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The Passenger: Japan

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“Some Japanese stories end violently. Others never end at all, but only cut away, at the moment of extreme crisis, to a butterfly, or the wind, or the moon.”
—Brian Phillips

Visitors from the West look with amazement, and sometimes concern, at Japan’s social structures and unique, complex culture industry; the gigantic scale of its tech corporations and the resilience of its traditions; the extraordinary diversity of the subcultures that flourish in its “post-human” megacities. The country nonetheless remains an intricate and complicated jigsaw puzzle, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for stories, reflections, and reportage. The subjects in this volume range from the Japanese veneration of the dead to the Tokyo music scene, from urban alienation to cinema, from sumo to toxic masculinity. Caught between an ageing population and extreme post-modernity, Japan is an ideal observation point from which to understand our age and the one to come.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

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Various

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Lauren .
1,835 reviews2,551 followers
January 1, 2023
THE PASSENGER: JAPAN, Iperborea and Europa Editions @europaeditions, 2020.

Long-form essays & journalism, excerpts from books, outstanding infographics + photography, translated pieces and English originals.

This was an outstanding reading experience that I'll be thinking about for months... years.

Each essay here captivated. Here's a quick list + description of my faves:

▫️"Ghosts of the Tsunami" by Richard Lloyd Parry - excerpt from the book of same name. Grief processing after 20,000 people disappear in a great wave. Ghosts, Zen counseling, Shintoism, phone booths to talk to departed loved ones... This was such an emotional read.

▫️"A Simple Thank You" by Banana Yoshimoto, tr. by Meredith McKinney - a tribute to a beloved Tokyo neighborhood, a broken tailbone, and gratitude.

▫️"Of Bears and Men" by Cesare Alemanni, tr. from Italian by Katherine Gregor - Ainu Indigenous peoples of Hokkaido, their language, subjugation by Yamato, and the sacredness of bears in their traditional beliefs

▫️"Sea of Crisis" by Brian Phillips - longest piece in the book, stunned by the scope. Phillips studies sumo wrestling, following matches, profiling the champion Hakuhou Shō. He blends this story with a detailed look at Yukio Mishima's seppuku & the ritual beheading performed by one of his lieutenants, searching for the sword & the man who did it.

▫️"Sweet Bitter Blues" by Amanda Petrusich - the Japanese love of blues music... When emotions can be raw and unleashed in a restrained society.

Some pieces worked so well together: Ryū Murakami writes about the loss of connection in "The Withering of Desire" (tr. from Japanese by Meredith McKinney) which dovetails Léna Mauger's essay on people who run away from their lives in "The Evaporated", translated from the French by Tina Kover.

Ian Buruma writes about populism in "Why Japan is Populist-Free", and Jake Adelstein studies the rise of a nationalist cult.

Domestic engineering, depictions of family in Japanese cinema, toilet design, J-Pop...

📚 Just so much here. Highly recommended.
Nothing gets me revved up quite like good narrative nonfiction, y'all.
Profile Image for Chris_books_.
447 reviews22 followers
March 23, 2021
El libro trata temas muy variados sobre la cultura, deporte, sociedad, política, economía, historia, costumbres y curiosidades del país nipón.

En mi opinión, es un libro para leer tranquilamente, un artículo por semana o cuando te vaya apeteciendo, no lo veo como un libro de leer de seguido o al menos es la sensación que me ha dado. A mí me ha durado un mes y medio más o menos y lo he disfrutado mucho.

Al haber temas muy variados, algunos me han fascinado y otros no han tenido demasiado interés para mí, pero han sido muchos más los que he disfrutado mucho, destacando el artículo escrito por Ryū Murakami donde trata tema de amoríos y sus dificultades en la sociedad; o cuando nos relatan la muerte del escritor Yukio Mishima. Y el artículo que menos he disfrutado creo que ha sido el del Blues, demasiado específico para mi gusto.

En las fotos del post adjunto alguna imagen interior para poder apreciar el formato artículo que tienen la mayoría de ellos y la cubierta donde se aprecian los temas que trata el libro, aunque como os comento, habla de muchísimas cosas más.

