Japan. This incredible land of geishas and samurais, zen gardens and fairy-tale-like blooming cherry trees, is a subject
of this marvellous Joanna Bator’s book “Japonski wachlarz” (A Japanese Fan). It is situated on narrow, volcanic islands, and for the rest of the world is mainly a land of the rising sun. Not only is it distinguished by its similar to Western countries’ level of civilisation development, but also by its different
culture, religious and philosophical system. Up until now, its solitariness comparing to the rest of the world has been the most popular advertising slogan for those who got off the plane on Tokyo airport. Exceptionally laconic, but also accurate is what Oscar Wilde said once, over a hundred years ago, by stating seriously that there is no such country nor its citizens and all this Japan is nothing more than a fairy tale. The
author, whose profession is antropology of culture, not Japanese studies, used to work at one of the Tokyo universities for two years. Fascinated and enchanted by nowaday’s Japan, she has written her book not as an essay concerning contemporary Japanese culture, but to express her feelings and sensations. We won’t find any answers for such common questions, such as what are the people, who build hyper-modern cities and computers and easily master over two thousand strange characters, who are unattainable models for those whom they try to follow, who cherish and practice incredibly sophisticated brewing and serving tea ceremonies, celebrate blossoming cherry trees feasts, eat and prepare sushi and finally, performing on Takarazuka stage, like. But if we submit to this book’s charm, we will discover what was the author engrossed about by the present Japan. We will travel with her through this world full of still not understood, but yet awaited, still strange, but yet perceptible by our senses tastes and scents, which she associate with the word “Japan”.