Japan (Country Guide)
by Chris Rowthorn
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Book Summary Information
Author: Chris RowthornEdition: Paperback
Published: 2007-10-01
ISBN: 174104667X
Number of pages: 868
Publisher: Lonely Planet
Book Reviews of Japan (Country Guide)
Book Review: Overall helpful - however lacking as a day-to-day travel companion.
Summary: 3 Stars
Lonely Planet excels as a detailed introduction to what you absolutely need to know before visiting Japan. From travel hints and special considerations you just may not thought about, this guide can be an essential piece of equipment in your travel arsenal. Many of the other reviews here spell out Lonely Planet's best qualities as an overall guide and are spot-on. However, as I read the same reviews prior to purchase and now have the benefit of spending a bit over a month in Japan to date, I can offer the following as additional considerations when considering your purchase of this book.
First and foremost, a previous review mentions the rather ungainly size of the Lonely Planet Japan guide. I have found the text provides good reading at night but not always a best as a handy guide to and from sites throughout the day. It's best used as an encyclopedia of options to consider when planning your trip, and is comprehensive enough that you shouldn't need to go elsewhere for too much information. With that said, picking up a streamlined, secondary source for your day-to-day travels may not be a bad idea (and, to some degree, the LP focused titles on specific geographies handle this - i.e. the Tokyo guide, etc.)
However, the maps are ill-suited for use when traveling on foot or as actual navigation tools. For this purpose I picked up a handy (and very slim) street atlas at a local bookstore which saved me many missteps, and had the added advantage of identifying many of the features the LP guide spoke of but were difficult to find otherwise.
As I've spent nearly all my time in and around Tokyo, I've also found that the Tokyo section in general is a weaker re-write than found in previous LP guides, and covers essentially the same information. A 4th edition Tokyo guide written in 2001 served as a better companion, and the writing was friendlier, and seemed more connected with the actual sites. As Tokyo is quite vibrant and seems to be changing on the hour, I understand the challenge in keeping this section updated. However, it clearly seems in need of a re-write from a local's perspective - as written, it wasn't clear that the necessary time was spent in Tokyo to adequately update this section. Some descriptions seemed an attempt to capture the "feeling" of an area but lacked in the concrete details necessary for a traveler deciding whether or not to leave a particular site off her / his itinerary.
With that said, as an overall guide to Japan consider LP a worthy look - it accomplishes what it sets out to do. For a more-focused travel companion, especially if only traveling to Tokyo, Kyoto, or other limited areas in Japan, the smaller guides will probably suffice nicely, and tend to cover many of the other travel generalities that you'll find ultimately helpful and informative for your trip.
Summary of Japan (Country Guide)
Discover JapanDodge flying fish at the world's greatest sashimi market
Find yourself spirited away to Miyazaki's museum of anime
Master the perfect double-clap and bow for your first shrine visit
Earn your keep in a Buddhist temple
In This Guide:
Japan resident authors, 343 days of research, 120 detailed maps, three geisha sightings
You asked for it, we researched it - everything you need to know about onsen (hot springs) and skiing, and more language assistance than ever
Cost-saving tips even the locals don't know.
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