The Only Gaijin in the Village: A Year Living in Rural Japan

by Iain Maloney

In 2016 Scottish writer Iain Maloney and his Japanese wife Minori moved to a village in rural Japan. This is the story of his attempt to fit in, be accepted and fulfil his duties as a member of the community, despite being the only foreigner in the village.

Even after more than a decade living in Japan and learning the language, life in the countryside was a culture shock. Due to increasing numbers of young people moving to the cities in search of work, there are fewer rural residents under the retirement age – and they have two things in time and curiosity. Iain’s attempts at amateur farming, basic gardening and DIY are conducted under the watchful eye of his neighbours and wife. But curtain twitching is the least of his problems. The threat of potential missile strikes and earthquakes is nothing compared to the venomous snakes, terrifying centipedes and bees the size of small birds that stalk Iain’s garden.

Told with self-deprecating humour, this memoir gives a fascinating insight into a side of Japan rarely seen and affirms the positive benefits of immigration for the individual and the community. It’s not always easy being the only gaijin in the village.

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir, Asia, Biography Memoir, Biography

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published August 3, 2021

About the author

Iain Maloney was born in Aberdeen and now lives in Japan. He is the author of 8 books and the forthcoming The Japan Lights (Summer 2023)

Reviews

[Ian Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a travel book, but a found a new home in a world of adventure book, episodic in nature and design, but with enough of a through line and good use of seasons of the year and life to create a singular vision.

I love this genre and appreciate every time an experienced writer puts one out.

Putting this above many other “life in Japan” stories is Maloney’s insight, more than just initial reactions to the new and absurd or interesting, but at times past that to some real looks at what it means to leave a home and family, and what it means to find, or try to find your new home and family.

I’ll also say, if Hemingway makes me want wine and Booth makes me want a roadside beer, then Maloney makes me want a fire in my yard and enough space to enjoy it. Maybe I need to escape the city myself.

Hope a lot of people pick this one up and give it a chance!


Full review now up on my blog:

https://ianjoshyateswriting.blogspot....

[Stephen Rötzsch Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

God, this was a frustrating book. I wanted so much to like it - the premise sounded really interesting, with plenty of promise. But the author is, frankly, not a great writer. Many of the chapters go nowhere in particular, having nothing of any interest to say. Frequently they have so little to say, in fact, that they cover two or three disparate ideas and fail entirely to draw anything from any of them.

Worse, Maloney is obsessed with laboured similes. He loves to throw them at you, often multiple times in a page. Frequently, the similes drag contemporary Western politics into completely unrelated chapters. At one point, Maloney recognises this fault; but it's no relief, just an excuse for more awful, unrelated and - again - painfully laboured similes. See for yourself, in this section where he compares a talkative neighbour with other native Japanese speakers:

'Other [locals] can be as impenetrable as a White House statement of clarification. However, like an over-elaborate series of similes, once he starts he's very difficult to stop. So, like Nigel de Jong in the 2010 World Cup, I'll get about ten minutes of quality hacking done before being halted'.

This book either needed three more editors, or one less commissioning editor. Eesh.

[Alan M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really engaging and well-written book, this covers a year of Iain Maloney's life in rural Japan with his Japanese wife and a cast of quirky locals who tolerate his battles with centipedes, snakes, knotweed and the subtle nuances of the Japanese language. Avoiding the 'just arrived abroad' form of travel narrative, this shows how the author and his wife have settled into their established life, which makes the stories richer and more rewarding.

There are deeper issues too, as the author ponders wider topics of immigration, family and what it means to call somewhere 'home'. It is, also, very funny, and especially for Scots - and more particularly those from the author's native north-east of Scotland - you will recognise yourself and your family in this as well!

This is a Japan that is as familiar as it is different, and the book is for those who both know Japan and those who just want to know it a bit better. Funny, often quite moving, this is a fantastic book that is so much more than just a 'travel memoir'. It's the kind of book that just makes you feel better about life, and we need more of those!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japan has long fascinated me as a country, the culture compared to the UK where I live seems utterly alien. I haven’t visited, but those that I know who have, say it was well worth the trip. Taking a holiday there is probably my limit, I am not sure I could do what Iain Maloney did and move to the country with his Japanese wife Minori.

