Because Japan, 日本ですから by Ash Watson

Ash Watson

United Kingdom

A 30 year old British Bi guy who has spent the last 2 years living and working in Tokyo, Japan. He kept a travel journal, detailing the weird and wonderful events that occured around him and has turned it into his very first memoir.
Instagram @becausejapanbook

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About the author

Ash Watson has a degree in Animal Biology and a working history in Veterinary Care, but his world turned upside down when he picked up Japanese classes again.

Ash’s connections with Japan began in 2005 when he started to travel frequently to Tokyo. He lived and worked as a teacher in a reputable private high school in North Tokyo from 2016-2018. He taught 10 different subjects and ran 3 clubs to 13-18 year old Japanese girls, all in English.

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Success! Because Japan, 日本ですから has already sold 104 pre-orders , was pitched to 37 publishers , and will be published by Cranthorpe Millner .

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Because Japan, 日本ですから

A tell-all memoir of life in Tokyo

"Because Japan" truly is a warts-and-all account of the less publicised side of the life of a British expat in Tokyo.

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	Biography & Memoir
	53,000 words
	100% complete
	8 publishers interested
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Synopsis

Because Japan 日本ですから, truly is an unabashed account of the less publicised side of life in Tokyo for a British expat.

The book offers a witty, vivid and honest insight into the daily life of a British Expat over the course of two years. The author narrates stories taken from his “Journal of Firsts” which depict the first struggle, first mental challenge, first exciting moment, he faced living in this strange and fascinating new world.

Through the use of newly learned Japanese phrases whilst travelling the country, themes of soul-searching, overcoming mental health obstacles, sexual orientation, racial discrimination, and culture shock are explored with honesty and candour. With the addition of a train-based mini series of hilarious encounters, Because Japan 日本ですから offers a behind the scenes insight into the ‘real’ Japan.

Outline

Introduction
An introduction into the authors history and why he wrote Because Japan.

1. Shouganai
An introduction into the authors Journal of firsts, and his first encounter with culture shock.

2. Train Chronicles #1 Standard
The first of 12 mini chapters, this informative chapter details the importance and cultural significance of the rail system.

3. Mendoukusai
Three mini stories of the positive and negatives of being approached by strangers in order to practice English.

4. Train Chronicles #2 The Invader
A mini story of the time the author saved a girl on the train from an intruding creature.

5. Tadaima Part One The Hunt
The first in a 5 part mini series, this chapter follows the author around various apartments with a neurotic travel agent in the hunt for the perfect place to live.

6. Odaiji Ni
This chapter discusses the mystique of the face mask as the author is taken ill and is asked to wear one for the first time.

7. Train Chronicles #3 New Species
The author details in great lengths, his disdain at the hygiene levels of the public trains within Tokyo.

8. Tadaima Part Two Nesting
Now settled in his new apartment, this chapter covers each awkward encounter with the authors new neighbours, along with a four month battle with a light bulb.

9. Natsukashii
Nostalgia is the theme of this chapter. The author visits the Pokemon Centre.

10. Train Chronicles #4 New Attraction
The author finds himself drawing attention to an unexpected source on his morning commute.

11. Tadaima Part Three Community
The author discusses his morning commute to work and the characters he encounters along the way.

12. Ki Wo Tsukete
With the theme of 'being careful' the author goes skiing for the first time and experiences his first traumatic encounter with a member of the Yakuza.

13. Train Chronicles #5 Catch ‘Em All
This chapter depicts a huge cultural phenomenon.

14. Tadaima Part Four Best Week
The author details his unfortunate week that reaches a tumultuous climax.

15. A Year in the Life
As the authors one year anniversary in Japan approaches, he takes a look back on the differences between the west and the east and the title of the book is explained.

16. Train Chronicles #6 Rejection
A miscommunication occurs between the author and an elderly train passenger.

17. Hanami Part One Tainted
The author becomes a victim of a crime during the cherry blossom season.

18. Train Chronicles #7 New Beginnings
Mondays on the trains are explained.

19. Tadaima Part Five Changes
This chapter details the various seasonal changes that occur whilst living in a Japanese apartment.

