The Japan We Never Knew: A Journey of Discovery

by David Suzuki, Keibo Oiwa

Book by Suzuki, David, Oiwa, Keibo

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, History, Asia

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

David Suzuki is a Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist. A long time activist to reverse global climate change, Suzuki co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation in 1990, to work "to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us." The Foundation's priorities are: oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and David Suzuki's Nature Challenge. He also served as a director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association from 1982-1987.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently travelling in Japan, staying with different hosts throughout a 2.5 months journey. I read this book while staying with my first host and it has really changed the image I have of Japan. In this book you will discover a Japan that is not being described in tourist guides. I learned more about the aboriginal people of Japan and their struggles as well as about environmental issues.

[Kazu Haga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing account of activists, educators, thinkers and others who don't quite fit into the status quo of Japanese society.

[Ervin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a powerful message, and it did open up many areas of Japanese history and culture that I had no idea existed - the burakumin are a striking example of this. Each of the people documented have compelling stories to tell, and fascinating backgrounds. It was very interesting to read this after having gone to Japan - in my travels, I saw no mention of anything in the book (apart from my visit to the Hiroshima Peace Museum), which goes to show how little you end up seeing on the surface.

However, I felt like the book and its authors were trying to beat the message into me sometimes, and certain parts felt like sermons. The writing style also bothered me somewhat, similar to the way that the writing style of Suzuki's The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature bothered me, and I didn't end up finishing that book.

[Frederique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this great book by diasporic Japanese David Suzuki and Kronos Oiwa when it was released, after I’d been living in Japan and it really struck a chord. It gives a very good and interesting insight into aspects of Japanese society that are not discussed much by the majority of Japanese people, especially not in Japan.

[Taj · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating - a recommended read

this library review describes it better than i can

"Is Japan the homogenized, monolithic nation it's often portrayed to be? Suzuki, a third-generation Canadian and host of the PBS program The Nature of Things, and Oiwa, a Japanese anthropologist, traveled around Japan talking to people who do not fit the stereotype but are "making a difference." The authors visited the Ainu, Okinawans, and Koreans, as well as Japanese set apart from the majority?the burakumin ("untouchable" caste), and Japanese who have returned after a period abroad. The authors met activists working for peace, human rights, and the environment, as well as common people trying to retain their heritage through a return to traditional ways of life. They find in Japan a rich diversity of cultures and individual expression. This strong, thoughtful book will find an audience in both academic and public libraries.?Harold M. Otness, Southern Oregon State Coll. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc."

[Linzi Zhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the dust jacket and title imply a memoir, this book really isn't. Rather, it's a series of interviews with representatives of marginalised peoples across Japan, with Oiwa and Suzuki adding context and commentary along the way, acting more like an extended essay. That said, the interview subjects and matter are interesting and engaging, while the prose structuring it is strong and provides a substantive enough background to understand the nuances of the issues the interviews delve into.

As an primer on both Japan's hidden minority groups and the way that their struggles are all of our struggles, (a common theme that occurs in these conversations is the idea that 'the world only works for one if it works for all') I highly recommend this book.

Extra points for how funny it is that the authors never miss an opportunity to either describe a male subject as 'handsome' or dunk on modern science. There is a LOT of dunking on science in this book.

[Patrick Hanlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting reading, marked today by Suzuki's prescience about the risks of an earthquake hitting near one of Japan's nuclear power plants. At this point, however, the book is a little more dated in its portrayal of the dynamic of the country. Written while Japan was near its economic, commercial and industrial preeminence and still in the shadow of its WWII experiences it is much more a book of the moment it was written and a capture of what the authors were looking for at the time of their writing of this book. With the emphasis on Japan's grappling with war and peace; diversity, racism and sexism; and the environment it comes across as less of a personal travelogue and reflection on their heritage as I had anticipated. It remains a deep picture of Japan in the late 20th century, however.

[Janita · Rating 2 out of 5]

The voice of this book seemed just tooooooo academic. Had too elevated a perspective.
Was wanting the view to be from the ground up, not from the cultural elites down.
Uninspiring.
I have lived in Japan, and have been a student of the language since 2016. The book seemed to be lacking intimacy...speaking from a distance. I did not finish the book...which for me is a very rare thing. Started to cherry pick chapters which didn't help. Overall...disappointing.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Only because I'm going to Japan did I find this book interesting. The writing style was very dry. Also, being nearly 30 years old didn't help. Though, I must admit, much of it is still relevant.