The Lady and the Monk : Four Seasons in Kyoto

by Pico Iyer

Release Date: 27 October, 1992

Edition: Paperback

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It is like being in Japan again

I agree with the reviewer, who wrote down there that this book is like being in Japan again. I first read it 6 years ago, and I still re-read it to this day, even opening pages at random, and reading what I find; This book is the closest the written word comes to capturing a visit to Japan (I have read virtually every "foreigner in Japan" Armchair-travel book that have come out since Pictures From the Water Trade, and this is hands down the best). By the way, some reviewers keep referring to Sachiko as a "character" as if this is a work of fiction, which it is NOT. Pico Iyer obviously would not use the real name of the individual, but this is an account of his stay in Japan, not a fictional tale. I have been in Japan, and studied the Japanese language and culture for over ten years, and I can attest that Mr. Iyer's observations are accurate and descriptive of Japan. If you are a Non-Japanese interested in Japan, have never been there, and wish to know how it feels, read this book! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

It was like I was in Japan again!

Maybe its my love of Japan and Japanese culture. Maybe its how wondeful I thought Kyoto was. Maybe it was my failed romance with a beautiful Japanese girl. Whatever the cause, this book struck a nerve. It was like I was transported back to the beautiful city of Kyoto. The whole time I read this book, I truely felt like I was back in Japan. The descriptions of the city and its people, plus the contrast of Western expecations and Japanese realities made this book almost magical. This book is a must for those who have been to Japan and still think about their magical stays there. It is a must for those of us who still try to cling onto the memories of our visits.