Japan - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

I went to Japan in November of 2024 and this book was the perfect addition for my travels. It gave great insights on customs and traditions along with tourist advice. I liked this book so much, I bought the one for India, and it was equally just as good! I will definitely order another book in the series the next time I travel out of the country.

The book could have benefited from a chapter on religion, given the extent to which it imbues it Japanese culture. Otherwise well written and very engaging.

I got this for my older brother since I've heard that he wants to move to Japan. I think this will be a great beginning book and a rang of information. There's food, history, word and phrases, plus dos and don'ts of Japanese socialization

Great way to start planning your trip and adapting to the culture you’ll immerse yourself in.

Fun book for older kids

Read the book cover to cover and think it is helpful background for anyone going to Japan and wanting to better understand the culture (which is fascinating). Personally, even when traveling as a tourist, I enjoy learning about culture broadly, including demographics, employment and traditions - it brings travel to life.

This guide provided me with a great deal of insight into Japanese culture and society. The book covers a lot of ground, including key history and current affairs (including how Covid has affected society), important values and common attitudes (really critical info for visitors to Japan – knowing this information will improve the quality of your trip!). There are also chapters on festivals and traditions, socializing, home life, useful phrases, and more. My favorite chapter was probably the one on food culture and cuisine – there’s so much to discover and enjoy!Overall, loved the book and consider it very good value for money.

Bought as a gift for my son who is going to Japan. He loved it.