20. Train Chronicles #8 TGIF
The last train home is explained.

21. Best Betsu
Individualism and Japan's homogeneous nature is discussed.

22. Train Chronicles #9 Girl Power?
Gender separation and discrimination is discussed at length in this chapter.

23. Kanpeki
The authors first shot at acting is explained.

24. Train Chronicles #10 Invisible
The author depicts the struggles of overcrowded trains.

25. Hanami Part Two Revived
The author experiences the perfect cherry blossom season.

26. Sasuga
The second wave of culture shock hits as the author returns home to the UK for the first time.

27. Gaijin
The author is victim to racial discrimination and discusses at length the impact it has.

28. Komorebi
The author learns to appreciate the small things in life after a great loss.

29. Train Chronicles #11
A keyring, a stranger and a New York Times article brings clarity to a serious topic.

30. Daijoubu
A zip-lining adventure takes a turn for the worst as the author is forced into an existential crisis.

31. Train Chronicles #12 Ray of Light
The author attends a speech contest and recounts the inspiring ideas presented, followed by some self reflection.

32. Otsukaresama Deshita Mt. Fuji
The author takes his final adventure in Japan.

Conclusion
The author reflects on his experiences after 2 years in Japan.

Audience

Visitors to Japan, Tokyo Olympic 2020 visitors, expats living in foreign countries, JET Programme participants and students, people interested in Japan and Japanese culture.

Promotion

Facebook Followers: 150

Instagram Followers: 700

Email List: 130

Work Colleagues: 300

JET Facebook Groups: 4,000 followers

Japan Facebook Groups: 37,5K followers

Travel Blogger Facebook Groups: 49K followers

Friends YouTube accounts: 150K subscribers

Competition

● The Abundance of Less: Lessons in Simple Living from Rural Japan by Andy Couturier, North Atlantic Books, U.S, 1st August 2017.
This narrative depicts the daily lives of individuals who moved from urban to rural Japan and their journey. Ash’s book goes more into detail about the language and lessons he has gleaned from his encounters in a more urban setting.

● For Fukui’s Sake: Two Years in Rural Japan by Sam Baldwin, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 19th November 2012.
This author was on the same teaching programme as Ash, and had very similar experiences to him except in a very rural setting. Instead, Ash’s book will act as a polar opposite, showing the urban side of Japan.

● The Distance Between: A Travel Memoir by Mike McIntyre, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2nd January 2014.
This book described witty and real interactions and travel anecdotes from many countries over a lifetime. Ash’s book focuses on how he studied the Japanese language through his encounters and experiences whilst traveling around the country and commuting on the train each day.

●Tune in Tokyo - The Gaijin Diaries by Tim Anderson, Lake Union Publishing, 24th August 2011.
While the themes of Tim’s book are similar to Because Japan, the overall execution is very different. Ash focuses more on living in the moment and how these moments helped shape his confidence and mental wellbeing through the use of language and cultural exchange. Tim’s book offers more of a focus on his background and his teaching.

●Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan by Bruce Feiler, Non Basic Stock Line, 11th May 2004.
Although set in the early 90’s, Bruce’s story still rings true to life in Japan today. His book focuses more on life in Rural Japan and the education system, and still manages to capture life as an expat pretty well. Although he teaches in Japan, Ash’s book focuses less on the educational system and more on how the language and his encounters help to shape him as a person.

