Saturday, June 10, 2006

The lunar pull of Japan


I’ve been attracted to all things Japanese ever since I was a little girl and my uncle came from a business trip to Tokyo bearing exotic gifts, a lot of it made of paper!

Japan, in my eyes, is modern and quaint, poetic and practical, the land of rock gardens and pachinko parlors, of Starbucks lattes and moss burgers. Completely beautiful in its contrasting characteristics.

‘The Lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto’ by Pico Iyer is an excellent travelogue that manages to catch the pulse of this enchanting country. It manages to be lyrical, exploratory and profound at the same time. Which is a tough act for a travel book.

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