| [ EnglishOnly ] in KIDS 글 쓴 이(By): loneman (자유의지) 날 짜 (Date): 1995년03월23일(목) 12시29분01초 KST 제 목(Title): To byron: about japan.. About the books on japan, "일본은 있다" and "일본은 없다". I have read both books with deep interests. As I read them, I realized that they are not controversial as booktitles suggest. The author of "일본은 있다" was a formal diplomat and had been involved in diplomatic positions with japan. As you might guess from his profile, he approached japan from korea-japan diplomatic perspective and historical viewpoint. The contents are filled with diplomatic anecdotes of early 20C. and hitorical japanese personnels who shed profound influeces on fates of many nations involved around thrilling far eastern history in early 20 century. Meanwhile, "일본은 없다" was written by an woman reporter who was stationed in japan for few years. This book is not a serious research on japan. As an woman and as a reporter, she tried to delve into the deflated sides of japan, which had been neglected by all those spotlights upon its successes. Her tone is definitely sarcastic. However as I read it, I sensed her susceptivity as an woman to pinpoint many hidden weakness in japan. These two books written from totally irrelevbant aspects doesn't contradict against each other since they just reflect different sides of japan. To me, they were both worthwhile books to read. There is another book that is a bible to read if one is serious to understand japan from cultural perspective. I forgot the book title at the moment but the author is 이 어령. He is a fine intellectual, whose approach is highly sophiscated and cultivated analytic scheme. A fine intellectual discource on japan. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- 외로운 이의 자유여행 죽음은 가장 확실해 보이는 불확실성 강 민 수 죽음보다 더 짙은 희망속에서... +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- |