Hidden Japan - by Alex Kerr (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"A sharp-tongued spokesman for Japan's environment and traditions" --The New York Times

In Alex Kerr's critically acclaimed Lost Japan and Dogs and Demons, he documented the decline of the traditional landscapes of Japan, his adopted home of many years. Here, in Hidden Japan he makes a journey of rediscovery to find the wonders that still remain.

Originally published in Japanese as a call to preserve disappearing facets of Japan's rich and ancient culture, Hidden Japan records Kerr's travels to various remote and lesser-known places where pockets of traditional culture can still be found. Some are faraway--like Aogashima Island, 200 miles south of Tokyo--while others are easy to reach, such as Mii-dera temple just east of Kyoto. The ten engaging essays in this book describe surprising remnants of Japan's fragile physical and cultural environment, including:

• Avant-garde Butoh dancing in the remote village of Tashiro in Akita Prefecture
• How shochu liquor is distilled from tropical ferns on the Pacific island of Aogashima
• An austere but delicious kaiseki meal in rural Tottori Prefecture composed of local herbs and meats
• Anecdotes relating to Kerr's childhood growing up in Japan and his passion for restoring old houses
• The damage caused by governmental infrastructure and reforestation policies, as well as by tourism
• Plus many other topics!

Kerr's sharp eye for detail and exquisite descriptions of Japanese, arts, architecture and foods will inspire readers who already appreciate his unique look at the "reality" of Japan beyond the romance. His personal involvement and obvious love for his subjects encourage us all to think more carefully about our own traditions and environment, and to challenge ourselves to search for better solutions to preserve what is of value all around us.

Review Quotes

"Kerr's sharp eye for detail and exquisite descriptions of Japanese, arts, architecture and foods will inspire readers [...] His personal involvement and obvious love for his subjects encourage us all to think more carefully about our own traditions and environment, and to challenge ourselves to search for better solutions to preserve what is of value all around us." -- Midwest Book Review

"A title filled with fascinating, meandering cultural lessons. Great for casual readers and for fans of Japan, who will find a multidimensional lens for seeing the country up close and from the back door." --Rita Baladad, Library Journal Life+Style

"This translation gives us another example of Alex Kerr's stupendous literary, cultural and linguistic gifts. [...] There are many things in this book that fire the imagination...and one is certain to learn many things that one did not know before." --Rebecca Otowa, Writers in Kyoto

"Alex Kerr (author of Lost Japan and Dogs and Demons) tells of his journeys to remote and little-known regions that preserve cultural traditions including dance, cuisine, and more. [...] Hidden Japan is not a travel guide, but is highly recommended as a supplementary read for anyone interested in vicariously or personally traveling to Japan" --Midwest Book Review

"Hidden Japan could equally and accurately have been titled Lost Japan, Forgotten Japan, or, for me personally, Unknown Japan. Why didn't I know more about thatched villages, inn towns, L-shaped farmhouses, bypassed castle towns, the friction between Shintoism and Buddhism, or even Butoh dance? Despite Alex's plea that we don't need to visit, I'd love to discover the Jurassic beach and even more Aogashima Island, a volcano-cone-within-a-volcano-cone near impossible to reach even in a country where everything seems compact and accessible." --Tony Wheeler, legendary travel writer and founder of Lonely Planet

"A sharp-tongued spokesman for Japan's environment and traditions." --The New York Times

"Alex Kerr is on a lifelong quest for beauty." --Issey Miyake

"In spare but elegant prose, Alex Kerr introduces armchair travelers to some of Japan's most precious areas. If you want great insights into contemporary Japan and its treasures, Alex Kerr is the best you can get." --Amy Chavez, author of The Widow, The Priest and The Octopus Hunter

About the Author

Alex Kerr is an environmentalist, travel writer and restorer of old Japanese houses. Born in Bethesda, Maryland, he came to Japan with his family as a child and has been based in Kameoka, near Kyoto, since 1977. He studied Japanese at Yale University, Chinese as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and has also travelled extensively and written about Southeast Asia. Starting with "Chiiori," a 300-year old thatched roofed house in Iya Valley, Shikoku, which he bought while still in college in 1973, he has gone on to restore over forty old houses around Japan. He writes and speaks widely in Japanese as well as in English on rural revival and town planning, sustainable tourism, Japanese art and landscape. For his work he has been appointed a "Visit Japan Ambassador" and received the "Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner's Commendation." Kerr's books include Lost Japan (1993), Dogs and Demons (2001), Living in Japan (2006), Theory of Japanese Landscape (2014), Another Kyoto (2016), Finding the Heart Sutra (2020), Japan Pilgrimage (2020), and Another Bangkok (2021). Kerr's passions are also documented in his TED talks, including The Secrets of Things, 2021, Rural Revival Using What's on Hand, 2019, and New Life for Old Towns through Sustainable Tourism, 2013.