violation of proper conduct. Life in Japan was a challenge, but a close network of Japanese and fellow expatriate friends enabled the Hagers to triumph.

Genres: Japan, Memoir

240 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

A native of Clinton, Massachusetts, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and a longtime resident of Southern California, Pauline Hager presently lives in La Jolla, California with her husband, Randy. The Hagers lived in Japan from 1994 to 1997. Upon their return, Ms. Hager wrote a book about her fascinating experiences, Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan. Giorgi's Greek Tragedy is her first novel.

Reviews

[Scarlett (Carrie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

I love anything to do with Japan and Japanese culture. Every since I visited, I have been in love. Heck I was in love before I visited but that trip really made the feeling so much more intense. So when I read this title, I was already sold on the book in all honesty.

I enjoyed the writing style, it was easy to follow and flowed nicely. I enjoyed traveling to all these places through the author's mind but sometimes.... maybe it's just me, it felt like the author was a little condensing. So that's why I felt the need to lower my rating. Otherwise, it was nice to see how she adjusted to her new life. I really enjoyed just seeing these places through her eyes, even though I disagree with her a lot of things, like the fact I freaking love Singapore and she wasn't that crazy about it. It was just nice to read a different opinion.

I will say this is not a how-to book, or a travel guide. It's just a lady sharing her travels and thoughts on the places she went. I would still recommend this book because maybe it was just my thoughts that she was talking down to people and someone else may not think that way.

[Lorna Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pauline had a somewhat similar experience to ours, except she was in a small company compound, and we lived in a nearly totally Japanese area. Like us, she attempted to see and learn as much as possible during her stay. I related to many of her experiences. However, there were many others which were different. We lived in Takarazuka near Osaka; she was in a small town closer to Tokyo. She mentioned the import company in Kobe; the owners were good friends. For a feel for what it's like to live in Japan as an expat, this will give you a good idea. It appears that Pauline's husband was very well paid as they were able to travel quite a bit. Travel in Japan is extremely expensive! She was also able to get to many places in Asia during her stay. They were also able to make home visits twice a year. We were only allowed one, and only at the company's discretion. (There were times during construction when travel of any kind was not allowed.)
A pleasant and personal view of Japan.

[Linda Meckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book if you are taking a trip to Japan or plan on living there. The author did a fabulous job on descriptions and how she had to adjust to the Japanese roads, language and lifestyle. Linda Meckler

[Polina · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy, interesting read. I read the first half and then just scanned through the rest.