Japan made easy by Sandeep Goyal – Book Review

Author: Sandeep Goyal
Genre: Society & Culture/ Sociology
Paperback: 330 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (25 October 2019)
Language: English

For the average Indian, Japan is the land of the bullet train, zippy cars, and geisha girls, as also hard to understand. However, what appears to be opaque and insular to the world outside turns out to be a society that is friendly, intimate, and closely knit together when you get to know it better. In Japan Made Easy, Sandeep Goyal, an old hand at explaining the country, takes us on a joyous roller coaster ride through Japanese aesthetics, business, culture, food, philosophy, spirituality, and much else, to make this land of mystery and mystique familiar to us. With India’s rising number of tourists to Japan and the Olympics 2020 on the horizon, this book is the best guide to a complex, nuanced and utterly lovable country.

Japan is an island country that is composed of intricate and ancient cultural traditions. Complexity and contrast are the primary touchpoints of this country that has emerged as one of the world’s most economically and technologically advanced societies. In Japan Made Easy Sandeep Goyal goes on to explore Japan through 101 keywords which aptly describe it.

The book has been divided into eight sections – Business, Culture, Aesthetics, Food, Philosophy, Social, Spiritual, and Sports & Recreational. Through these 8 different aspects, the author has carved out a vivid image of the culture ingrained in Japanese and their reverence for customs and traditions. Each keyword is a term in the Japanese language which is further translated and then explained precisely by the author. The language employed in bringing out this piece of non-fiction is subtle and fine which contributes greatly to providing a rich reading experience to the readers. I was excited about reading the old but firm business ethics of Japanese. Their adorable aesthetic sense and class apart business etiquettes were something that convinces us of Japan’s popularity as a culturally polished country. I was moved by their respect towards old employees of a company, their philosophy behind ‘strategic withdrawal’, and culture of trying not to stand apart but blend-in which has made me appreciate Japan more. I specifically loved one term Wabi-Sabi which means the art of finding beauty in humility, imperfection, and profundity in nature.

In all, the book is one of its kind as it educates about a country through its most important aspects. Also, the cover is deeply mystifying and evokes an aesthetic sense within readers. I absolutely loved discovering Japan through this book and if you want to do the same, do check out this one.

MY RATING: 4/ 5

Buy your copy: Japan made easy