"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 remaining wonders.
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 remain. Some are far away--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 food will inspire readers who already appreciate his unique look at the "reality" of Japan beyond the romance. His involvement and evident love for his subjects encourage us to think more carefully about our traditions and environment and to challenge ourselves to search for better solutions to preserve what is of value.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"In spare but elegant prose, Alex Kerr introduces armchair travellers 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"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
"Hidden Japan " could equally and accurately have been titled Lost Japan, Forgotten Japan, or 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 the 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
Praise for Dogs and Demons:
"Kerr fascinates with detailed descriptions of Japan's dilemma and offers a surprising, if controversial, vision of a land in trouble." --Publishers Weekly
"[Dogs and Demons is] a remarkable portrait of modern Japan, virtually no part of which is flattering. […] Kerr, the author of Lost Japan and a longtime resident of Japan, confidently cuts a broad swath across the worlds of architecture, education, politics, cinema, business and the environment to make the case that Japan has fallen victim to its success." --The New York Times
"Kerr […] one of the West's most astute observers of the Japanese scene, unveils a cultural crisis of mega-proportions that currently grips the island nation like a vice." --Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Lost Japan:
"This nostalgic and evocative world is brought to life by Kerr's expressive writing, which issues a clear and heartfelt call for preserving the fading jewels of Japanese culture." --The Japan Society
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 restored over forty old houses around Japan. He writes and speaks widely in Japanese and 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.
