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A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Geek In...guides) Paperback – June 10, 2011

by Hector Garcia (Author)

4.6 1,347 ratings

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A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Revised and Expanded with New Topics)
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For every fan of manga, anime, J-pop, or Zen, A Geek in Japan is a hip, smart and concise guide to the land that is their source.

Comprehensive and well informed, it covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by sidebars and numerous photographs, providing a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan. Designed to appeal to the generations of Westerners who grew up on Pokemon, manga and video games, A Geek in Japan reinvents the culture guide for readers in the Internet age.

Spotlighting the originality and creativity of the Japanese, debunking myths about them, and answering nagging questions like why they're so fond of robots, author Hector Garcia has created the perfect book for the growing ranks of Japanophiles in this inspired, insightful and highly informative guide.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Tuttle Publishing
Publication date

June 10, 2011
Dimensions

7.5 x 0.6 x 10 inches
ISBN-10

4805311290
ISBN-13

978-4805311295
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hector Garcia's A Geek in Japan is a lightweight but enjoyable romp through modern Japanese culture, seen through the eyes of its writer, an amazingly inquisitive young Spaniard living in Tokyo." —Lonely Planet

"The geek in Japan of the title is of course Garcia. He has written a sharp and concise guide to Japan. It is comprehensive and well done. Among many topics, A Geek in Japan covers traditional culture, history, character, work, society, manga & anime, music, movies & television, Tokyo, and visiting the rest of Japan. This is a book by and for Japanophiles. Each section comes with photos, sidebars, and the knowledge of a long-time Japanhand. Very well done." —Japan Visitor

"Everyone who is interested in Japan will find this book fascinating." —Larry Ellison, cofounder and CEO, Oracle Corporation

"One of the funniest and yet most accurate descriptions of modern Japanese culture that I've ever seen. Highly recommended!" —Joichi Ito, director, MIT Media Lab

"Hector and I share a deep interest and affection for all things Japanese. But in my case, I only get to enjoy Japan on my business trips. Back in Spain, I like to keep in touch. And that I do reading kirainet, 'A geek in Japan.' Now you can do the same. And in book format. Enjoy!" —Martin Varsavsky, entrepreneur, founder of Fon and Safe Democracy Foundation

"Filled with a load of photos and information about Japan—a must read." —Danny Choo, Tokyo entrepreneur and owner of www.dannychoo.com

"While not a traditional guidebook, A Geek in Japan certainly makes a reader want to hop on a plane to experience everything firsthand." —San Francisco Book Review

"Comprehensive and well informed, A Geek in Japan covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by numerous photographs, providing a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan." —Japan Today

About the Author

Hector Garcia was born in Spain, in 1981. After earning his MS in software engineering and working at CERN in Switzerland, he moved to Japan, where he worked on voice recognition software and later for Digital Garage, developing the technology needed for Silicon Valley startups like Twitter and Technorati to enter the Japanese market. He has been living in Tokyo since 2004 and is the creator of the popular blog www.kirainet.com

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tuttle Publishing; Original edition (June 10, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 4805311290
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-4805311295
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.39 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.6 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #624 in General Japan Travel Guides
- #1,298 in Japanese History (Books)
- #3,382 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences

Customer Reviews:
4.6 1,347 ratings

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Héctor García
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Héctor García was born in Spain and worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan, his home for 16 years and counting. In Tokyo, when he is not writing his next book, he makes a living in the IT industry. His popular blog led to his international bestseller A Geek In Japan. He is the author of the bestselling Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life; translated to 57 languages, has the strange honor of being the most translated book ever originally written in Spanish language. To this day he has published seven books, his latest one is: The Book of Ichigo Ichie.
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Héctor García
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4.6 out of 5

1,347 global ratings

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Lawrence R. Kolbicka

Great read

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2024

Verified Purchase

Great read, a ton of amazing info on japan. A must tag before going

Helpful

Robert I. Hedges

A Hyper-Surrealistic Guidebook To Japan

Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

When I picked up "A Geek in Japan" I didn't know what to expect, nor did I particularly expect to find a book I'd enjoy or find useful, but I was wrong. I was preparing for a three week trek across Japan and was reading all I could get my hands on. Despite not being into manga, anime, or (especially) J-Pop, I found this book to be interesting and topical. García is a brilliant young writer (he has a MS in Software Engineering and worked for CERN…) and is great at breaking ties with stiflingly stodgy travel guide sensibilities and writing about contemporary subjects in a contemporary way. The photographs and illustrations are excellent, and his viewpoints are intriguing; most of all his advice is sage and worth paying attention to. I found Chapter 11, "Visiting Tokyo" to be among the most useful and relevant things I read in preparation for my time spent there. I actually carried this book with me to Japan (and home) but I got the most use out of it preparing for the trip.

