The Magic of Japan: Secret Places and Life-Changing Experiences (with 475 Color

<b>A charming collection of quirky insights into Japanese culture.</b> <p/><i>The Magic of Japan</i> is writer Hector Garcia's intensely personal account of his fifteen years in Japan. A self-professed <i>otaku</i> or Japanese anime geek since childhood, Garcia has worked for a Japanese software company, mastered the language, and become one of Japan's most popular bloggers. <p/>This book is the culmination of his experiences and showcases Garcia's unique ability to delve beneath the surface of Japanese culture to describe its quirky and deep spiritual underpinnings. This collection of essays and beautiful photographs will appeal to his worldwide fan base--including those who devoured his previous bestsellers, <i>A Geek in Japan</i> and <i>Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life</i>--Japanophiles, armchair travelers and anyone with an interest in cultural and travel memoirs. <p/><b><i>The Magic of Japan</i> features Garcia's keen observations on a wide variety of cultural topics: </b><ul><li>Japanese behavioral traits, including non-verbal communication, <i>hansei</i> (self-reflection), <i>heijoshin</i> (a calm mind) and <i>shoshin</i> (childlike openness)</li><li>How Japan's geography and history have shaped its culture--its natural disasters, scarce resources, centuries of isolation and its feudal past</li><li>Japanese idiosyncrasies, ranging from food traditions and absurd jobs to a love of queues</li><li>The Japanese spirit, as evidenced in traditional art,