Review (5/5): Flatten the learning curve and take full advantage of your orders to Japan
Even service members and their families, who move A LOT, can feel a little intimidated when they move to Japan. Cultural differences, indecipherable signage, and language barriers (to list just a few) can sow a bit of anxiety in even hardiest of military clans. This book goes a very long way toward taking the sting out of that culture shock. And it's the book I wish I had received in my welcome basket.
Full disclosure: Shannon's my wife, though I took no part in writing this book (save for a little proof reading). We spent 3 years living in Japan; and about halfway through that time she started organizing our "Japan Binder" into something more. That something became this book. Not only does it include good information on the more popular things to do in the area, it also gives you the inside baseball on the more mundane aspects of life in Japan: Restaurants (Do they take credit cards? Do I need to wear nice socks, since I'm leaving my shoes at the door? Is the place kid friendly?); Train travel; Museums (If you don't visit the Open Air Museum in Hakone you're just wrong.); Hair salons (Where does a woman with curly red hair go for a competent cut and color?); Shopping (So, what does a size 8 shirt translate to in Japanese sizes?); and, a handy map of the Yokosuka area that actually shows you where these places are.
Part Zagats and part Lonely Planet, this slim book is designed to go into your purse or back pocket. And if after a couple months it's not a dog-eared, marked up, and well worn volume, I have to conclude you're just not trying very hard. Because, this is the book that can help you with both your daily errands and your weekend plans. There are oodles of Tokyo guide books (including Zagats) that will help you with your big-city weekend. And there are bunches of books that will help you plan a vacation to Osaka or Hiroshima. But - to the best of my knowledge - this is the only book that (1) focuses on the Yokosuka area, and (2) is written for people where are LIVING in Japan - not merely visiting. So, if you're moving to Yokosuka this book was written with you in mind.
We loved our time in Japan. And our kids (who were 4 months, 3, and 7 when we moved there) still consider it home, and anxiously await our return. In part, I think we enjoyed our time there so much because of a great number of very dear friends who shared their own gaijin-guide knowledge. This book collects that knowledge, builds upon it, and pays it forward. So, if the opportunity arises, jump at the chance for orders to Japan. It's a wonderful country, and I hope you get out there and enjoy it as much as we did. This book will help.