They chose this option because of the onerous regulations and costs that our present government places on the spouses of UK residents. They chose to live in a rural village too, something that most immigrants to the country don’t do, most stay in the larger cities. This very funny book is the story of his trying to comprehend Japanese culture, fit into village life, understand the language and be accepted despite being the only gaijin in the village.

Even though he is an obvious incomer to the place, the residents of the village also see his wife as an incomer too, She is not from that part of the country, so she has had to build trust with the people there, though she does have a head start on the culture and language. He has some strong opinions about his chosen country, and this book is as much a celebration of the things that he loves as well as the things that drive him to drink. He is Scottish after all…

Coming from a country that is relatively inert geologically, he is spooked by the natural events that happen fairly frequently there, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. However, the one that scared him the most was the alerts for the missile that the ever-friendly North Koreans had fired. A reminder of the tension in the geopolitics of the region.

I really liked this and thought that it had the edge over Abroad In Japan by Chris Broad, mostly because of the bone-dry humour that Maloney has. But to be honest they are both worth reading because of the different experiences that they have of living the country.

[stefan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite often when I start reading a book, I think, 'what a cool idea!' but sooner rather than later I notice that although the idea is cool, it doesn't have enough substance for 240 pages. The only Gaijin in the Village is such a book. The beginning is fascinating, fast-paced, witty and, at times, even laugh-out-loud funny. Halfway through the book, though, you feel it's not so fascinating and funny anymore but has become boring and annoying.

Of course, I did soldier on because, after all, it is a book about Japan, but nevertheless it is my impression that 160 pages instead of 240 pages would have resulted in a better book.

[Mark Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a day by day account of what it must be like for a Scotsman to spend time living in rural Japan this is informative and enjoyable. Iain’s new neighbours and inlaws are shown to be generous, community-minded and welcoming. His explanation of Japanese local traditions and habits is also interesting, although this style of writing is more suited perhaps to a newspaper rather than in book form.

The easy similes are over-used, as is the laddish swearing at every occasion of surprise or exasperation. Similarly, the tiresome anti-Brexit, anti-Tory asides, quite out of place in the narrative, become annoying. Iain feels that Brexit voters are racist, “late capitalism” is destructive, Michael Gove deserves a beating - understood, but sprinkling the text with this prejudice makes one eventually question whether his observations of Japan are equally sweeping and imprecise. What this is missing is a good editor.
Overall, enjoyable light reading, with some insight into Japanese rural life.

Postscript
I notice that on Amazon this has multiple 5 star reviews. 5 stars! As prose that would inevitably put this on a par with Dostoevsky, George Elliot, Dickens, Shakespeare. Have we lost all sense of proportion or are publishers the only "reviewers" on Amazon?

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and interesting book about a guy who is the only foreigner in his small village in Japan.


I have been eyeing this book for ages now but Amazon didn’t have it in stock or it was 16-20 euro if it was in stock. Thankfully, another publisher apparently reprinted the book and that meant I could get the book easily! Thanks publishers who reprint~

I am always very eager to read books like this about people who immigrate to another country and their experiences there. Especially when that country is Japan. I have always loved Japan, not just for the anime and manga, but also for culture, for the trains, for nature, and more. I would love to one day go and visit. Sadly, my money says no. XD But I keep hoping.

In this book we meet Iain who has moved permanently to Japan with his wife Minori. For many reasons. I loved reading about Iain’s experiences in Japan and then especially the village. How he battles with beasts like centipedes and snakes but also with knotweeds. How he figures out how to garden (and gets tips aplenty though if they are all handy…). Wonders how to deal with cleaning/rotas in the village in which everyone has to take part. We read about cold winters and hot summers. About how slowly the village gets to learn Iain a bit more, but how some people clearly didn’t care (given that one guy was surprised Iain and Minori have been living there for 3 years). About language barriers and figuring out how to do teaching in a small village. How to handle typhoons and earthquakes. And so much more including his family and Scotland. It was very interesting to read, Iain has a very nice way of writing down things, it makes you want to keep on reading, it makes you curious.

While for most this book was what I had expected, there were some parts that just didn’t interest me. Especially when he went on a tangent about something not really related to him living in Japan, or him talking about books (none of them interesting to me). Plus, it could definitely do with a bit more chronological order, at times I was a tad confused at when something happened and where that happened in a timeline. We went from how it is in his village to how he decided on Japan to how he met his wife to his first time in Japan to teaching to family.