Me ha parecido un gran libro para conocer más a fondo el país del sol naciente. Por supuesto, si tenéis ocasión de visitarlo, ni lo dudéis, es una maravilla.
Profile Image for Brona's Books.
515 reviews97 followers
June 5, 2021
I’m often a sucker for good packaging, and these books are very nicely designed. The handy journal size with firm cardboard, slightly textured, covers is a delight to pick up and hold. French flaps add to the strength and aesthetic appeal of the cover. Hiding behind the front one is a map of Japan while the flap contains basic facts and stats about the country, finishing with the ‘Average delay on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) network (2016)’ – which is 24 seconds, in case you were wondering.

Each journal has 192 pages full of art, photography and articles related to the country on offer. The lead article in Japan was a moving follow-up essay by Richard Lloyd Parry, the author of the 2017 Ghost of the Tsunami.

Since writing his book, Parry continues to spend time with survivors and has noted the rise of ancestor worship. This essay discussed visits with a Reverend Kaneta, who still provides spiritual assistance to those who lost family during the 2011 tsunami. The 20 page essay, with photos by Laura Liverani, was without doubt my favourite in the collection, and the main reason I acquired the book.
Full review here - https://bronasbooks.com/2021/06/02/th...
Profile Image for Jack M.
333 reviews19 followers
May 2, 2023
What can I say, upon finishing these works, I'd often take five to ten minutes to sit quietly and think about what I learned.  It wasn't as earth shattering as the Rome collection since I held no strong preconceptions about Japan, but still, reading this collection was an absolute pleasure.  Merely glancing at the book would give me an immense satisfaction, confidently knowing a small and quiet joy awaited me on the next piece that I'd read.  Perhaps a highlight would be the essay on sumo wrestling, that somehow tied in Yukio Mishima - a Japanese author I've not heard of (and honestly a little hesitant to try) whose life is a fascinating story in itself.
Profile Image for Mira D4.
47 reviews
June 29, 2022
This book shows other sides of Japan than most do. The lay-out and pictures are really pretty and there is a variety of themes.
Profile Image for Alessandra Jarreta.
213 reviews40 followers
June 25, 2021
Completamente apaixonada por essa leitura e ansiosa pelas próximas edições
Profile Image for Heidi ✨.
136 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2025
A worrying amount of misinformation and reductive generalisation in this book, but I did like the Yoshimoto Banana essay.
Profile Image for Eule Luftschloss.
2,106 reviews54 followers
September 2, 2020
trigger warning


This collection of essays centres around societal issues Japan faces right now. There is one about the ghosts left by the tsunami in 2011, about a cult that infiltrates the politics, about blues music affectionados in Tokyo, about the art of sumo wrestling.

While the first essays are long and take a while to read, towards the end we have some shorter ones. There are photographs and illustrations, there's a section with further reading materials that mentions One Piece for some reason.

I liked this a lot. As a typical middle European person, I am fascinated by Japan, and while I read a lot of manga in my teens, I am always down for learning more about Japan-that-is. While some articles, like the one about sumo wrestling, come from a very positive-enthusiastic side, there is also criticism to be found in these pages. One article is about the evaporated, people who simply leave their old lifes because they made mistakes, and start new somewhere else. Most often, this is down to trusting one will be able to pay back a loan shark, and has to face serious consequences if not. I have toyed with the idea of starting somewhere else anew multiple times, but it was more a what if exploration of a situation, and I came to the conclusion that my problems are illness-related and won't go away by adopting a new name. I never heard about this before, that it's legal in Japan to simply... go. That it's possible to live a new life somwhere else, sometimes just at the other edge of Tokyo, a city so big that you're basically the famous needle in the haystack.

