If I ever wrote a book about my time in Japan, I hope it could come across as beautifully as Hamish Beaton’s experiences in Under the Osakan Sun: A Funny, Intimate, Wonderful Account of Three Years in Japan.
Like me, Hamish Beaton - “Mr Hamish” to his students - went to Osaka to teach English. Unlike [...]
My favourite kind of travel narrative is one that follows a journey with an unusual kind of goal: for example, visiting every city in the world whose name starts with “Z” or retracing the footsteps of some famous traveller. So when i read the blurb for Joe Bennett’s new book Where Underpants Come From I [...]
Japanese culture is a curious beast. Last weekend I showed my husband the Bill Murray/Scarlett Johansson film Lost in Translation, and it reminded me that it’s not a bad portrayal of the Western impression of Japanese culture.
I don’t profess to be an expert on Japan by any means - it’s a complex place. I lived [...]