But all in all, a book I really enjoyed reading and I am happy that I added this one to my collection! I do hope that Iain writes more books about Japan~

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Flora Qian · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a humorous and sensitive memoir of putting down roots in an adopted country. I relate to the attention to seasons described in the book as someone who grew up in a similar climate (Yangtze River Delta). I find joy in the funny tales through the author’s lenses of encountering unfamiliar local fauna, traditional rituals and translation problems.

The author Iain Maloney sees culture as it is, and should be seen, tied to the landscape, from the bottom up and from its people. It is not your typical “first-year expat” story that has a different readership. The Only Gaijin in the Village is a book with a broader appeal. In the current era of increasing state propaganda, “soft” power and the “us versus them” dichotomy, it is a refreshing read of open-mindedness and self-awareness, and therefore originality.

I enjoyed this book very much, and plan to order a second copy for my mother-in-law, who lived in Japan in the 1960s – an only gaijin in the village herself.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title and description of this one really grabbed me - I think I was expecting it to be more of an experiential kind of day-to-day memoir, but it turned out to be more of a regular memoir? The book was divided into seasons, but it jumped around in time and covered a lot more than one year. Each season is composed of a lot of short little chapters, which made sense when I learned it started out as a series of essays for an online news site, but they don't always flow or even end up making too much of a point. I appreciate the perspective of the long-term immigrant living in Japan, but I think I wanted more daily doings rather than sweeping musings. Add to that pages of terrible similies and I struggled with this one.

[Maggi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing read. This was not "a year living in rural Japan", it was "random accounts of an author's life who happens to have moved to Japan".

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming book, told from the perspective of Iain Maloney who moves with Minori his Japanese wife to rural Japan.

When I think of Japan I tend to think of the huge urban sprawls and disturbingly Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift, I never think of the small towns and villages in the countryside. The rural dwellers who aren’t surrounded by Blade Runner-esque skyscrapers and neon but farmland and community spirit.

This is where Iain finds himself, not only does he have his house to deal with, he has a garden with plants that need love, he has terrifying insects that need to be dealt with and he has neighbours who are more than happy to lend their often unsolicited advice. I loved his neighbours, they are eager to teach and share their wisdom. They didn’t judge this gaijin coming in to their community even if his Japanese sounded funny to them.

The book is full of humour and as a fellow Scot I appreciate that greatly. It really does embrace the community way of life, something that pandemic aside we don’t always have in this country.

I learned much more about Japan than I ever could have expected. A lovely read.

[Rita Costa (Lusitania Geek) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice read about Japan and its society. There were things I knew but majority it was a discovery, I always been fascinated by Japan and this gave me a better perception specially living in the rural japanese life.

The author is currently living in Japan for awhile, as he married with a japanese woman and as a Scottish…it’s always happening new things in his daily life. The book is divided by 4 parts: Summer, Autmn, Winter and Spring, each chapter tells an event (some awkard or hilarious) where the author witnessed or found a memory rather too good not to share about his stay in Japan to the readers.

4 ⭐️

[sang_h · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were to write my own book or my own memoir, (granted having achieved my full metaphoric potential as a writer), this is how I would write it. This is my style, my kind of writing! Well, minus the references to some hifalutin authors and words that seem familiar enough but I don’t know the meaning of. My reading pace of this book was slow. I had to pause at each unfamiliar word or reference as I don’t want to miss the meaning intended by the author. However, as I got past that, I found the book poignant and insightful and could feel the appreciation and respect for Japan and the Japanese way of life. I can feel the sense of belongingness and a feeling of finding a home. It’s funny and a tear jerker in some parts. Didn’t expect that! Plus it contributed a lot to my vocabulary. I swear, I only have Schadenfreude sometimes.

[Daniel Warriner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t had this much fun reading a gaijin memoir since Alan Booth’s books or Donald Richie’s journals. Maloney has a way of writing that puts you right there with him at his fire in rural Gifu, beer in hand, as he tells his stories. As a long-term resident, rock guitarist, vegetable grower, and husband to a Japanese wife, often as perplexed as I am enchanted by this country and its customs, I could relate to so much here. Plenty of humor from start to finish with touching moments and fresh perspectives throughout.