I learned while being entertained which is the best kind of learning.
Recommendations go out to japanophiles and people who like essays or travelling. Essays about travelling. Travelling to write essays.
You get the gist.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Profile Image for Mila.
17 reviews1 follower
August 15, 2022
Para ler devagar e digerir cada história... cheio de referências para se aprofundar em cada um dos temas
Profile Image for Ann.
200 reviews
November 27, 2024
3.5? Hard to rate since some stories were great while others were subpar. Definitely learned new things though, so rounded up to a 4.
Profile Image for Kyle.
296 reviews32 followers
August 5, 2020
The release of this series for "explorers of the world" could not have been better timed. I haven't traveled at all since the pandemic began back in March, but this book helped transport me to Japan from the comfort of my front porch rocking chair. I enjoyed all the various pieces within: the fallout from the tsunami, a look at sumo wrestling, how American blues music has become popular in Japan, how people choose to vanish to escape debt, to name but a few. I also really enjoyed the brief sections at the end that provided a Spotify playlist of Japaneses music, a list of books for further reading, and a movie, novel, and album recommendation by an acclaimed author. And the info-graphics spread throughout the book were well-thought out and informative. I already have the next book in the series (Greece) ready to go.
Profile Image for Richard Newton.
Author 27 books595 followers
February 15, 2025
A very pleasant looking book. A collection of essays about various aspects of Japan, interspersed with odd quirky shorter pieces and facts and figures about the country. I’ve never been and plan to go and was attracted to this book. The essays are mostly written by journalists and the writing itself is to a good standard. It’s almost like resting a super long version of a colour supplement that used to come with the weekend newspapers, dedicated to one topic, Japan.

The book presents a pleasing alternative to the standard travel guide or single person memoirs of travels. The topics are unusual, varied and mostly stuff you would not find in a normal travel guide.

I think the intention is great, and I would happily read others from the passenger series. But although enjoyed most of it, overall I was a little underwhelmed.

I think the problem is that it is mostly written by non-Japanese, and professional journalists. At times it feels they were trying too hard to find something unusual to say. In some cases they succeed but not in others. Too much feels like a foreigners experience of Japan rather than about Japan. I felt I was listening to or watching the writers rather than watching Japan itself. Perhaps this is inevitable but it did not quite satisfy me.

Nonetheless, I should give full credit for the attempt. It’s physically a very nice book and contains some memorable insights.
296 reviews1 follower
October 18, 2021
In the last year or two I have discovered a love of Japanese Fiction, but realised I knew nothing about the country. I decided to treat myself to this collection of essays on different themes to try and learn a bit more about Japan, particularly as there was one by Banana Yoshimoto.
The topics in the book varied enormously, and even within an essay there was a wide ranging theme. From the rise in people seeing ghosts after the Tsunami of 2011, the obsession with American Blues music, and an essay about Sumo, to the 'evaporated' who disappear to escape debt and the rise of a far right movement. All sorts of things were covered.
I particularly enjoyed the essay about Sumo, which was a surprise, and included a side theme of the suicide of Yukio Mishima, something I knew nothing about.
It was an eclectic mix, with, strangely, the piece by Banana Yoshimoto, my least favourite in the book.
Possibly not one for those familiar with the country, but so different and interesting if, like me, you know next to nothing.
Profile Image for Sarah Connor.
112 reviews6 followers
August 26, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this.

I was kind of vaguely interested in Japan. I didn't know much about it - just a few buzz words - samurai, sumo, sushi, cherry-blossoms, geishas, tsunami. It was kind of there, picturesque and interesting, but lacking detail. .

This book was fascinating - a series of essays by different writers, some Japanese, some not, looking at different aspects of Japanese culture. I think I could now watch a sumo match with some degree of understanding, and I have a much deeper appreciation of what's happening socially and politically in Japan. Because it's a series of essays there are different styles to enjoy, and quite different viewpoints - from housewifely skills to populist politics, sumo to ghost sightings - there's a lot to read and think about.
Profile Image for Katy Wheatley.
1,403 reviews55 followers
August 23, 2020
Rather than a regular guidebook, the Passenger books give you a view of a place from a cultural perspective. This is a series of essays and articles about various aspects of contemporary Japanese life by all kinds of people, native Japanese people and outsiders. It covers a huge variety of topics from the people who disappear from their lives because of pressing debt to modern day ghosts to the Japanese obsession with blues music. I loved this book and have already bought two books by a couple of the contributors. I loved the idea, the format and the content. I'd happily read more of these about other countries.
Profile Image for Andrew.
39 reviews
December 30, 2020
This is the first book in a new series published by Europa Editions and Iperborea. I believe the series has been going a while in Italy, but the English language version launched with this book on Japan and a second on Greece during 2020.
Perfect timing in a year when international travel was limited. The book is a collection of articles and reportage. Most are long form essays and all non-fiction. At the start there is general information about Japan and some great infographics. At the end some shorter pieces, including book, film and music recommendations, a curated playlist and suggested further reading. Very much enjoyed these vignettes into Japanese life, with only one piece that failed to grab my attention. Looking forward to more from this series.
Profile Image for Lucy.
269 reviews19 followers
September 1, 2020
I'm a bit obsessed with books about Japan lately, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. I did enjoy it, but I found the formatting really, really frustrating - if I hadn't been enjoying the content so much, I wouldn't have bothered finishing it.

