The Inland Sea

Donald Richie wrote a journal in 1962 which formed the ground work for everything in the book. In the 9 years until he decided to publish his journal/book, he reprised the journal with additional insertions, in which he sometimes took pieces of his experiences within Japan, that although they did not occur in the Inland Sea of Japan and during the time the journal was written, he nevertheless recognized them as very much a part of what he considers to represent Japan before modernization. Although it is unknown what exactly didn't occur within Japan's Inland Sea, it is undeniable that the book is a masterpiece of a travelogue that very much captures the essence of everything he specifically mentions. He may well have written the journal with the expectation of it being published eventually, once he was ready. In many ways it is hard to think of it as a travelogue due to the fact that Donald Richie has already experienced half of his life within Japan, and what appears to be an individual reflecting much of his personal life into the narration. It comes across more as an journal written by an individual whom by this point into the published version has become established within Japanese culture and integrated his life within Japan, and is so able to absorb himself into his encounter, that a deeper visual presence of this world and his psyche emerges integrated into this work, that not even a well developed visual experience within cinema could do it justice. Donald Richie has written many books on Japanese Cinema, namely Kurosawa and Ozu. His visual thinking style is very evident in this book, and I must mention he has a gift for visualization. Compared to Alan Booth, he appears to be far better at writing, and is a far more reflective an individual. Able to decipher the meaning to things, he doesn't simply note down the illogical peculiarities of the individuals he encounters. A note of warning though is that Richie has some definite vices, namely he acts upon sexual gratification with young women, and almost gets taken away with a high-school girl. He doesn't do anything illegal in the story (at least, not that I'm totally familiar with, given the time and place, and nothing with which you couldn't do, and get away with, in the US.) Although he does so during a marriage, and his actions would well be chastised by many readers, he is who he is. The end notes of his book (in the first edition, published 1971) do tell the reader of his decision to keep much of the journal writings intact without any changes made to the events. By doing so, some may find his encounters reason enough to steer clear of the book; however I must let you know you will be missing out on a very memorable experience. The man is a brilliant writer, and one you will not find too common-place. It is also an incredibly rare experience, even more so that time has passed since then. Not to mention, the book does not come across as a book written from memory, as the writing

This is a rare gem of a book. First published in 1971 it is just as topical now more than 30 years later. Richie travels Japan and captures the essence of the people, their humour, kindness and unique attitude to life. Opening the book at random here is a taste; "The mist rose like a curtain, obscured the mountain, revealed the beach, the pier, the three girls. They looked like small children, small on the black pier, the black mountains behind them. The sun lifted itself above the mountains, flying. The rising mist turned gold. The entire island floated large on the sea like a mirror. The girls were gone, swallowed into the morning." (Page 88) The front cover reads, "A masterwork of travel fiction..." and that is exactly what it is.

Without a doubt, Donald Richie is the foremost Western interpreter of Japanese culture and society. In this reprinting, updated with an afterword, of Richie's travel around the Inland Sea more than 30 years ago, he has captured a world that was then disappearing and now almost gone. This reviewer is, admittedly, not a huge fan of travelogues. However, Richie's prose flows beautifully. The reader is able to see through his eyes and experience the isolated islands of the Inland Sea. Although there are some photographs, one does yearn for more. The map of Richie's journey is printed across 2 pages, and there is a bit lost in the middle. Nevertheless, these are minor problems. This book provides a glimpse and an insight to a part of Japan that was rarely viewed by Western eyes and it is almost too late to see the remnants.

One of the great values of this book is that it was written at the beginning of the 1970s, and thus shows a rural Japan even less influenced by the west than now. Richie travels from island to island within the Inland Sea of Japan. His insights and comments on the country are intriguing and entertaining. The reader is able to view this truly remarkable region of Japan through the eyes of a foreigner. Richie's language ability in Japanese allows him to become one with the Japanese in conversation (or at least as much as is possible for a foreigner in Japan to become one with the people), and his English writing ability keeps the reader full of emotions - from laughing to feeling lonely, to (perhaps for some) lusting after Japanese schoolgirls. This book really is beautifully written, once the reader gets used to Richie's sometimes abrupt style. This book is different from other travelougues about Japan because the author is not afraid to be honest with his feelings towards the country (though Alan Booth's works are worth reading). Anyone interested in the Japan of today or yesterday should read this book, because life in the Inland Sea is and was definitely distinct (if not better in many ways) from life in Tokyo or Osaka, today or yesterday.

This book depicts the beauty of the area within and around Seto Naikai and her inhabitants with great detail and humanity. Not every part of Richie's acount will appeal to his readers. The author inadvertently presents himself as a selfish, arrogant, sexual deviant, but is honest enough to speak truly of his personality. I can not agree with everything he says about Japan or the Japanese people (I can forgive him since the book is outdated, writen in the late '70's), but I can relate well to his experiences. The Inland Sea brought back detailed memories of the time I spent in the area, quite possibly the most beautiful part of Japan. This book is a very real, human account of one man's soul searching amongst some of the most thoughtful people on Earth.