23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do not go to Japan without buying this book!, Feb 15 2006
By D. Barnett "Daddy Fish" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eyewitness Travel Guides Japan (Turtleback)
This book is, hands down, the greatest travel guide that I have ever used. With breathtaking photos, incredibly useful illustrations, and great information relating to cultural and historical context, it provides a fantastic reference for any traveler. I don't really understand the complaints of others who stated that it had to be used with other guides and that it didn't condense the information into the "you have one day in Tokyo - this is what you must see" format. Seeing as how a travel guide is exactly that; a guide - a tool to be used in conjunction with other resources, I feel that some may have expected too much. While this book may not be as textually comprehensive as other travel guides, most of those read like stereo instructions - this book, on the other hand, does not bore the reader and is rich with poignant detail. I survived on a solo trip to Japan using this guide and, while it is true that I utilized other resources, that's half the fun of traveling - getting out there and talking to people, finding out what to do and how to do it. Which leads me to my second aforementioned point - no, this book does not say "here's what you should do if you have 15 minutes in Kyoto". I can't stand such books and don't comprehend our societal gravitation towards such instructional material. To me it shows that we are becoming lazy and want others to tell us what to do as opposed to make decisions for ourselves. Which leads me to my final point: this book is great and easily holds the reader's interest but, because it is not one of the types of books that I have begrudgingly discussed, it is not intended to be used as a sole means of guidance. Therefore, while this book is tremendously useful during one's travels, I would recommend purchasing it in advance and using it as a research springboard during one's trip planning. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
P.S. I frequently read sections out of this book; it is quite interesting even when not engaged in travel.
And, on a final note: Japan is the most spectacular place that I have ever traveled to. It is a nation that is lusciously rich with vivid beauty and fascinating culture. It has such an intriguing history and the people are absolutely phenomenal. If you stumbled upon this review because you are simply thinking about going, I vehemently encourage you to take the plunge, hop on a plane, and get over there! Oh yeah, and buy this book before you do :)
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great photos and a nice size, Nov 13 2005
By M. Basil "MikeyBikey" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eyewitness Travel Guides Japan (Turtleback)
I have lived in Tokyo for 3 months and have spent another 3 months traveling in Japan with this guide. My favorite thing about the guide is the photos. While other guidebooks have an elaborate description of a town or site, I find the Eyewitness Travel Guide (ETG) to have a briefer one with some great photos. While a picture may be worth a thousand words, as someone who loves to take travel photos, I have personally found the photos to be MORE useful in selecting destinations than the other guides. I also find that after seeing the photos, I feel a little familar with a destination when I arrive there.
Another nice plus I have found is the size of this guide. This book is narrower than the other guides, and I can slip it into an oversize coat pocket. That may seem silly, but it makes the book a bit more handy.
I suppose the downside is that this is a guide to JAPAN. It is not the most comprehensive guide to Tokyo and Kyoto. (Trying to do both is probably unreasonable for any book.) So if you are going to spend more than a week in Tokyo or Kyoto, and going full out every day, then you will eventually exhaust the details of this guidebook. In that case, I would recommend you pick up a city guide for those locations. Also, as someone who has spent a lot of time in Hokkaido, I find the section devoted to the northern island to be too brief.
If you are traveling around Japan, or even considering traveling to around Japan, this is a wonderful guidebook. But if you will ONLY be going to Tokyo or Kyoto, much of this guide will be wasted, and it may not be your best option. But if you are visiting the two big cites and other parts of Japan, , you can always pair this with another guidebook.
I have found the best use for this book is to read this ETG and another guide [Frommer's online] in advance. Then when I travel I bring this one with me, and pick up some of the local tourist guides.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty comprehensive, Dec 25 2004
By Ikuko Otaka - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Eyewitness Travel Guides Japan (Turtleback)
I thought this book covered a lot of Japan and not just the main cities. It was nice to read about so many of these places, many of which I've never even seen when I lived in Japan. I thought the detail was good and allowed me to envision being there.
After reading this I read another book on Amazon called "No Elbow Room" by Kenneth Andrews, and found that one totally amazing. It took me so much further into the Japanese culture and business world. The 2 books together really made me feel like I knew Japan.