The Japanese Mind
Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture

While somewhat dry and academic I found all of these essays quite enjoyable, especially as an accompaniment / insight to all the Japanese literature I've been reading lately. It says in the introduction that this collection was developed for two audiences: university students participating in Japane......more

I can’t decide if it deserves a 3 or a 4. Some chapters are very dry, others are captivating. My dad bought this book when he moved to Japan and it helped him immensely in his work and to understand Japanese society and mindsets. For someone who needs a primer on, generalised but fairly accurate Jap......more

Read this while in Japan, and it was illuminating. American and Japanese culture are extremely different, so having aspects of Japanese worldview explained felt necessary. As a Korean-American, I found aspects of Japanese culture that resonated with my parents' and grandparents' ways and worldviews......more

Well, that was disappointing. Davies and Ikeno edited a book about modern Japanese culture, but it felt like it was a half-inch deep and a mile wide. I suppose that's inevitable given how they're trying to discuss an entire culture - but what's annoying is that they really don't discuss the entire c......more

I think this book is a wonderful introduction into Japanese culture, religious beliefs and philosophies, but I was looking for a book with more depth on the subject. You only really get snippets of these major topics, which is great for people first reading about Japan and it’s culture, but not the......more