Beauty and Chaos (Tokyo Moments Book 1)

This is the second Pronko book I've read and he is truly gifted at transporting the reader right into the heart of Tokyo whether it be in these essays or the Hiroshi series. His writing is the next best thing to grabbing a ticket for Narita or Haneda - and a lot cheaper too!

Americans of a certain age are familiar with Japanese products, especially its automobiles. Further, they eat in Japanese restaurants and occasionally watch a Japanese movie. And last summer, the lucky among them went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where they enjoyed its wonderful show on the traditions and evolution of the Japanese kimono. At the same time, many of these Americans have never been to Japan and have no real feel for the granularity and complexity of its culture. Yes, they have a rudimentary, mostly commercial, interface with the country. But they are clueless about how its culture actually operates.Those seeking to rectify such an experiential deficiency might consider reading BEAUTY AND CHAOS: SLICES AND MORSELS OF TOKYO LIFE. Its author, Michael Pronko, is a Brown graduate, jazz lover, and close observer who has lived and taught at university in Tokyo for 15 years. And in this book’s 46 feuilletons, he offers such interesting observations as:o Its [Tokyo’s] logic, if there is one, is hidden deep. Yet, on maps, the city seems to make perfect sense. The jangled, frazzling chaos of the city appears neat and ordered. All is connected; all is positioned. The gargantuan proportions of the city can be taken in at a glance. Maps allow us to step back from time to time with welcome two-dimensional abstraction. (No Space Left Unmapped)o Entering into the interior of another space, public as it is, means entering into a whole realm of conventions and obligations. The mere task of ordering an ice coffee sometimes just seems too much. Vending machines remain entirely outside of all social engagement… Simple and satisfying, they sanction anonymity. (Automatic Tea Ceremony)o During bonenkai season, everyone in Tokyo suddenly relaxes. Something like Mardi Gras, bonenkai is a collective social catharsis… Like the flu, bonenkai spirit spreads through the city. Japan, perhaps the quietest nation on earth, becomes roaringly loud. Restaurants are deafening. People leap out of their seats, shouting, laughing, carousing, and making more noise than they have all year, as if there were a budget of noise, like for road repair, that if not spent, would be lost. (The Nosiest Time of the Year)o … the actions of polite exchange remind us to be grateful, attentive, and aware. Similarly, when change is given, a bow is made, a moment’s stillness offered, all is returned to a comfortable balance, as if even small change somehow partakes of the life force of the entire monetary system and deserves its own respect. (The Delicate Ritual of Small Change)BEAUTY AND CHAOS is not quite a five-star read. Here, I put on my editor’s hat and say the book might have been, well, more diverse if Pronko had presented more interaction with individual Tokyoites in his essays. Yes, these feuilletons were first published in Newsweek Japan, where they were popular reading. Still, my unwanted editorial advice is: Once in a while, start a chapter with a local character that refutes or confirms a cultural stereotype. Then, throw in some apt political or historical stuff. Finally, end the chapter with another character who offers a different take on the issues raised in the chapter. The grumpy Paul Theroux, after all, has used this technique to build a great career. And it helps him rise from merely articulate, to memorable, commentary.Regardless, this is a fine book of essays. And I’ll reread when I finally take that vacation in Japan. Recommended.

Those readers with even the slightest connections to Japan (or none at all) will find Michael Pronko’s vignettes about life in modern day Tokyo fascinating. I know that I have. “Beauty and Chaos: Slices and Morsels of Tokyo Life” is the first of three volumes of Pronko’s magazine columns published for the first time in his native English.For nearly two decades, Michael Pronko—an American—has taught literature, art and related subjects to his eager students at Meiji Gakuin University while spending his off hours exploring the never-ending mysteries of the world’s largest city: Tokyo. He has been a contributor of many of Japan’s leading magazines where the columns which make up this book were first printed.Whether it be fashion, architecture, daily life, cultural differences, cuisine, transportation, communication or the unique shops one encounters no matter where they travel in Tokyo, you will be drawn into the same depths of curiosity and wonder as Professor Pronko experiences every day of his life in that great city which inspires both belief and disbelief in equal portions. It was a little over 50 years ago that I first wandered the streets and alleyways of Tokyo and discovered a tiny bit of that great city's beauty and mystery. I've never forgotten that experience. Thanks, Professor Pronko for rekindling the memories. Things have changed, of course, in that half century. Kids didn't navigate via GPS units. There were no cell phones and Japanese-American relations were still evolving after the great war that devastated both our nations but Tokyo was and still is magnificent. I highly recommend all of Pronko's works to those who know Tokyo and even to those who have yet to discover it.

I was surprised to enjoy this book SO much, and I'll read the other 2 in the series of city-chronicles, as well as Pronko's mysteries. For years before the pandemic struck I taught advanced EFL to Japanese executives, read what I could about Japan, hoped to visit there one day... and most of that was put on hold in 2020. But I happened to pick up Beauty and Chaos recently, was delighted to find that it truly provides a sense of 'being there', and found its pacing and imagery memorable.

Those musings about Tokyo would be so much more enjoyable if edited for grammatical errors that quite frankly rankle coming from someone who teaches literature and writes for a living. Too many examples to quote but look at the memory of watching foreign visitors' slides as a child before being carried to bed: the sentence is worded as if the slides are being carried, not the author. And what about the definition of cumbersome rubbish "must be paid to be taken away"!

As someone who lived in the city, it was great to hear the author’s perceptions and perspectives on this fascinating place.

As a journalist the author must be used to being payed by the word. The essays are verbose. There are few nice turns of phrase here and there. Bye and large the writing I found padded.

I've read a lot about Japan, though never been there, but this material consistently had me feeling I was learning something new about Japanese society.

Pronko's topics are varied and surprising. He notices the kinds of things that might be taken for granted by the Japanese and overlooked entirely by visitors, such as the prevalence of vending machines and bottle displays or the popularity of store bags, loyalty cards, and truck deliveries. He takes readers to unexplored gaps, like those between properties - where cats and rubbish collect to 'create an atmosphere of loneliness.' These pieces feel flowing and natural, perhaps because many arose simply from walking around, people-watching. My favourite essays were 'Singing in the Rainy Season' and 'The Love of Small Places.'My full review is at The Bookbag: http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=Beauty_and_Chaos:_Slices_and_Morsels_of_Tokyo_Life_by_Michael_Pronko.