Tune In Tokyo

The Gaijin Diaries

By: Tim Anderson

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Everyone wants to escape their boring, stagnant lives full of inertia and regret. But so few people actually have the bravery to run - run away from everything and selflessly seek out personal fulfillment on the other side of the world where they don’t understand anything and won’t be expected to. The world is full of cowards.

Tim Anderson was pushing 30 and working a string of dead-end jobs when he made the spontaneous decision to pack his bags and move to Japan. It was a gutsy move, especially for a tall, white, gay Southerner who didn’t speak a lick of Japanese. But his life desperately needed a shot of adrenaline, and what better way to get one than to leave behind his boyfriend, his cat, and his Siouxsie and the Banshees box set to move to “a tiny, overcrowded island heaving with clever, sensibly proportioned people who make him look fat”?

In Tokyo, Tim became a “gaijin”, an outsider whose stumbling progression through Japanese culture is minutely chronicled in these 16 hilarious stories. Despite the steep learning curve and the seemingly constant humiliation, the gaijin from North Carolina gradually begins to find his way. Whether playing drums on the fly in an otherwise all-Japanese noise band or attempting to keep his English classroom clean when it’s invaded by an older female student with a dirty mind, Tim comes to realize that living a meaningful life is about expecting the unexpected...right when he least expects it.

©2012 Tim Anderson (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Tune In Tokyo- a very enjoyable memior

I had started out getting the Kindle version and was part way through it and when I discovered it was available on Audible I got it quick! Audio books work out so much better for me that I was glad I could switch to the Audible format to hear the rest of the book.
I really enjoyed the story of the author's adventures in Japan. I thought it was an often funny story and would recommend it!
The Audible version is also a great example of how the right reader can really make the story great! He sounds a lot like Mathew McConaughey to me and does great with his accents when he's describing some of the other foreign characters in the story.
I think it's really worth the 'credit'!

Fun experences of an English teacher in Japan

This is a fun history of an average guy getting out of a rut in middle America by going to teach English in Japan. If you are interested in Japan and like travel stories, you will probobly enjoy this. Sections are not family friendly, but as the voice of the book is that of a 20 something out on an adventure, that should probobly be expected.

Fun and wacky story for japanophiles

What did you like best about Tune In Tokyo? What did you like least?

I liked the author relatability, he rarely talked himself up. However I did not like his flowery "poetic" tangents.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was okay. I was hoping for juuuuust a bit more.

Which character – as performed by MacLeod Andrews – was your favorite?

Roy from philadelphia. Spot on.

Did Tune In Tokyo inspire you to do anything?

It actually did! I'm honestly considering going over to Japan and teaching English now.

Any additional comments?

Decent budget read.

Funny. Laugh Out Loud Funny!

Listened to this memoir during my recent road trip down I-95 and laughed my way through NC, SC, and FL.

Of all the David Sedaris wannabes, he comes close

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Very easy to listen to, you can just zone in and zone out and not miss the actual story (mainly because these are little unconnected anecdotes). Perfect for quick city rides, because you can just listen to it for 7-8 minutes and still get some entertainment out of it.

Any additional comments?

Out of all the David Sedaris wannabes, this one actually comes closest to being occasionally funny. He is from Raleigh, NC - Check. He is gay - Check. He travels to Japan without speaking much of the language - Check. It won't have you roll around laughing, but good entertainment value.