The various essays were all interesting and well written, and the extracts from longer works were well chosen. I was especially fascinated by the essay about the Disappeared. The extract from Ghosts of the Tsunami was just as moving as the first time I read it.

Great starting point for learning more about the culture of Japan.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this.
Profile Image for Selene.
103 reviews
November 14, 2024
This was everything I never knew I needed!
A collection of essays about Japan, covering a wide variety of topics, such as the 2011 tsunami, the Ainu people, sumo, the "evaporated" (people who "disappear" from their lives and start over), Japan's love for blues, housewives' ways of making money, etc.
They are the types of essays that help you understand the idiosyncracy and character of a people, in ways you'd never think to research by yourself. I've already ordered the next book in the series. If they're all as good as this one, I'm going to have an excellent time!
Profile Image for jon.
131 reviews
December 4, 2023
great collection of essays that illuminated for me what japanese society is beyond the anime and manga and food.... currently going through a jp craze rn so it's so impt that i don't forget to understand the cultural context of what modernity i can enjoy now. lovely pictures and writing -- journalism is so powerful <3
Profile Image for Luz.
1,027 reviews12 followers
January 2, 2025
This is one of the first books I’ve read with short articles and photos about a specific country. It’s hard to describe, but every article I’ve read so far has been surprisingly good (though I haven’t finished yet). The articles aren’t connected, except that they’re all about Japan, and each one is excellent.
Profile Image for Lorena.
105 reviews
January 30, 2025
Un libro muy interesante con ensayos cortos de diferentes temas, pero todos teniendo un nexo común que es descubrir algo nuevo de la sociedad japonesa.
Me ha gustado especialmente "Fantasmas del tsunami", se quedó en mi mente durante varios días e incluso al finalizar el libro es el que más recuerdo.
651 reviews17 followers
April 17, 2021
An unusual collection of stories or observations on life in Japan, be it spirits not passing to the other side or sumo wrestlers and how it all works.

I like learning about other cultures so this was an interesting book.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.
Profile Image for Umberto Mínguez.
115 reviews1 follower
April 19, 2022
El libro está en la línea de la colección The Passenger. Muchos artículos interesantes aunque he echado de menos algún artículo sobre videojuegos o manga. Particularmente me ha costado leerlo ya que Japón no es un país que me interese mucho como turista.
Profile Image for ABEL.
27 reviews3 followers
May 9, 2024
Un formato de periodismo de viajes muy muy interesante. Salgo con una larguísima recomendación de libros y películas y con muchísimas historias que contar a mis conocidos. Aaaaah, lo que me gustan las revistas de periodismo reposado!
Profile Image for yoban.
27 reviews1 follower
Read
May 4, 2021
a sprawling, though not as much as i’d hoped, interrogation of Japan, replete with wonderful print (i’m a huge sucker for pretty formatted pages)
Profile Image for Gal Silver.
2 reviews
February 24, 2022
wonderful unusual travel to Japan

What I’d wish to learn about living in Japan as a native. I will look into other magazines in this series for more global walk-about.
Profile Image for Federico Cutrock.
48 reviews4 followers
March 22, 2022
storie un po' random riguardanti alcune particolarita' della cultura giapponese, speravo andasse un po' piu' a fondo invece rimane molto superficiale. Alcuni racconti molto noiosi
Profile Image for Craig.
378 reviews10 followers
April 21, 2024
For those not familiar with this series/publisher, this is more of a cultural than travel guide, but regardless it’s full of useful observations and information, and is beautifully presented.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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