8 publishers interested

	Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. 250 copies • Completed manuscript. Atlantic Publishing has been providing millions of readers information to jumpstart their careers, start businesses, manage employees, invest, plan for retirement, learn technologies, build relationships, and live rewarding, fulfilling lives. Our award-winning authors and publication staff strive to make our products the best and most up-to-date available. We go further than most publishers to get our customers the best products. Hybrid publisher Children Fiction, Mind & Body, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Society & Culture Worldwide
	Cranthorpe Millner 250 copies • Partial manuscript. Cranthorpe Millner operates a hybrid publishing model. This means, should an author pass our editors’ strict filtering system, we can offer different kinds of agreements depending on the author and the manuscript. With some authors, we work under a ‘traditional’ model, whereby we cover the full cost of publication and the author is offered industry-standard royalties (8-10%). To some authors, we offer what we call a partnership or contributory agreement, whereby the author is asked for a financial contribution so that we may share the risk and enter into a partnership together to publish the author’s book. In this case, the author receives around 60-75% royalties. Hybrid publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Mind & Body, Romantic Fiction, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Biography & Memoir, Health, Fitness & Dieting, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, History, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Science, Science, Sports & Outdoors, Sports & Outdoors, Travel, Travel United Kingdom, United States, Canada
	1106 Design, LLC Dear Author, You worked hard to write your manuscript; finally, it's ready to release. You know that expert assistance is needed, but perhaps you didn’t know that it’s no longer necessary to work with a publisher—especially publishers who charge fees to produce your book upfront and deduct more costs on the back end whenever a book is sold. 1106 Design is an author services company. We provide all the editorial and design services you’d expect from a publisher to turn your manuscript into a market-ready book—editing, cover design, interior layout, proofreading, eBook formatting, and more—at the traditional publisher level. Unlike a publisher, we’ll help you obtain print-on-demand printing and worldwide distribution in your name so that you earn, in most cases, several dollars more for every book sold instead of a measly “royalty.” We’ll customize a package of services to suit your exact needs at affordable prices ranging from $4,000 to $10,000, depending on your manuscript's word count and complexity. And we’ll manage all the intricacies of book production, so you don’t have to. After this one-time investment, every penny of net revenue from book sales goes directly to you, never to us. If this sounds like a better way to publish your book, I invite you to browse our services, design samples, no-surprises pricing, outstanding customer reviews, and educational articles at https://1106design.com. 1106 Design has been in business since 2001 and is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. We are a “Highly Recommended Expert” at IngramSpark.com and rated "Excellent" at Alli, The Alliance for Independent Authors, at SelfPublishingAdvice.org. How can we serve you today? Sincerely, Michele DeFilippo, owner Service publisher Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary Essay, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mythology & Folk Tales, Poetry, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Journalism, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel, YA Non-Fiction, Science Fiction & Humour Worldwide
	Atmosphere Press 250 copies • Partial manuscript. Atmosphere Press is an independent publisher dedicated to author rights. We publish in all genres and have an exceptional editorial, design, and promotional staff. We stand for Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, and Kindness. We want our authors and their readers to be blown away when they first hold that book in their hands. It needs to look good inside and out, and feel good to the touch. And, of course, the words need to be top-notch, and our editors are devoted to making that the case. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide
	Authors Unite 250 copies • Partial manuscript. Authors Unite helps you become a profitable author and make an impact. We take care of printing and distribution through major online retailers, developmental editing, and proofreading with unlimited revisions. We take care of the entire process for you from book cover design all the way to set up your backend so all your book royalties go straight to your bank account. We can also help with ghostwriting if you prefer not to have to figure out all the steps on how to write a book yourself. With our book marketing services, you don’t need to worry about figuring out all the steps on how to market a book or how to become a bestselling author. We’ve helped hundreds of authors become bestselling authors on Amazon, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. We take care of the entire book launch process for you to help you sell thousands of copies of your book and become a bestselling author. View case studies here: https://authorsunite.com Service publisher Children Fiction, Christian Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Commercial Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Mind & Body, Mythology & Folk Tales, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Women's Fiction, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Children Non-Fiction, Christian Non-Fiction, Communication Skills, Corporate Culture, Crafts & Hobbies, Creativity, Current Affairs, Economics, Education, Entrepreneurship & Small Business, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Humor & Entertainment, Journalism, LGBT Non-Fiction, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Mindfulness & Happiness, Money & Investment, Motivation & Inspiration, Nature & Environment, Parenting, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Philosophy, Politics & Social Sciences, Popular Science, Productivity & Time Management, Psychology, Reference, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Sex & Relationships, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel, YA Non-Fiction, Science Fiction & Humour Worldwide
	Bookmobile 100 copies • Partial manuscript. Bookmobile provides book printing, graphic design, and other resources to support book publishers in an ever-changing environment. Superior quality, excellent customer service, flexibility, and timely turnarounds have attracted nearly 1,000 satisfied clients to Bookmobile, including trade houses, university presses, independent publishers, museums, galleries, artists, and more. In addition, we manage eBook conversions and produce galleys, and regularly provide short-run reprints of 750 copies or fewer for major publishers such as Graywolf Press. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Personal Growth & Self-Improvement, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide
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	ShieldCrest Publishing ShieldCrest are book publishers based in the UK who fill that vital gap for talented authors where mainstream publishers are unwilling to give them that chance. We strive for excellence and invest in our authors and are listed in FreeIndex as the number one independent publisher in the UK for price quality and service rated author satisfaction. We publish books of all genres including; fiction, historical, biographies and children's books. ShieldCrest publishing continues to grow rapidly with satisfied authors throughout the UK and overseas. Our range of products includes paperbacks, hardbacks and digitised e-books in all formats used globally in the myriad of e-readers. In addition to the above, ShieldCrest provides a complete range of services including book design and layout, illustrations, proof reading and editing. For marketing we offer author web page, press releases, social media marketing packages and many other support services to help both first time and experienced authors get their books into the market quickly and maximise on the opportunities available. These services enable us to guide our authors through the process as we transform their manuscript into a professional book, which can take its place with pride next to any famous author's book of the same genre. The staff at ShieldCrest have many years experience in the book industry and this wealth of experience is put at the disposal of our authors. Our clients include established authors such as Diane Marshall who has been acclaimed as the best writing talent to come from Scotland for years by The Scotsman newspaper, and Prof Donald Longmore OBE, who performed the first heart transplant in the UK and has sold thousands of medical books used by students throughout the world. We also recently released "Martin Foran-The Forgotten Man" by J.R. Stephenson, which features fraud within the police, abuse within the prison service and injustices in the courts and has been featured in the press and on TV. Service publisher Children Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mind & Body, Mystery, Thriller, Horror & Suspense, Romantic Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, YA Fiction, Biography & Memoir, Business & Money, Career & Success, Cookbooks, Food & Wine, Health, Fitness & Dieting, History, Journalism, Politics & Social Sciences, Religion & Spirituality, Science, Society & Culture, Sports & Outdoors, Technology & the Future, Travel Worldwide

