Daren
Probably Alan Booth's second most popular book after Roads to Sata, which was a 5 star book for me. I had expected more of the same from this book, published some ten years after the success of his first.
In many way it was more of the same - I enjoyed the quirky conversations, the tidbits of odd Japanese social history, history and the psyche of the Japanese as assessed by Booth, by this point a long time resident of Japan. Speaking fluent Japanese he gains great benefits over other foreign travellers in Japan.
I also enjoyed the fact that Booth is a committed walker - he walks at all times, in all weather, and will not accept a lift or assistance with transport - and this alone confuses the Japanese he comes into contact with, most assuming he has not communicated his intention correctly in a language he is new to... and leads to some awkward moments like the courtesy van from the hotel that has come to collect him that follows him along the road for the several kilometres back to the hotel (at walking pace).
The final recurring feature is Booth's enjoyment of beer. Whether lunchtime or afternoon, with dinner or later in the evening, Booth will have a bottle (or two, sometime three) to rehydrate (don't take hydration advice from my review please). While still in transit, they are usually obtained form a vending machine or a bottle shop (most of these allow him to drink these on site). Booth mentions in this book that he received criticism for his beer consumption, described as his 'pub crawl of Japan' and wasn't very impressed, considering it was a very minor part of his narrative - the problem with his displeasure at this is that he makes it such a regular feature of his narrative that it stands out if he doesn't break his day up with beer! Of course, I had no issue with being a part of the narrative.
As for where it is that Booth walks, he breaks the book into three distinct parts. The first is Tsugaru where ostensibly he follows the footsteps of author Osamu Dazai, a novelist from the local area famous for his booze fueled life and many suicide attempts, the last of which (obviously) was successful. Booth hikes about Amori Prefecture following the route taken by the author some 50 years prior.
In the second section, Saigo's Last March, Booth follows in the footsteps of Saigo Takamori's famous retreat from Mount Enodake in the northern part of Miyazaki prefecture through mountains down to his home town of Kagoshima (Kagoshima Prefecture). Saigo was a famous samurai and politician who lived from 1828-1877, and was an influential figure in the Meiji Restoration which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate. Following Saigo's route, Booth is unable to keep up with the timeline, but fits in lots of beer and interactions en route.
The third section, Looking for the Lost Booths intent is to follow the retreat of the Heike (samurai) clan who were chased from Kyoto in the 12th century, occurring mostly in the Gifu Prefecture. In this section Booth also shares a bit more about his own story.
So very much 'more of the same', and overall an enjoyable read, but for me definitely a slow read. I picked up another book between each of the sections, just to break it all up more for me. There is an element of repetition, and while it is well deal with by the author, there was still enough slow paced travelling to leave me looking for something else in between.
Recommended to those who like Roads to Sata, and enjoy a leisurely paced read.
4 stars
Probably Alan Booth's second most popular book after Roads to Sata, which was a 5 star book for me. I had expected more of the same from this book, published some ten years after the success of his first.
In many way it was more of the same - I enjoyed the quirky conversations, the tidbits of odd Japanese social history, history and the psyche of the Japanese as assessed by Booth, by this point a long time resident of Japan. Speaking fluent Japanese he gains great benefits over other foreign travellers in Japan.
I also enjoyed the fact that Booth is a committed walker - he walks at all times, in all weather, and will not accept a lift or assistance with transport - and this alone confuses the Japanese he comes into contact with, most assuming he has not communicated his intention correctly in a language he is new to... and leads to some awkward moments like the courtesy van from the hotel that has come to collect him that follows him along the road for the several kilometres back to the hotel (at walking pace).
The final recurring feature is Booth's enjoyment of beer. Whether lunchtime or afternoon, with dinner or later in the evening, Booth will have a bottle (or two, sometime three) to rehydrate (don't take hydration advice from my review please). While still in transit, they are usually obtained form a vending machine or a bottle shop (most of these allow him to drink these on site). Booth mentions in this book that he received criticism for his beer consumption, described as his 'pub crawl of Japan' and wasn't very impressed, considering it was a very minor part of his narrative - the problem with his displeasure at this is that he makes it such a regular feature of his narrative that it stands out if he doesn't break his day up with beer! Of course, I had no issue with being a part of the narrative.
As for where it is that Booth walks, he breaks the book into three distinct parts. The first is Tsugaru where ostensibly he follows the footsteps of author Osamu Dazai, a novelist from the local area famous for his booze fueled life and many suicide attempts, the last of which (obviously) was successful. Booth hikes about Amori Prefecture following the route taken by the author some 50 years prior.
In the second section, Saigo's Last March, Booth follows in the footsteps of Saigo Takamori's famous retreat from Mount Enodake in the northern part of Miyazaki prefecture through mountains down to his home town of Kagoshima (Kagoshima Prefecture). Saigo was a famous samurai and politician who lived from 1828-1877, and was an influential figure in the Meiji Restoration which overthrew the Tokugawa shogunate. Following Saigo's route, Booth is unable to keep up with the timeline, but fits in lots of beer and interactions en route.
The third section, Looking for the Lost Booths intent is to follow the retreat of the Heike (samurai) clan who were chased from Kyoto in the 12th century, occurring mostly in the Gifu Prefecture. In this section Booth also shares a bit more about his own story.
So very much 'more of the same', and overall an enjoyable read, but for me definitely a slow read. I picked up another book between each of the sections, just to break it all up more for me. There is an element of repetition, and while it is well deal with by the author, there was still enough slow paced travelling to leave me looking for something else in between.
Recommended to those who like Roads to Sata, and enjoy a leisurely paced read.
4 stars