A couple of weeks ago, my mother–in-law gave me the book “Ippo Ippo” which means “step by step” in Japanese.  Had never heard of it, but once I read the first pages, I couldn’t put it down.  Part of the impetus for the name is that after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March, 11, 2011, the author and his team were tasked with providing aid and encouragement to survivors, and they did so as in so many relationships are developed in Japan; step by step.  Primarily written as a Christian devotional meant to be read one entry per day, it goes well beyond that and should be in every Japan traveler’s toolkit.   Entries are short, encompassing only two pages or so, and it is so immersive that I kept reading page after page after page.

Even if you’re not looking for a devotional book, but are planning to travel in Japan, you need to get a copy of it!  Seriously, there are a plethora of guidebooks and Youtube Channels out there, but they are mostly focused on attractions, ways to get around, and what to see, do and eat.  “Ippo Ippo”, however, doesn’t cover any of those from a tourist viewpoint, but rather goes much deeper into what makes Japanese life so different than western culture.  Everything imaginable is covered such as the oddity of what it takes to be a good neighbor while living in Japan, the importance of consensus with others, transacting simple business, group morning exercises, or shopping at the local grocer, etc.

The author, Mike McGinty and his wife Rowena served as missionaries in Japan for 34 years, primarily on the northern island of Hokkaido, then later in Tokyo.  As a result, he knows the Japanese people and their culture better than most foreigners.  As one who has travelled extensively throughout Japan, I can say that his insights are spot on.  If you’ve followed us, you know that my wife’s family has a missionary history in Japan dating back to 1861, and her mother and father served 46 years in Osaka, Japan.  Therefore, for her to endorse this book so heartily says a lot.  I myself can’t recommend it enough.  You can learn more about Mike and his book by visiting www.ippoipposteps.com and place your order there.

The post The Best Cultural Guide (and more) on Japan? appeared first on Uncharted Japan Blog.

Have you seen our latest video on Niigata?  Check it out by clicking here.  Niigata is on the northwestern side of Japan and sits on a large flat plain along the coast.  After departing our family home on Lake Nojiri, we travelled to the Niigata area where we stopped at three unique museums.

As I’ve said before, just about anywhere you go in Japan, if you stop in a modestly sized town, you’re going to encounter a museum or two.  Even some of the smallest towns (and Niigata is not small by any means), you’ll find such museums on local history, crafts or quirky subjects.  South of Niigata, you’ll find three such museums.

We already did a full video on the Shirone Kite Museum which is the largest in Japan.  We include it in this video, but also the Tsubame Industrial Museum which sounds off-putting, but turned out to be fascinating.  Also included is a segment on Nagaoka Fireworks Museum (which happens to be free) and goes into depth about the largest fireworks display/competition in Japan that takes place nearby.  Interestingly, when we visited these museums, we were the only western visitors, and in two of the museums, we were the ONLY visitors.  So this is a great way to escape the crowds of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.  Check out the video here!

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