A Different Way of Viewing and Doing Japan! Most people who visit Japan as tourists are kept on a pre-set course that takes them to and by a variety of attractions, limiting their experiences to a small sampling of the diversity and richness that make up the essence of life in Japan. The depth and breadth of the whole Japan experience is, in fact, incredible and cannot be packaged into several days or even several weeks. However, even visitors who are bound by time constraints and well-beaten tours can enliven and enrich their experiences by participating in at least a few unique customs and practices. This ranges from visiting areas in Tokyo and elsewhere that have retained the look and flavor of Japan's feudal shogunate era, to spending time in one or more of the remaining castles that were the homes and fortresses of fief clan lords from the 1600s to 1870. This book gets down to the nitty-gritty on the frame of mind you need to have for a rewarding visit-or stay-in Japan; on what you should know before you get there; on the effect seasons will have on your visit; on the background of Japan's cultural attractions; and on off-beat things that regular tourist itineraries do not cover. These insights and information add a special dimension to the Japan experience even if it is just for a few days. The book also includes selected Japanese language vocabulary and common everyday expressions that will add a fourth dimension to your visit. All of these words and expressions are rendered in Romanized letters and in English phonetics that duplicate their Japanese pronunciation, meaning that when you speak or read the phonetics out loud the sounds come out "in Japanese!" Here are some examples: Good Morning Ohayo-gozaimasu [Oh-hah-yoe-go-zie-mahss] Used from early morning until about 10am when you are meeting an individual for the first time that morning. Hello / good day, good afternoon Konnichi wa [Kone-nee-chee wah] Used from about 10am until dusk or just before. Good Evening Komban wa [Kome-bahn wah] Used from the onset of dusk until midnight. What is your name? Onamae wa nan desu ka? [Oh-nah-my wah nahn dess kah? How are you? Ikaga desu ka? [Ee-kah-gah dess kah?] I'm fine Genki desu [Gane-kee dess] Being able to say a number of key things in Japanese will totally change the flavor of your visit. You can easily memorize the simpler greetings and expressions in advance.
About the Author: Boyé Lafayette De Mente has been involved with Japan, China, Korea and Mexico since the late 1940s as a member of a U.S. intelligence agency, student, journalist, editor and author working out of Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. He is a graduate of Jochi University in Tokyo, and The American Institute for Foreign Trade (in 1953), now Thunderbird School of Global Management, in Glendale, Arizona, USA. De Mente wrote the first ever books on the Japanese way of doing business (Japanese Etiquette and Ethics in Business in 1959 and How to Do Business in Japan in 1962), and was the first to introduce the now commonly used Japanese terms wa, nemawashi, kaizen, tatemae-honne, shibui, sabi and wabi to the outside business world! His 70-plus other books run the gamut from language learning to the night-time "pink" trades in Japan, the sensual nature of Oriental cultures, male-female relations, and understanding and coping with the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Mexican mindset in business and social situations. He has also written extensively about his home state of Arizona and Mexico. De Mente's printed and ebook titles [all available from Amazon.com] include: CHINA: Understanding & Dealing with the Chinese Way of Doing Business JAPAN: Understanding & Dealing with the New Japanese Way of Doing Business AMERICA'S FAMOUS HOPI INDIANS: Their Spiritual Way of Life and Incredible Prophecies! SPEAK JAPANESE TODAY: A Little Language Goes a Long Way! (a home-course in Japanese) ARIZONA'S LORDS OF THE LAND: The History, Traditional Customs and Wisdom of the Navajos VISITOR'S GUIDE TO ARIZONA'S INDIAN RESERVATIONS THE GRAND CANYON ANSWER BOOK: Everything You Might Want to Know and Then Some! AMAZING ARIZONA: Fascinating Facts, Legends and Tall Tales WHY MEXICANS THINK & BEHAVE THEY WAY THEY DO! THE MEXICAN MIND: Understanding & Appreciating Mexican Culture ASIAN FACE READING SAMURAI PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES That Will Help Preteens & Teens in School, Sports, Social Activities & Choosing Careers WHICH SIDE OF YOUR BRAIN AM I TALKING TO?: The Advantages of Using Both Sides of Your Brain THE PLAGUE OF MALE DOMINANCE: The Cause & Cure [The Failure of God-Based Religions] WHY ORIENTAL GIRLS ATTRACT WESTERN MEN!: The Erotic Side of the Orient HOW TO MEASURE THE SEXUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN BY THEIR FACIAL FEATURES MISTRESS-KEEPING IN JAPAN: Pitfalls and Pleasures THE SENSUAL SIDE OF THE ORIENT WHY THE JAPANESE ARE A SUPERIOR PEOPLE!