250 PAGES OF INSIGHTS INTO JAPAN YOU WON'T FIND IN ANY GUIDEBOOK
Willem Spelten takes you on an exciting journey to Tokyo and into the Japanese countryside, offering plenty of deep insights into Japanese culture, Japanese society, and what life in Japan is really like. Read about adventurous, quirky, and beautiful experiences in the Land of the Rising Sun. Whether it's killer hornets, love hotels, office workers living in closets, remote-controlled bathtubs, or deep-fried gourmet asparagus tips...
Expected Natively level ~24, but self published so beware errors
What it is - a humorous diary account organised in a way to pass on (his) gems for people similar to the author who might travel to Japan.
What it's not: a comprehensive travel guide, a comprehensive overview of Japanese culture.
Being an unconventional mix of travel guide and diary of someone who lived in Japan for 2 years has interesting consequences: First, for the touristy stuff, impressions of locations/traditions that are so uniquely Japanese: you get an unfiltered personal account of things that are outside of what would be in a typical travel guide. The first half is that kind of style and I found it entertaining.
For the second half, where he tries to give cultural background - it was an interesting account of how a relatively privileged German (family) interacted with and perceived Japanese culture. I did have to keep reminding myself - this was his fly on the wall view of what he gleened from the Japanese friends he made while there. People who have other jobs / other social circles / don't live in Tokyo will likely have different lives and values than portrayed here.
I enjoyed the first half for what it is, but be aware if you buy it / judge for what it's not, you will be disappointed. A solid 5/5 stars for the entertainment in the first half. A wavering 3/5 stars for the second half as I was often bored or annoyed, with a few highlights of, oh interesting. It's self-published and I found at least 5-6 errors (incorrect articles, spelling, words - confirmed Schreibfehler when I asked my German SO), so at most 3/5 stars from a learner standpoint.
Overall worth reading, I'll always smile when Pachinko comes up. But it's worth noting some things didn't line up with my experience of Japan or Japanese people, hence my slight caution - this is just his view, not "the way it is".