Japanese Inn

 First of all, I’m way off base with this book, far from our genre, but let me explain. First, I do like to keep track of the books I read and the blog helps with that. Typically, it keeps me from getting annoying and shameful reminders from Amazon that I already have the given title in my Kindle library  Second, I like to go off-genre when I’m about to take a big trip to a new place. It’s also true that I’ve been to Japan before, but that was 53 years ago next month (which suggests I might not be a young man). So, our plan is to be in Japan this year for the cherry blossoms. I’m excited. Then I ran into a woman whose husband is an Asian scholar and she’s been to Japan ever year for the last 35 years. She was excited to be helpful to my preparation for this trip. There’s time to adjust the itinerary, and she has started me on a book list. I had planned to re-read Shogun, the 1975 book by James Clavell, but I ended up getting the 53-hour audiobook, so I’m nearly ½-way through that, which also gives me time to actually read a different book. Shogun is one of my top 10 novels ever, so when I get through it, I’ll let you know with another post. I was excited to know that this was near the top of my new friend’s book recommendations. My early opinion is that I’m enjoying it more than before. Furthermore, as I read some nonfiction Japanese history, it’s remarkable how close Clavell came to making his book a nonfiction work.

 

It was recommended by my new friend to have a look at Japanese Inn, a 1961 historical novel by Oliver Statler. In part, it’s a story about Minaguchi-ya, the name of the inn which is in Okitsu, which lies along the Tokaido Road, the old route between the capitals of Kyoko and Tokyo. It covers the history of the founding of the Inn and the 20 generations of people who owned and managed it. The story covered 400 years. Really, this is a story of Japan from its imperial days, through its first encounters with the Western world, to the Portugese stranglehold on commerce between Japan and China, to the opening of Japan by Admiral Perry in 1852, the effects of WWII on the population, and finally to the transition to its modern day form. It was in Japanese Inn that I learned that the name of the pilot, the real protagonist in Shogun, Mr. Pilot, Anjin-sama, was the Englishman Will Adams, the first Englishman that reached Japan.

 

Meanwhile, Minaguchi-ya evolved with the changing times until it ended its hotel functions in 1985 and is now open as a museum. I know that my travels will take me to the Tokaido Road, and Kyoto, but I’m not sure that I’ll actually find my way to Okitsu. At any rate, if the fascinating history of Japan is of interest to you, this book is wonderful and entertaining. My recommendation – have a look.