Life in Tokyo

Gr 6-10-A brief overview of Japanese history and a detailed look at modern life in the capital city. There are chapters on education, employment, and arts and entertainment. One section depicts a typical household and explains how the family maximizes the cramped quarters. There are interesting tidbits on dining etiquette, Japanese comic books or manga, and discrimination. Thorough information on schooling and work is provided. Gray-shaded boxes offer firsthand accounts and excerpts from other secondary sources on such topics as college life, discrimination against women, "cram school," local color on a typical Tokyo street, and the royal family. Clear black-and-white photographs accompany the text. Kallen’s title is more in depth than Deborah Kent’s Tokyo (Children’s, 1997), which has appealing color photographs. DeAnn Tabuchi, San Anselmo Public Library, CA