The Electric Geisha: Exploring Japanese Culture

In this collection of essays, Japanese academics explain many of their country's customs that frequently puzzle foreigners. Each of the two dozen pieces sketches in both a current practice and its historical roots, supplying insights. The predilection for group travel, for example, an ``object of ridicule'' abroad, ``giving the impression that the Japanese can only function in a group, like sheep,'' can be traced back to pre-modern times when ordinary people made pilgrimages to the Grand Shrines of Ise. The kimono, once an undergarment worn by the nobility, gradually became an outer garment worn by the masses; the Japanese habit of washing before taking a bath may seem peculiar to foreigners, but not as odd as the Western custom of placing a toilet in the same room with the bathtub is to the Japanese. Money, sex, recreation, family life, business, food, tableware, transportation and education are examined. (May)