Kyoto Stories

Name: Kyoto Stories
Brand: Unknown
SKU: 9781611720747
Price: 34.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Steve Alpert

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.9

( 31 ratings, 14 reviews)

Summary

Kyoto Stories by Steve Alpert offers a charming glimpse into the author's experiences while living in Kyoto. Through vivid anecdotes, Alpert weaves tales from both everyday moments and unique cultural encounters, painting a rich tapestry of life in one of Japan's most iconic cities. This memoir captures the nuances of Kyoto, blending personal reflections with the allure of its traditions and beauty.
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Format: Paperback / softback

$34⁹⁹

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Kyoto Stories

$34⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by life in Japan, particularly in Kyoto, through the eyes of someone who experienced it intimately. This memoir offers a blend of cultural observations, personal anecdotes, and a deep dive into the unique traditions and way of life in Kyoto, making it an engaging read for anyone interested in Japanese culture and history.

An American student in 1970s Kyoto rambles among the city's beauties and traditions, learning as he goes.

Description

An American student in 1970s Kyoto rambles among the city's beauties and traditions, learning as he goes.

Don Ascher is a young American living in Kyoto in the 1970s. He is a student of Japanese. He also teaches English, works at a shabu-shabu restaurant, and hangs out in the company of gangsters, hostesses, housewives, tea teachers, and fellow foreigners. Set amidst the timeless beauty of the ancient capital and its garish modern entertainments, this collection of fanciful episodes from Don's life is a window into Japanese culture and a chronicle of romance and human connections.

The author has taken the experiences of one Don Ascher, an American living in Kyoto during the 1970s, and fashioned seven stories about one man's initiation into Japanese life as it was lived at that time in the small spaces and around the corners of the culture. The stories are full of interesting historical and cultural detail, and well describe - Rebecca Otowa, author of At Home in Japan

These engaging stories bring to life what it was like to be a gaijin in 1970s Kyoto. From the tea ceremony to hostess bars, the narrative entertains as much as it informs. All in all, a delightful collection with many memorable moments. - John Dougill, founder of Writers in Kyoto and author of Kyoto: A Cultural and Literary History

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Kyoto Stories has been praised for revitalising the "foreigner in Japan" narrative, offering fresh, nostalgic insights into Kyoto during the 1970s. The book provides humorous and engaging stories of an American's cultural encounters, enriched with historical detail and capturing the complexities of being a foreigner in Japan. Reviewers admire Alpert’s ability to blend playful storytelling with sharp observations and a deep affection for the place and time depicted.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781611720747

Publisher: Stone Bridge Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 August 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Stone Bridge Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 320

Collections

Biography & Memoir Non-Fiction Series: Studio Ghibli Steve Alpert

About the Author

Steve Alpert grew up in northern Minnesota before moving to Connecticut as a teenager. He attended Cornell University before enrolling in Columbia University's graduate department of East Asia Languages and Cultures, where he studied Japanese Literature under Donald Keene and Edward Seidensticker. He lived and worked in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Taipei for more than 35 years and speaks Japanese fluently and Chinese poorly. Miller gave up a promising career as an extra in Japanese B movies to work in Tokyo as a vice president at a major bank, president of a TV animation company, and head of a company that produced and distributed Japanese films. He has translated a number of Japanese films and several short works of Japanese fiction. Kyoto, where he lived as a student, is his favourite city in the world. He is the author of Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man: 15 Years at Studio Ghibli.