[Books on Asia · Rating 4 out of 5]

We received a review copy of this book about a Scott who moves to rural Japan with his Japanese wife. Expats in Japan will laugh out loud at many of Maloney's experiences as he struggles to fit into Japanese village life. Maloney writes with panache and finds humor in even the most mundane circumstances. He muses on everything from Japanese culture to Scottish football, hedge-trimming, neighborhood duties, his own Scottish upbringing and the healing powers of a glowing campfire.

[starduest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the good parts of this book - and there were many. The humorous similes, the interesting anecdotes and the lovely insights into life in rural Japan. Some of those run-on similes were sheer brilliance in their inventiveness and they were great. However, some of less good similes went on for too long only to get a "huh?" and the less interesting essays were honestly a bit pointless and - if I may say so - dull. I would still recommend this book for its more unique take on an immigrant's experience in Japan, but with the caveat that one might get more out of it if you already have some familiarity with Japan and Britain

[Patrick McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I'm doing this backwards, I read Iain Maloney's most recent book, The Japan Lights: On the Trail of the Scot Who Lit Up Japan’s Coast, first. That being said, I had marked this one, The Only Gaijin in the Village, "to-read" since a couple friends had read it and rated it highly. I think memoirs depend heavily on style and tone as the writer conveys, hopefully, interesting insights into his/her experiences. Maloney's observations are colored by comparisons to Scottish and British culture that he comes from, which is also somewhat novel and exotic for me, an American. He is a music fan of my generation so I can also relate to that-in this book he uses pop music song titles for each chapter and from those I see we have overlapping taste in music. I was able to appreciate that tone and style in The Japan Lights and it was repeated in The Only Gaijin in the Village. Maloney has a very conversational tone and has many amusing asides and insights to Japanese culture. I am not sure if it can be appropriately appreciated by non-residents of Japan since a lot of what he discusses concerns day to day life in Japan. Since I have lived more or less in the urban parts of Kanto my 25 plus years in Japan (Disclaimer: there were some years spent in suburban areas as well). The rural perspective is somewhat engaging as well, since I would never move to the countryside and give up my "convenience" entitlements of living in the city. Maloney freely admits this is the biggest challenge, "lack of convince" to living in rural Gifu. His depictions of his wife Minori, she seems like a real character. In addition, I found his discussions of assimilation thought provoking, because I usually see myself as living outside Japanese society in a sort of "gaijin bubble" as Donald Richie used to describe Japan-a fascinating place becasue as foreigners we can look on from the outside without the obligations and burdens of a true member of society. But Maloney's musing on how Japan has changed him ring true to me as well and made me reconsider how Japan has changed me. Recently, on a return flight from Manlia my seat mate took off his shoes AND SOCKS and put his feet on the bulkhead and I was outraged and called the Japanese flight attendant and asked if that was permitted? She said she would clean it later. Outraged, I took photographic evidence and posted it on Facebook. One incredulous suggested I may have been living in Japan too long and I suggested if it didn't bother him he might be "a dirty hippie." Yet another Australian friend said he learned why it might be offensive from the post. So, yes, maybe Japan has made me more anal about somethings such as cleanliness, or maybe it just solidified previous feelings about cleanliness? But I have to admit after living here as long as I have, I am generally more conscious of how my actions affect others, and try to avoid causing trouble for other people since it is one of the major ways of coping with 130 million people living a land space the size of Montana. Overall, another entertaining memoir from a Scot in the land of the rising son.

