The Land of the Rising Yen. Japan

Proverbial wisdom is here proved wrong: three is company, and very good company. Japan is chiefly responsible for this. In the last twenty-odd years so much has happened in this country, 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 "Oritental quaintness" (because it is rather easy to be funny in such an attitude), saw at once that this was impossible. 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 even more straight portraiture and perceptive interpretation. Whether he is describing student revolt or the Geisha habit, the problems involved in using ideagraphs or styles of car-driving, morals or manners, George Mikes always has something to say which is both surprising and true. Illustrations.…