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amicarlton's review
4.0
Get ready for a wild ride through Japan to take a look at visit the lighthouses of Japan.
This reads a little like the random ramblings of a guy who decided to take a vacation and write a book, and that made it way more enjoyable than the average travel book. Alongside the highlights of Maloney’s trek through Japan, he’s tucked in interesting historical facts, amusing anecdotes, and beautiful sketches. This is a great read for those who love travel, whether specifically to Japan or otherwise.
I’ve never been to Japan, but it’s on my bucket list, so I looked forward to the opportunity to read more about it. I’ll admit, most of my exposure has been to anime and other similar Japanese cultural imports. So seeing such an intimate account, even from an expat, was an enjoyable experience.
I really enjoyed Maloney’s writing style. Rather than a dry, informational account, he is quite talented at offering us a humorous adventure, even in the historical parts where most authors would offer a dry account. While these parts are still dryer than others, they are still interesting. He’s great at providing funny little tidbits, like offices being turned into Taco Bells, that force a chuckle. Another of my favorite anecdotes involved a lighthouse that had saved many lives as "something to do."
The cover and the other illustrations and maps in the book were lovely, offering a nice view of the various lighthouses. Imagining the author trekking across Japan to visit the various far-flung locations paints quite a picture. I can’t imagine doing the same in the United States.
I’m grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me on this tour, and look forward to reading more by the author. His humorous style is definitely something worth exploring!
This reads a little like the random ramblings of a guy who decided to take a vacation and write a book, and that made it way more enjoyable than the average travel book. Alongside the highlights of Maloney’s trek through Japan, he’s tucked in interesting historical facts, amusing anecdotes, and beautiful sketches. This is a great read for those who love travel, whether specifically to Japan or otherwise.
I’ve never been to Japan, but it’s on my bucket list, so I looked forward to the opportunity to read more about it. I’ll admit, most of my exposure has been to anime and other similar Japanese cultural imports. So seeing such an intimate account, even from an expat, was an enjoyable experience.
I really enjoyed Maloney’s writing style. Rather than a dry, informational account, he is quite talented at offering us a humorous adventure, even in the historical parts where most authors would offer a dry account. While these parts are still dryer than others, they are still interesting. He’s great at providing funny little tidbits, like offices being turned into Taco Bells, that force a chuckle. Another of my favorite anecdotes involved a lighthouse that had saved many lives as "something to do."
The cover and the other illustrations and maps in the book were lovely, offering a nice view of the various lighthouses. Imagining the author trekking across Japan to visit the various far-flung locations paints quite a picture. I can’t imagine doing the same in the United States.
I’m grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me on this tour, and look forward to reading more by the author. His humorous style is definitely something worth exploring!
whatyoutolkienabout's review
5.0
Introduction
I was given a copy to review by LoveBookTours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. @iain_maloney
@Tippermuir Books
@lovebookstours
#TheJapanLightsTour
#Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram
Review
I have had a love and appreciation for Japan since discovering anime back in the 90s. That lead to manga, movies, dramas, translated novels, learning about the culture, customs and folklore and learning the language (something I confess is still ongoing). As such I was excited to find something that I had never actually thought to explore, surprising when you think that Japan is an island, several in fact and surrounded by water. So why there is not more matter on the subject of their lighthouses I am not sure. That said Iain Maloney has provided a detailed and informative foray into this topic.
In 2017 while holed up in a hotel room Iain Maloney chances upon an article about Richard Henry Brunton, a Victorian civil engineer unknown in his Scottish homeland but considered ‘The Father of Japanese Lighthouses’ in Japan. A title very justified considering twenty of his lighthouses are still in use today. With a new sense of purpose Maloney sets out to visit all of them and find out more about the illusive Brunton along the way.
I was not sure what to fully expect from this one but I knew I would enjoy it nonetheless. Was it going to be a travel memoir? A history project? A guide book of sorts? Well it turns out in part The Japan Lights is all three. Seeing the side of Japan not often found in tour guides and brochures we venture into the rural regions and see the ways of life and also lingering trauma from the 2011 natural disaster of the earthquake to the more man made nuclear ones. Along side this we get a glimpse into the past not only of Brunton, a man who was a flawed human being to say the least but helped save numerous lives around Japan with his light houses but of the people and the country itself.
