The Land of the Rising Yen

📓 Contrary to alt stereotyped expectations, ""I found the Japanese extremely scrutable,"" and thus follows this gently humorous exercise in national characterization of post-postwar Japan, with helpful hints and hopeless shrugs for tourist acculturation. Japan followed with commendable fidelity our paternal postwar advice to give up militarism and concentrate on economics, ""and we find it hard to forgive them for it."" The samurai spirit has found an outlet in the greater economic glory: ""Ask a Japanese any question and G.N.P.--Gross National Product--will somehow creep into the answer."" Britisher Mikes describes people (geishas, student agitators, taxi drivers, business tycoons), places (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka), and national peculiarities with brash generalities but redeeming anecdotes and marginalia (i.e., on the art of Japanese understatement--in the wake of the A-bomb drops and the Soviet declaration of war on Japan, the surrender broadcast summed it all up with: ""The war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage""). Sketchy, hardly profound, but some acute observations and much surface pleasantry.Издательство - Penguin Books