Tokyo Stroll: A Guide to City Sidetracks and Easy Explorations

(Paperback)

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Physical Properties

Description

• a refreshing departure from the same-old same-old guides, this book focuses on on little-known shops and less-crowded neighborhoods, without neglecting the familiar landmarks of modernity and tradition that epitomize Tokyo
• Foreword by Jake Adelstein, on whose work the popular HBO seriesTokyo Vice is based
  
• comfortable size for carrying and using on the move
• detailed maps (about 160) are linked to the free MapsMe app with author's customized bookmarks for easy navigation, with or without a data plan (linked to ebook edition but the ebook is not required to access the maps and bookmarks)
• author is well-known to Japanese manga and anime fans through his website, writings, and appearances. Many of these fans and their friends are frequent travels to Tokyo.
• Tourism in Japan is booming thanks to the improved yen-dollar rate, the perception of Japan as a "safe" country, and the increasing promotion of Japan as a destination by the Japanese government in advance of the 2010 Olympics. Japan is expecting tourism to Japan and to Tokyo especially to skyrocket. Demand is expected to remain strong for the next few years.
• More than 30 million overseas travelers visited Japan in 2018, an 8.7 percent increase over 2017 (the previous record year).According to Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the estimated number of international travelers to Japan in April 2019 was about 2.9 million (+0.9% from the previous year, and increased 30 thousand), setting the highest record for April ever.
• 46% of all visitors to Japan make Tokyo a destination
• Japan Times said Tuesday."
• In 2018, America's two most influential travel magazines gave travel to Japan a major thumbs-up, with Travel+Leisure pronouncing Japan the "Destination of the Year" for 2018 and the Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards citing Tokyo and Kyoto as the top two big cities in the world

Reviews

REVIEWS FOR AUTHOR'S PREVIOUS WORKS ON JAPANESE ANIMATION

ANIME COMPANION

This witty, humorous guide by Gilles Poitras is designed for enthusiasts of Japanese animation (anime) who want to understand these films in depth rather than superficially. It is an explication of the ethnic nuances in these films, especially those set in historical or modern Japan, rather than a listing or discussion of anime itself.--Animation World

The Anime Companion is a great little handbook for fans of Japanese anime who want to learn more about the culture that spawned the medium and permeates the shows we love so much.--Otaku World

Poitras tells 'what's Japanese in Japanese animation' in glossary-style squibs that present a fascinating look at life in that country.--San Francisco Chronicle

Combining personal passion with an intelligent sense of perspective, this enjoyable book is just right for dipping into, full of amusing and informative snippets which fans will love and even non-fans can enjoy.--Helen McCarthy, author of The Complete Anime Guide

I've worked on over 20,000 pages of manga over the last ten years, and I still learned quite a bit from this fascinating book. For anyone with more than the most casual interest in anime and manga, The Anime Companion should be on their coffee table right next to the remote control.--Toren Smith, Studio Proteus

Entire generations of English speakers now receive their first exposure to Japanese culture through anime. But many cultural references can be puzzling. Gilles Poitras's book is like a Rosetta Stone for confused anime fans. Before slipping that next anime video into your VCR, make sure this book's handy!--Frederik L. Schodt, author of Manga! Manga! and Dreamland Japan

ANIME ESSENTIALS

One of the New York Public Libary's 2001 Books for the the Teen Age List.

Overall, this book opens its welcoming arms wide to newcomers, so that more people can enjoy anime's story qualities, human element and cinematic, artistic effects. A valuable book!-- Protocultue Addicts

For the anime beginner, this is a great place to start. -- Dreamwatch

Author Bio

Gilles Poitras has produced three books on anime: Anime Companion (vols 1 & 2) and Anime Essentials. He has written for magazines including NewType USA and Otaku USA and served as a member of the senior board of Mechademia. He has made presentations at various Japan-US friendship groups, public libraries, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, conventions, and workshops for librarians, has introduced films at the Smithsonian, and has taught a course on anime for Pixar staff. He resides in Oakland, California.

Jake Adelstein (Foreword) has been an investigative journalist in Japan since 1993. He is considered one of the foremost experts on organized crime in Japan and works as a writer and consultant in Japan, the United States and France. He is the author of Tokyo Vice: A Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan (Vintage, now a hit HBO series) and has written two other books published by Marchialy in France.