Tune In Tokyo

The Gaijin Diaries

By: Tim Anderson

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Everyone wants to escape their boring, stagnant lives full of inertia and regret. But so few people actually have the bravery to run - run away from everything and selflessly seek out personal fulfillment on the other side of the world where they don’t understand anything and won’t be expected to. The world is full of cowards.

Tim Anderson was pushing 30 and working a string of dead-end jobs when he made the spontaneous decision to pack his bags and move to Japan. It was a gutsy move, especially for a tall, white, gay Southerner who didn’t speak a lick of Japanese. But his life desperately needed a shot of adrenaline, and what better way to get one than to leave behind his boyfriend, his cat, and his Siouxsie and the Banshees box set to move to “a tiny, overcrowded island heaving with clever, sensibly proportioned people who make him look fat”?

In Tokyo, Tim became a “gaijin”, an outsider whose stumbling progression through Japanese culture is minutely chronicled in these 16 hilarious stories. Despite the steep learning curve and the seemingly constant humiliation, the gaijin from North Carolina gradually begins to find his way. Whether playing drums on the fly in an otherwise all-Japanese noise band or attempting to keep his English classroom clean when it’s invaded by an older female student with a dirty mind, Tim comes to realize that living a meaningful life is about expecting the unexpected...right when he least expects it.

©2012 Tim Anderson (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Surprisingly funny

What did you like best about Tune In Tokyo? What did you like least?

I have to admit that I fell right into the story, and laughed out loud a few times at the amusing anecdotes the author shared. Anderson managed to bring the little moments he experienced while in Tokyo alive to me.

Did Tune In Tokyo inspire you to do anything?

I love traveling the world, and we do it at least once a year. I've never considered picking it all up and moving to a random location by myself though.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed the wit and sarcasm of the author. The narration was also done really well, and brought the story alive for me. Great enunciation and stress at the just the right places.

Wonderful

I really love this story, it really made me understand what it would be like to venture to a foreign country and be enveloped by its culture. Especially because I do plan on living in Japan as well. This rendition of his experience only made me want to go more. Also McLeod is amazing!

Tokyo Madness

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tune In Tokyo?

Was it the drunk Australian teacher or maybe it was the Vagina Room?

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed all the way through.

Any additional comments?

I loved this book. The author was very engaging and very very funny.

A series of hit-or-miss vignettes

If you could sum up Tune In Tokyo in three words, what would they be?

Underwhelming. Deadpan. Diverting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tim Anderson's pretty much the only character around. The other people in the memoir are by and large unmemorable, though there are some exceptions (his account of his ill-fated rock band is particularly nice.)

Did MacLeod Andrews do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

MacLeod Andrews was mostly good, except for when he tried to speak Japanese and speak in a Japanese accent. Then it was sometimes offensive.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sometimes I would laugh out loud, sometimes I would chuckle, but overall I listened in stoic silence trying to figure out when the next time I would laugh was.

Any additional comments?

In general, I don't laugh a whole lot (ha ha). This particular read though was not bad. It was an interesting, if seemingly dated (no talk of cell phones here), jaunt through Japan. Though many observations were a bit stereotypical (Anderson's description of Japanese people's formalities, for instance), and though Andrews' reading was sometimes more than just stereotypical (intentional changing of r's to l's, for instance), it was overall vaguely amusing. I enjoyed greatly that the story was a bunch of vignettes in Anderson's life, but I would have liked to see greater insights into Japanese culture. Overall: not bad. But not great.

A perfect portrait of Tokyo that's insanely funny

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! The portrayal of my favorite country / city is spot on. For those that haven't visited Tokyo/Japan, the author does a great job at explaining everything that's culturally odd, endearing, and wonderful. It's also one of the funniest books I've listened to and the narrator completely nails it.

Any additional comments?

The best memoir about Japan / Tokyo I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Smartly written and, easily, one of the best narration jobs I've ever come across on Audible.

Comic Relief on Japanese Culture

"Tune in Tokyo" is about a man who is also happen to be gay that goes to Japan to teach English. Basically, it's Tim Anderson's memoirs about his experience at teaching in a foreign country. If you like stand up comedy and pop culture than this one is for you. If you are looking for a guide book to Asia, you should look elsewhere. I had a few laugh out loud moments while listening to this one, but I also wanted to know more about the culture of teaching in Japan. Maybe less laughs and more facts? The best way to describe this book is an episode of This American Life. It is something that they would report because of the comic relief on Japanese culture.

Hilarious

The narrating was perfect for this book. It was clearly a funny book to start with and to have a great voice to present it made it that much better. His stories and adventures in Japan were very entertaining and I enjoyed the bits and pieces I learned about the country. It did have it's sleazy side to it but I thought it was totally hilarious!

for those who

find a little story about An American in Japan interesting. Teaching English at all levels.

As the Japanese say - CUTE

What made the experience of listening to Tune In Tokyo the most enjoyable?

the narrator truly brought the story to life.

What did you like best about this story?

The trials and tribulations of living in a country whose culture and language are so diverse from our own. Funny story.

What about MacLeod Andrews’s performance did you like?

He was excellent. He made the whole experience so believable.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Can a Southern, gay diabetic find happiness in Japan?

Peek into a window on Japan

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, I am of Japanese descent but grew up in the US. The story of an English Language teacher in Japan was very illuminating. Seeing the Japanese through a western lens is always fascinating. Even more so, given the author's youth & orientation.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

saying almost anything would be a spoiler.

What three words best describe MacLeod Andrews’s performance?

few mispronunciations, energetic

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably.