The Land of the Rising Yen : Japan.

Cloth, 8vo, 23 cm, 207 pp,ills. Illustrated by Zabo. "In the last twenty-odd years so much has happened in [Japan], in addition to the staggering economic expansion of which all the world knows, that she has become an endlessly fascinating subject. George Mikes, having almost hoped to fall into the customary Western attitude of condescending pleasure at her "Oriental quaintness" (because it is rather easy to be funny in such an attitude), saw at once that this was not possible. There was nothing for it but to look at the Japanese as he looks at the rest of mankind: with his own inimitable blend of curiosity, respect. affection and irreverence. As a result, he makes Japan much more 'real' to the stranger than most observers do. There are plenty of jokes in his book, of course - and very good ones - but there is more straight portraiture and perceptive interpretation. Everyone writes about the tea ceremony -who else notices the way rubbish is thrown out? Everyone reports his own reaction to the Japanese tradition as embodied in the Kabuki theatre; but who else spots the reaction of the Japanese to their sense of tradition? Whether he is describing student revolt or the Geisha habit, the problems involved in using ideographs or styles of car-driving, morals or manners, George Mikes always has something to say which is both surprising and true." - from the blurb. Very Good in dustwrapper.…