Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Revised and Expanded with New Topics)

Hector Garcia

Book cover for Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Revised and Expanded with New Topics)
Book cover for Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Revised and Expanded with New Topics)

Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Revised and Expanded with New Topics)

Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony (Revised and Expanded with New Topics)

Hector Garcia

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Description

Created specifically for fans of Japanese "cool culture," A Geek in Japan is one of the most iconic, hip, and concise cultural guides available.

This new edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded with new chapters on Japanese video games, architecture, and a special section on visiting Kyoto. Reinvented for the internet age, it's packed with personal essays and hundreds of photographs, presenting all the touchstones of both traditional and contemporary culture in an entirely new way.

The expansive range of topics include:
  • Bushido, Geisha, Samurai, Shintoism, and Buddhism
  • Traditional arts and disciplines like Ukiyo-e, Ikebana, Zen meditation, calligraphy, martial arts, and the tea ceremony
  • Insightful essays on code words and social mores; dating and drinking rituals; working and living conditions and symbols and practices that are peculiarly Japanese
  • Japanese pop culture genres and their subcultures, like otaku, gals, visual kei, and cosplay

For visitors, the author includes a mini guide to his favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo as well as tips on special places of interest in other parts of Japan. Garcia has written an irreverent, insightful, and highly informative guide for the growing ranks of Japanophiles around the world.

About the Author

Hector Garcia was born in Spain in 1981. After earning his M.S. in software engineering and working for 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. During his free time, he runs ageekinjapan.com, one of the most-read blogs in the world in the Spanish language (and also available in English), and writes books about his experiences in Japan. The first edition of A Geek in Japan, and also his first book, is a bestseller in Spain and is in its eighth printing. He is working on his third book.

Critical Reviews

"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

"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

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

"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

"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

"An oversize softcover of 160 pages, it has 12 main chapters jam-packed with color photos and short, lively essays that lay out just about everything, both good and not-so-good, that makes Japan unique." --MSN.com, "Hooked on Books: What to read before you go--books that prepare you for that place you've never been."

Publishing Information

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Pub date: 2019-06-25
Length: 192 pages

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