Dave Barry Does Japan/Germany

I have a lot of Dave Barry books, and Dave Barry Does Japan is one of his best actual books (as opposed to collections of columns). There aren't as many outright jokes as in his other books, but this is because the situations he gets into are funny enough without them. My favorite part is his never ending quest to find food that is dead, safe, and doesn't have corn on it. Of course, nearly everything he finds doesn't match at least one of these requirments. Also great are the chapters about being lost in Tokyo and attempting to learn Japanese on the plane. Dave also shows his talent for serious writing with a chapter about Hiroshima. If you like Dave Barry, this book is a must buy!

I believe this to be one of the funniest books Dave Barry has ever written. I have a paperback version of it, but I've read it so many times, it's starting to fall apart, and I'm thinking it might be time to replace it with a more permanent hardcover version. Best parts of "Dave Barry Does Japan": Dave trying, and failing, to learn Japanese on the plane...Dave and his family getting completely lost in Tokyo...Dave trying to blend in at a traditional Japanese resort. I also really enjoyed the chapter about Hiroshima, even though it wasn't funny. This guy can write serious stuff too, it appears--not only that, but he can write it well.Dave manages to make a journey into an extremely foreign culture incredibly funny without being racist or offensive in any way. And believe it or not, I actually learned a lot about Japan by reading this book. Of course, you have to take everything said in any Dave Barry book with a grain of salt, but one of my favorite things about his writing is his ability to point out the absurdities of everyday life, which I would imagine become even more apparent when one is watching them from an entirely different cultural perspective. Plus, you gotta love the booger jokes.

Had to go to Tokyo on a group business trip (technical training...Yuck!) Naturally picked up "Frommers" (or "Fodors" - whatever)so I would know what was going on. Never EVER figured I'd have to go to Japan on business (or pleasure, for that matter.) One of the lines in the introduction to THAT tourist guide went something like this, "If you have a unique sense of humor and really want to get a feel for everyday life in Tokyo... Pick up "Dave Barry Does Japan"" FROM ANOTHER TRAVEL GUIDE, NO LESS! I read it on the plane flight over, my boss read it on the way back. We laughed our behinds off because everything - EVERYTHING - in the book that specifically happens in Tokyo city happened in some way to us. These 'warnings', if you will, allowed me to relax about the people, the language, the food, the prices.... and just enjoy the undeniable humor in a situation where two very different cultures invariably collide. THE BEST book for a Tokyo traveler who is not necessarily into reverential worship or study of the Japanese culture - Just wants to enjoy the people, the trip, the total experience!

I just spent a year in Japan, and Berry's book is dead on. He obviously knows nothing about the culture going into it, and that's the beauty of the work. His observations are from a fresh perspective, and to those of us who have studied the culture for so long, it's an eye opening "yeah, they do do that..." experience.

As a Japanese citizen, living in the US, I thought I might be offended by this book, but after reading it I decided that this is the funniest book ever written. But it is not just funny and hilarious, Dave Barry sees Japan through very human eyes and all his observations are true. The way he describes Japanese culture and behavior is right on. Japanese culture and traditions may seem quite strange and foreign to many people but reading this book with its many discussions on everyday- life in Japan, will help to see Japan for what it is and not for what it use to be. Dave Barry does not make fun of Japan, he brings it to us in a very amusing and comical way.