The tone of the novel was something I enjoyed told with a mixture of wit, awe and understanding. It is clear that Maloney is passionate about learning more about Brunton and his light house legacy warts and all. I particularly enjoy the way that Maloney does not shy away from discussing the darker side of Japan’s history or namely the disasters that befell the country during the war.
While sometimes it can be a little heavy on information and history I actually enjoyed that aspect of the book. I think this one will be a hit for a cross section of readers those interested in Japan’s rural settings will find something to enjoy, for history and travel memoir fans as well. All in all I really enjoyed this one.
Hashtags
#TheJapanLightsTour#Ad #LBTCrew#Bookstagram #BookReviewer#BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book
I was given a copy to review by LoveBookTours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. @iain_maloney
@Tippermuir Books
@lovebookstours
#TheJapanLightsTour
#Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram
Review
I have had a love and appreciation for Japan since discovering anime back in the 90s. That lead to manga, movies, dramas, translated novels, learning about the culture, customs and folklore and learning the language (something I confess is still ongoing). As such I was excited to find something that I had never actually thought to explore, surprising when you think that Japan is an island, several in fact and surrounded by water. So why there is not more matter on the subject of their lighthouses I am not sure. That said Iain Maloney has provided a detailed and informative foray into this topic.
In 2017 while holed up in a hotel room Iain Maloney chances upon an article about Richard Henry Brunton, a Victorian civil engineer unknown in his Scottish homeland but considered ‘The Father of Japanese Lighthouses’ in Japan. A title very justified considering twenty of his lighthouses are still in use today. With a new sense of purpose Maloney sets out to visit all of them and find out more about the illusive Brunton along the way.
I was not sure what to fully expect from this one but I knew I would enjoy it nonetheless. Was it going to be a travel memoir? A history project? A guide book of sorts? Well it turns out in part The Japan Lights is all three. Seeing the side of Japan not often found in tour guides and brochures we venture into the rural regions and see the ways of life and also lingering trauma from the 2011 natural disaster of the earthquake to the more man made nuclear ones. Along side this we get a glimpse into the past not only of Brunton, a man who was a flawed human being to say the least but helped save numerous lives around Japan with his light houses but of the people and the country itself.
The tone of the novel was something I enjoyed told with a mixture of wit, awe and understanding. It is clear that Maloney is passionate about learning more about Brunton and his light house legacy warts and all. I particularly enjoy the way that Maloney does not shy away from discussing the darker side of Japan’s history or namely the disasters that befell the country during the war.
While sometimes it can be a little heavy on information and history I actually enjoyed that aspect of the book. I think this one will be a hit for a cross section of readers those interested in Japan’s rural settings will find something to enjoy, for history and travel memoir fans as well. All in all I really enjoyed this one.
Hashtags
#TheJapanLightsTour#Ad #LBTCrew#Bookstagram #BookReviewer#BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book
piperkitty's review
4.0
This book is very educational. This is a fascinating and historically educational read as he begins by describing what it was like to witness the chaos and destruction brought on by the Boxing Day Tsunami and how he felt uncomfortable as an observer of the aftermath. He then moves onto his travels around the twenty remaining Brunton lighthouses. Along the journey, there are lots of humorous moments.
I found some other insights into the Japanese way of life and their problem with people of different ethnicities to be quite illuminating, and I could see why Iain and Steve would find this upsetting while also appreciating the fact that it is not regarded as a problem in Japanese culture.
It is really beneficial to enjoy the map at the outset of the book so that you can place where they are along the coastline. The chapters are brief and informative and allow the reader to develop an awareness of the lighthouses and their history.
Iain wrote a simple, humorous, and educational book that I greatly enjoyed, and I want to read more from him in the future.
I found some other insights into the Japanese way of life and their problem with people of different ethnicities to be quite illuminating, and I could see why Iain and Steve would find this upsetting while also appreciating the fact that it is not regarded as a problem in Japanese culture.
It is really beneficial to enjoy the map at the outset of the book so that you can place where they are along the coastline. The chapters are brief and informative and allow the reader to develop an awareness of the lighthouses and their history.
Iain wrote a simple, humorous, and educational book that I greatly enjoyed, and I want to read more from him in the future.
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