Tokyo's Mystery Deepens: Essays on Tokyo Paperback – December 13, 2014

“Tokyo's Mystery Deepens” is a collection of essays by Michael Pronko who has been writing of and in Tokyo for fifteen years or so. A professor of English at Meiji Gakuin University and columnist for Newsweek Japan, Pronko writes that “Essays fit Tokyo well...they can switch modes quickly and easily.” Now, the man writes so well you will want to keep turning the pages, but I would suggest that you pull back and read one or two essays at a time. Tokyo—all the different Tokyos that we meet—takes a bit of getting used to.My guess is that Pronko's earlier essay collections covered the things of which guide books are made, but here we find the world that a Westerner confronts day in and day out in this truly exotic city. We vaguely know that Tokyo is a huge, crowded place, but “knowing” and actually taking part in the unending face to face encounters one has in the dense and fatiguing daily life takes considerable getting used to. The essay on the Japanese constant use of the apology—a quick “Sumimasen!” and bow-- is an excellent introduction to the tempo and mood of the city. When one has thousands of interactions with people all day every day “keeping small things small” is sound policy.The physical city, writes the author, is in many ways “easy to ignore...there are no overt demands to participate or appreciate its beauty.” Cities such as Paris and London have a gritty authenticity blended with their beauty, but his “'How beautiful!' in Europe gradually turns to a bemused 'How strange!' back in Tokyo.” where one bumps up against “one wacky idea of how to use space after the next.” Fantasy rules. “Tokyo's urban planning seems more like urban gaming—virtual, shifting and always new.” And yet there are moments: “Tokyo will always be a lovely isolating city whose pleasures are doled out in brief passing moments.” There is a “love of small, love of instant.” There is “skip to a different point of view and look again.” Could one have a better guide?Anyone planning to work and live in Tokyo for a period of time will find Pronko indispensable. The author grew up in Kansas; it would appear that Dorothy is not the only one to find a magic world over the rainbow. Bookreview.com recommends “Tokyo's Mystery Deepens” as excellent.

Very interesting, sometimes not so. Worth reading overall.

Michael's essays on Tokyo were well-written and thought-provoking. I am familiar with Japanese culture, and his essays helped me understand it even more.They focused on the aspects of Tokyo that a foreigner might not think much about. One of my favorite essays was "All Together Now" in which he explained what "sei-no" means (which is equivalent to saying, "one, two, and three!"), but he further explained that maybe the Japanese people say these words in their heads whenever they do things, which may explain why group harmony exists in Tokyo. Brilliant!Michael also wrote about his observations and life around him. I enjoyed reading "Bugs on the Train". What happens when a flying insect bothers a Tokyoite inside a train? Suddenly, the serious, orderly train ride turns into a comedy show.Finally, Michael also made comparisons and drew conclusions from them. In "Forgotten Spaces", he contrasted the rundown and abandoned parts of Tokyo with the new and shiny, the former a reminder of Tokyo's past where everything was not polished yet had character. And in "Autumn Hanami", he suggested that because maple trees remind Tokyoites of loneliness, one does not often see them view the changing of their colors as opposed to cherry blossoms in the spring.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Japanese culture. The only criticism I have is that "Wiping Away the City" and "Sweating It" are the same essays with some words changed.

I have a family member who lives in Tokyo, and has for years. Michael Pronko’s book aided me in understanding the “why” of his living there and loving it so much. Each essay was well-written and interesting. No doubt I will think of these things on my next visit.

Wonderful insights

著者は東京に何年か断続的に住み、この町がニューヨークと比べてどいういう特徴があるか、またその住人たちの日常生活に興味をもってきっじゅつしている点が気に入りました。