'Fantastic group portrait of people and place' - Nick Bradley
'Pitch-perfect series of dispatches from Japan, each chapter an
invitation into a different life - not to mention the fascinating
interludes that intersperse each of the interviews. Enlightening and
engaging at every turn.' - Andrew Kenrick, editor, Hinterland
Foreword by Lord Gregory Mostyn.
Since the first 'Welch' sailor set foot on Japanese shores in the seventeenth century to the present-day presence of high-tech Japanese companies in the Valleys, Wales and Japan are two nations with deeply entwined roots. Captured in this groundbreaking book is a chorus of modern-day Welsh migrants to Japan. There is Catharine who, in 1965, followed her Japanese husband to an 'out of kilter' house in the seaside town of Zushi; Jac, the 'capitalist ski bum', who guides tourists through the bear-infested wilds of snowy Hokkaido, while on a volcanic island in the Seto Inland Sea, Simon clears jungle vines to develop his vegan farm.
There are also actors, writers, teachers, an ex-bouncer turned martial artist, a filmmaker, a games localiser, and many more. There are even Japanese fans who promote Welsh culture in their homeland. Together they form a polyphonic group portrait based on oral-history techniques, mixing travel writing, character study and reportage, while proving an ear for natural speech.
