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julcoh's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating exploration of Japan’s youth subcultures in the late 80s-90s. Structurally it is a collection of vignettes, each diving into a particular area— Yakuza money drinkers, bosozoku motorcycle gangs, teenage bike thieves and the Japanese youth prison system, the porn and hostess industries, far-right nationalist groups, and a final chapter touching on the nascent Otaku culture at the dawn of the internet age.
I find myself wanting a 25 year update exploring how these subcultures changes as the computer age blossomed, and of course with the past 15 years of smartphones and social media.
I find myself wanting a 25 year update exploring how these subcultures changes as the computer age blossomed, and of course with the past 15 years of smartphones and social media.
mrjsparks's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting, but poorly researched and edited. Pretty low standards for what comes across at first as a sociological survey.
scheu's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of the book was much more compelling than the second. While Greenfeld discussed a number of aspects of modern Japanese society that I hadn't delved into previously, in the end I realised that the Japanese are fundamentally just as bad (or good) as Americans. This is probably an important realisation for a rampant Japanophile!
rosarachel's review against another edition
5.0
There's no greater praise I can give a book than to say it changed how I think about something, and this one did. I'll never see Japan in quite the same way again.
made_in_dna's review against another edition
5.0
While dated, this is a fantastic look into the Showa Era youth tribes of Japan--from porn stars to biker punks.
wingedwalls's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Some chapters better than others - overall an interesting book.
highaction's review against another edition
2.0
it was entertaining enough but at the end of it all there wasn't much to take from it. Some people have difficult decisions.... in Japanese culture and in every culture. Maybe Japan itself isn't as interesting as we like to think it is or maybe the characters didn't seem that alive to me but it still held my attention for 20 minutes at a time... like the Reader's Digest might. drugs.. sex... corruption... expectations of family and society... The usual. I love Japan.
raoionna's review against another edition
5.0
This inside look at the seedy underworld of Tokyo is so compelling you can read it in one sitting (though you might want to grab a drink afterward.)