Japan - Culture Smart!

The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

By: Paul Norbury

Narrated by: Charles Armstrong

The Japanese people have always seen themselves as a nation uniquely apart. Their exquisite art forms and elegant culture, military prowess and technological precision, have long been the envy of friend and foe alike.

Today, even as Japan adapts to a rapidly changing world, its traditional culture and consensus-based philosophy have proved remarkably resilient. Culture Smart! Japan will broaden your perception and understanding of this complex, rich, and dynamic society.

It will guide you through modern Japan’s shifting social and cultural maze and equip you with the tools to avoid the pitfalls of cultural misunderstanding. It provides practical tips and invaluable insights into people’s attitudes and behavior to help make your visit a more meaningful and successful experience.

©2017, 2021 Paul Norbury (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Visualized every word as told by the Narrator

I loved it and enjoyed it thoroughly. I listened to the audible Before and After my visit to Japan in October. The Narrator helped me to visualize Japan very succinctly. It’s a short story, but it’s a very informative and an accurate story of Japan and its people. You will be prepared for what to expect if you’re planning to visit this beautiful country for the first time. I was excited to listen to this book before I visited Japan but equally as excited to listen when I returned. Because after having been there, I could reminisce about what I saw and heard as was told in the story. All true. Japan…a beautiful country, rich culture, historic traditions and gracious people. It was an experience of a Lifetime.

Good crash course on Japan

This book provides a lot of useful information and insights on what to expect when living/visiting Japan. Ideal for some to use as an introduction to Japanese. While the narrator speaks fluidly and clearly, their pronunciation of Japanese words is highly inaccurate or over articulated, leaving the words/phrases to sound unnatural.

Overall, a good book and definitely worth a read or listening to.

Very detailed

I have been told by other frequent visitors that some of the manners content is a little harsh then what really happens in Japan. But the history and business details are interesting. Good overall for a first time visitor.

Culture Smart? Not so sure.

DO NOT USE THIS AS A QUICK GUIDE FOR ANY JAPANESE PHRASES! The content in this book is absolutely solid and manages to pack in a lot of information, especially for newcomers to the subject. Some of the content is inevitably a little dated when it speaks on 'current event' type subjects, but not badly.

As a written text, I'm sure it is fine. Mr. Armstrong's performance as the narrator is well done until he has to speak an actual word of Japanese. The flaws are even more glaring when he narrates entire phrases. The pronunciation of Japanese in this book is, at best worth a chuckle - and at worst, grossly misinforming the target audience on 'Survival Japanese'.

This isn't a book

It’s frustrating when a book turns out to be more of a glorified lecture transcript than an actual well-researched, insightful read. This one feels like the author simply transcribed their talk, slapped a cover on it, and called it a day. There’s no depth, no real analysis—just surface-level commentary that barely scratches the surface of the topics mentioned. The lack of background information or explanation makes it even more aggravating, as if the reader is expected to already know everything. It comes across as lazy and uninspired, failing to provide any meaningful engagement with the subject matter.