Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan
Description
2023 FOREWORD INDIES BOOK OF THE YEAR GOLD WINNER FOR TRAVEL
Observations on the people, culture, and history of Japan from a long-time resident riding the rails along the less-traveled western coastline.
This journey the length of Japan takes the reader off the beaten tracks to explore some of the country's remoter regions along the Japan Sea?from Wakkanai in northern Hokkaido to Ibusuki in southern Kyushu?in a fascinating mix of travelogue, anecdote, and personal memoir. At each of the thirty stops along the journey the author, who has lived in Japan for thirty years, goes in quest of the spirit of place, determined to highlight what makes it special. Mixing comments on landscape and culture, the author was inspired by Alan Booth and Donald Richie and brings a contemporary perspective to his writing. The text provides some practical information on travel by rail and railway lines, but goes into far more depth and personal observation than a conventional guidebook for tourists.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
John Dougill has lived in Kyoto since 1994, before which he taught at Kanazawa University. He is the author of several books about Japan, and his 2012 book, In Search of Japan's Hidden Christians, was hailed as "one of the most compelling and important books on Japan in recent years." He has run Writers in Kyoto for nine years, editing the website and overseeing the group's many activities. He also runs the Green Shinto blog.
Content
Preface Introduction: Japan's Railways
HOKKAIDO 1) Wakkanai 2) Asahikawa 3) Sapporo 4) Otaru 5) Shiraoi 6) Hakodate
TOHOKU 7) Aomori 8) Akita 9) Tsuruoka 10) Sado Island 11) Niigata (Joetsu-Myoko)
HOKURIKU 12) Toyama 13) Kanazawa 14) Fukui 15) Tsuruga (Obama-Fukuchiyama)
CHUGOKU 16) Tottori 17) Matsue 18) Izumo 19) Tsuwano 20) Hagi 21) Shimonoseki
KYUSHU 22) Fukuoka 23) Iki Island 24) Karatsu-Imari 25) Hirado 26) Nagasaki 27) Shimabara 28) Kumamoto 29) Kagoshima 30) Ibusuki
