36 Views of Mount Fuji

On Finding Myself in Japan

De: Cathy Davidson

Narrado por: Alexandra Bailey

In 1980 Cathy N. Davidson traveled to Japan to teach English at a leading all-women’s university. It was the first of many journeys and the beginning of a deep and abiding fascination. In this extraordinary book, Davidson depicts a series of intimate moments and small epiphanies that together make up a panoramic view of Japan. With wit, candor, and a lover’s keen eye, she tells captivating stories - from that of a Buddhist funeral laden with ritual to an exhilarating evening spent touring the “Floating World,” the sensual demimonde in which salaryman meets geisha and the normal rules are suspended. On a remote island inhabited by one of the last matriarchal societies in the world, a disconcertingly down-to-earth priestess leads her to the heart of a sacred grove. And she spends a few unforgettable weeks in a quasi-Victorian residence called the Practice House, where, until recently, Japanese women were taught American customs so that they would make proper wives for husbands who might be stationed abroad. In an afterword new to this edition, Davidson tells of a poignant trip back to Japan in 2005 to visit friends who had remade their lives after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which had devastated the city of Kobe, as well as the small town where Davidson had lived and the university where she taught.

36 Views of Mount Fuji not only transforms our image of Japan, it offers a stirring look at the very nature of culture and identity. Often funny, sometimes liltingly sad, it is as intimate and irresistible as a long-awaited letter from a good friend.

©2006 Cathy Davidson (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Interesting account on Japan

I'm very drawn to Japan and found it very interesting to learn from Cathy's experiences with the country.

Intelligent, poignant, cultural-shift memoir read by a lovely human narrator

What a TREASURE- in the world of artificial whisper sync readings - to find this delightful narrator reading a memoir that is so articulate and touching in its exploration of the author's own culture and Japanese culture

lovely insight into Japanese life

the author gives a very personal and thoughtful accounting of her life in Japan and her life outside of Japan as it has affected her. it was the perfect book to hear Fred prior to my first trip to Japan coming up next year .

Keen observation by the author

As a fellow English teacher in China I could identify with the author's struggle to learn Japanese and understand the culture. I listened to this while traveling around Japan this past summer. Her description of Osaka as being quite bland is true. Mrs. Bailey makes 5 trips to Japan in all and never quite seems satisfied with her level of skill in Japanese. She begins to understand how Japanese people have similar problems like we do in America and they open up to her over time. She designs her home in America with a Japanese motif. I am not sure I could live in such a small country for a year myself, but I had a good taste of what it must be like to live there while staying in cramped quarters all over Kyushu and Kansai. I found the islands she described the most enthralling. Perhaps the best advice of all when traveling is spend as little time as possible in the big cities in order to discover the true nature of the country you are in.

A deep perspective on Japanese culture

A deep perspective on real, living Japanese culture through Western eyes. Exactly the depth and nuance I was seeking. It's not particularly about travel or history, but rather the lived culture of modern Japan. Very thoughtful, insightful, and interesting writing. I was hesitant to start because I thought the book might revolve around the author's teaching at the women's university--which would have been a narrower scope than I was interested in. But the book actually recounts her wide range of experiences throughout the country. I recommend it as highly as I can for anyone interested in Japan.