[David Kenvyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is extraordinary. It is a tour de force. It is a funny, committed and impassioned account of how a young Scots writer came to the decision that he would spend the rest of his life in rural Japan. I first met Iain Maloney, through my job as a librarian, following the publication of his first novel, First Time Solo. It was his second novel, Silma Hill, that really made people sit up and pay attention. That was when Iain Maloney discovered something about being a Scottish writer. It is difficult to make a living if you do not fit the stereotype: that is, if you do not write tartan noire. This is why he decided to go to Japan. It was to earn a living as an English teacher. It was there that his life changed for ever, because he met Minori and married her.
It was not that they did not try to live in Scotland. It was that our government did not make it easy for them to stay here. They therefore decided that it would be better to go back to Japan and to set up home there. This, and many other stories about living in a village in Japan, are the heart of this tale.
“The Only Gaijin in the Village” is hilarious beyond belief. It starts with Iain surviving the North Korean rocket test which landed in the sea east of Japan. Apparently in Japan, they have what is known as a J-Alert early warning system which is normally used for earthquakes and typhoons. In this case, a Dalek-like voice announced “Missile launch! Missile launch!” Iain, of course, panicked as you would. There are many stories like this. I particularly liked the first confrontation with a snake, mainly because in South Africa I had a similar experience when I was living in a remote village there. I ran away calling out “Snake! Snake!” and left others to deal with it. Iain was not in that position. He had to remove the bloody thing.
There are also the stories about cultural confusion – things which a Scot would not expect, but which are normal in Japan. Iain was not expecting to find his wife’s grandfather lying in state on the floor of the living room, prior to his funeral. But there are also the stories of cultural affinity. Drinking at a wake is normal in both countries. Admiring the mountains is also normal in both countries, although Mount Ontake is an active volcano, and there are none of those in the British Isles. Iain points out that the cultural affinities are much more important – in a village anywhere in the world, everyone knows everyone else’s business. Everyone helps out when it is needed and when they can. There will be differences. Iain is over six feet tall, blond and blue-eyed. He does not fit the Japanese norm and never will. He is not able to hide in a crowd. So what? Iain’s motto is clearly to accept the differences and live together in harmony.
This book is a hymn of praise about the joys of living in Japan as a foreigner, a gaijin. He is the only gaijin in the village and he loves it

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to review by Lovereading, and was interested as loved Stef Smulders book Living in Italy. This is the story of Iain and his Japanese wife who have moved from Scotland- a fellow scot moving away can be a culture shock although personally moving to the South west of England was the best move for me. But to move to a remote village with different cultures and a different language - my heart went out to him.
An amusing adventure great title makes me think of Little Britain, an interesting story of moving to the other end of the Earth and the huge culture differences with good old scots humour and observation along the way.
As a fellow scot I did find myself chuckling and remembered Scotland again from a different stance.
How I would have survived in a different culture I do not know and take my hat off to this very talented author who explores lots of issues in this book - death as he begin this story, world war 2, to the shocking price of rice and it is grown there!
I am now going to seek out this authors other books. Recommended book just published so give it a whirl.

[Jane Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone with even the smallest amount of curiosity about Japan, this is an instantly engaging and rewarding read – perhaps particularly so at the moment, mid-Coronavirus. I read it slowly, savouring the sense of being transported elsewhere. Maloney has lived in Japan for over ten years, and his vignettes offer a real insight into rural Japan, along with some thoughtful reflections on what it means to belong and to be accepted as an immigrant – all delivered with plenty of humour. This is a book that welcomes you in and invites you to take a seat by the firepit in Maloney’s half-acre garden, where friends and family gather to chat and tell stories. The perfect escape for these strange times – highly recommended.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An hilarious and engaging slice-of-life memoir into life in rural Japan. He captures the quirks of life in Japan in a refreshingly circumspect manner, without subscribing to stereotypes. Mostly, Maloney seems liek exactly the sort of person I'd love to have a beer with.

[Mike Callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, well observed and insightful. A joy to read, I can't recommend highly enough.

[Mike Taverner · Rating 4 out of 5]

So well he captures the quirks of Japanese life in the 'bush' and with such fun

[Jamie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful but that all travellers of this world should read. Heartfelt and kind

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was laugh-out-loud funny, reminded me of things in Japan I had forgotten, taught me things I didn't know, and articulated interesting observations about prejudice and racism.

[Lyn O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful insight into life in a rural Japanese village. Written with warmth and humour.

[Megan Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 42%. I love the idea, the setting, the title, but that's about it.

What I wish we got: more about living in the Japanese countryside, buying a house in Japan, maneuvering the strange bureaucracy of living in a new country, actually being the only gaijin in the village. Things like that.

What we actually got: prepper fantasy (lite), an all you can eat similie buffet, way too many trump jokes (especially for someone not even American), disconnected stories, and just OK writing.

The whole time it felt like reading short stories or blog posts written for different thing that were just put together and not woven together in any real way. It's just entirely not what I was expecting. I gave up after the world war three chapter when I actually thought "why did we need that? What was the point of that in the context of this book?"

And it's divided into seasons but the stories in each season are spread out throughout the year and across many years so I don't really understand that either.

I wanted to love this so very much but I just don't.

[Jonathan Freeman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off ok it was as its title suggested about an ex pat living in Japan. Then it started to be a series of his personal rants about topics like Brexit. While I agree with most of his opinions I can rant about these topics myself I didn't want them in a book supposedly about Japan. A major candidate for the worst edited book of the year.

[Norain · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was not... horrible.

But it was also nowhere near great.

In the sea of memoirs being published nowadays, Maloney succeeded in making his stand out by carving a unique niche. But while marketing-wise, the only gaijin in the village is an interesting concept, the execution unfortunately fell flat.

Maloney said he did not want to be just another gaijin writing about their first year in Japan, and writing about chopsticks, kimono and ninja for the umpteenth time. Thus, he waited 12 years to write this memoir, or something along that line. Yet, the 12 years did not shine through. Or to be exact, the gaijin-in-the-village-ness did not shine through.

Maloney did not focus much on his village life. I think he talked way too much about his life before coming to that village, about his homeland Scotland and Japan in general. No, I do not mind the Scotland part. In fact it is interesting to see Scotland being put in contrast against Japan. The Japan in general part though, it was much too predominant as to make this memoir just another memoir of white dude in Japan - sadly, the exact thing Maloney set out to avoid.

And let's talk a bit about the writing. Maloney said this was his first attempt at humour. And the way I see it, his idea of humour was having a lot of similes and metaphors and references to things I had no idea about, nary any explanation. He plied it thick, I'm telling you. Are you calling me stupid for not knowing your pop culture references, Mr Maloney? It came across as a tryhard.

Whether he got tired of trying so hard to be funny or he just decided to tone it down, the jokes sure decreased in volume in the later half of the memoir. Instead, we were served with the author's thoughtful monologues about serious topics that were clearly close to his heart (the immigrant issue for example). This is normal, many writers of memoir do this. But again, the execution left a lot to be desired. Maloney would introduce one topic at the beginning of the chapter, and then meandered to another topic which, if you squint your eyes hard and you're of the generous kind, you might kinda see how the two are related. Otherwise it just felt disjointed.

Case in point, in one chapter Maloney talked about Japanese knotweed or itadori. In other countries, they're treated as invasive species, property price goes down where there is Japanese knotweed. But as it turns out, the Japanese also don't like it and Maloney was advised to get rid off those which grew near his house. Interestingly, in Japan it's still called Japanese knotweed. Maloney wondered why. But then he started talking about the immigrants (again - it is a topic close to his heart and I don't mean to belittle this). And when his rambling ended, we were still not provided with any explanation as to why Japanese knotweed was called Japanese knotweed in Japan.

Also, the tendency to end his chapters abruptly. He would be telling us a joke and then right after the punchlines, he would just end the story. What? Exactly how I would write if I write humour, and I don't have any sense of humour to speak of (family members will disagree but they're biased).

Basically, if he had written more about his village life, I would have enjoyed it more and perhaps be more forgiving about his so-called humour. As it was, I sometimes found it boring.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

Iain is a tall blond Scot married to a Japanese woman. They have been living in Japan for over 10 years, after immigration policies made it impossible for them to live in the UK. They’ve found their niche in a rural part of Japan, where Iain is very clearly the only Gaijin (outsider both in terms of being a newcomer and in appearance) in the village.

It was important to him that his impression of Japanese life was not another one of those “wide eyed white guy finding Japan strange and bewildering” first-year-in-Japan chronicles. He writes with experience and also with some thoughtful understanding of how and why Japanese society functions the way it does.

This is an interesting memoir although it is not as affable as you might expect. Iain has a dry humour that sometimes shows a hint of anger or perhaps bitterness. It feels like he is frustrated by Japanese exceptionalism and their ingrained xenophobia (without necessarily accusing anyone of this specifically). He concedes his Gaijin status but it seems to sit uneasily on him.

Having recently read Ivan Orkin’s Gaijin Cookbook , it is interesting to compare their different attitudes to the gaijin label; both are married to Japanese women and have had long associations with Japan. Where Iain seems to find it a somewhat cursed label, Ivan has reclaimed / accepted his gaijin identity more positively (perhaps because he has had a longer connection to Japan? Perhaps because he no longer lives there?)