If you are looking for a traditional guidebook to Japan, Fodor's has an excellent offering (I have theirs too,) but if you want a more youthful guide to contemporary Japan that is entertaining while still being useful, "A Geek in Japan" will be certain to pique your interest.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tim Welles

Great Content - mediocre writing and build quality

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2019

Verified Purchase

I just finished reading this book and am heading to japan in a couple weeks. That being said, I've done a good bit of research on the internet but this book really has everything that you need to know in a concise yet informative manner. I really enjoyed learning about why they do things the way that they do based on their history and also what to do in each city. I did preorder the book and my only complaints were that there would frequently be words left out or sentences unfinished. The book binding is also coming apart and sections of pages are starting to fall out after what I would consider some pretty light usage.

I would recommend this book for anyone traveling to Japan as a great reference book for almost everything that you need to know.

4 people found this helpful

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Kym St Claire

Great book!

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024

Verified Purchase

I like this better than a traditional travel guide book. My son went to Japan and I bought this book after his trip and the things in the book were the same things he was telling me about from first hand experience. The book will answer a lot of questions about Japanese culture but also give you great ideas for places to visit and when. Check out his newer book “The Magic of Japan”. Equally great!!

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2024

Verified Purchase

Still impressed, how such a tiny book can contain so much information. I do love it, would love to have it in paper format

Helpful

Courtland J. Carpenter

Great book that fills the gaps left from all the Japanese travel guide books, if you want some of Japanese culture, this is it!

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

I have a number of travel guides and books on Japan, I have several language books as well. I've gotten interested in Japanese culture through manga and anime, which while it may be fiction, it often tells things about a culture I find fascinating. Most of the travel books are more from a tourists perspective on what to see, where to eat, with a few cultural references thrown in on the given areas visited. This book is more of a culture book which explains or at least tries to demystify the what and who is Japan and Japanese. From the origins of some of the more quirky customs to the influence of past history and the modernization of Japan.

Along the way you learn a few words and terms and what they stand for. Some interesting cultural behaviors like Honne and Tatemae, which don't translate very well in Western terms but in general explain a lot about the people. of Japan. Other cultural topics explored include Bushido, the Real Geisha, Martial Arts, Zen, and the use of the Swastika called the Manji symbol in Japan. It explained the use of wearing masks, which I though was just not to spread germs, but is mainly used as a filter for all the pollen released in cherry blossom season. Food and other pastimes are explained as well, each in a nice concise little story fashion conducive to easy reading.

They also explore the culture I like the manga, and the anime, and the craziness of it all. The festivals, the shrines and what the different beliefs represent. It does this all is such a way, it's like reading a good book you can't put down. The book does a nice job of weaving its tales through a historical perspective of Japanese history and without being boring doing so. Highly recommended for anyone looking to learn more about Japan or just someone who likes other cultures. Be forewarned if you know nothing about Japan and you read this book, you can be their will likely be a trip to Japan in your future.

13 people found this helpful

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One Reviewer

A Joy to Read, I Love It!

Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2014

Verified Purchase

I have always been drawn to Japan, it's culture and its people and it is in my top 5 list of places I want to visit one day. Naturally, I have read much over the years about Japan and its culture, but this has to be one of my most fun reads to date. The author touches and expounds on things from the very distant past to the modern present day seamlessly, with humor, insight and elegance that makes this a joy to read. The many photographs (with thoughtful yet to-the-point accompanying captions) dispersed throughout are such a pleasure to view and nearly transports the viewer into that moment. There is not a dry or boring passage in this book, it is thoroughly entertaining with many educational aspects as well. One of our teens, who is studying hiragana and katakana, as well as the spoken Japanese language, loves this book equally, so there is a lot of sharing going on both with this book and through discussion. I recommend this to anyone interested in gaining a deeper insight and perspective into fascinating Japan presented in a unique way both through words well-written and engrossing photographs.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Heriberto Camarillo

Buen producto

Reviewed in Mexico on April 5, 2024

Verified Purchase

Muy útil y entretenido.

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Elizabeth

not just for geeks

Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2024

Verified Purchase

This is a really great quick overview of Japan. It packs lots of useful information and is perfect for someone visiting for the first time. It is so interesting and easy to read.

sue shelvey

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2023

Verified Purchase

Bought as a present for someone off to Japan next year looks lovely lots of great colour photos and some interesting subject matter inside