BETSU BETSU
別々

出る釘は打たれる。`The nail that stands out must be hammered down.’ This blunt expression is one that lies at the basis of Japanese life and culture.  It is carefully and suggestively woven into society to the point where when questioned about its presence, most are oblivious or confounded by the notion.

I have queried the proverb with both Japanese colleagues and friends, and each usually acknowledges the expression in an unassuming or humbled nature; neither denying nor commenting on the phrase with negative connotation.

Way of life in Japan is paired with enforced and unquestioned rules and regulations that detail each aspect of one’s daily routines. Both religion and culture play a part in this carefully set of unspoken lifestyle conditions.

Individuality and individualism as a concept are a strange and bewildering attribute that is subliminally suppressed by the masses as one goes about one’s day.  I have borne witness to several incidences where the individual was publicly denoted as a rebel and quickly forced to repress all spontaneity for fear of further shame.

In essence, people in Japan are taught from infancy that the needs of the group hugely outweigh that of the individual.  It is therefore intrinsically gleaned and practiced into adolescence and adulthood alike to the point where this trait has become common behaviour within social construct.

I have been visiting Japan regularly over the past fourteen years and my initial reaction to the plethora of rules where rules simply don’t exist in the west was always that of humour and curiosity, but after living here for over a year, I seem to find my patience and common sense tested daily. Simple yes/no questions extend into lengthy debates, basic requests to an individual enter hierarchical realms, and complete nonsensical actions are justified with “but it’s the rules.”

There are several situations and examples I observe every day; some of which frustrate me like no other but most of which entertain me. I will therefore try to go through each in as much detail as possible.

The first instance of following-and-acting-with-the-masses has to be the excessive amount of queuing that takes place.  At first, I thought that it was just part and parcel of living in Tokyo, but after travelling all over Japan, I have come to realise that it is in fact a custom in itself.  As briefly touched on before, you will find people queuing for literally anything: a new food item that signs state is the best thing since sliced bread, an event of any kind, any type of exclusive item, shop or arcade machine, a premiere to a movie, show or play, anything remotely famous or idol group related (don’t even get me started on idol groups!), escalators or just another queue that looks exciting.

I have genuinely been standing in the street with friends at one point, and people began to line up behind us taking our ‘queue’ as a good sign that something was worth seeing (only to be disappointed when it leads nowhere). Theme parks are also interesting places where you will encounter lengthy queues. Playing the single-rider game is always fun because no-one wants to stand out and skip the entire queue only to ride alone, so you will quite often find yourself in luck there.

Escalators are where people are at their worst. Going about life at a steady and easy pace seems to be the way of life here, so walking up an escalator is seen to represent someone rushing in an emergent fashion.  This has led way to the insanity and chaos that transpires at each train station and department store where flocks of people will stand blindly unaware of the masses around them, all calmly awaiting their turn to ride the stairs to the top. These people will subsequently all gather around the tiny connecting floor leading to the next escalator, not realising that by collecting in said area is limiting people’s ability to dismount the first escalator.

You are then left with a piling group of confused and bewildered individuals, all refusing to use an ounce of energy to move or take any kind of action in order to solve the issue. This then repeats itself at each floor of the train station or department store.

Each time I witness this, a mini rage builds inside of me and each time I approach an escalator, move swiftly into the right-hand lane and ascend the space next to the snake of squished individuals riding patiently.  Of course, riders will stare blankly; confused as to why I have selected to walk instead of queue for five minutes then ride awkwardly to the top. Naturally I’m always the first to the ticket gate and skip yet another pending line awaiting the masses.

The idea for this chapter came from the term ベツベツ(betsu betsu).  I first encountered this phrase at a restaurant when it came to paying the bill and a friend asked the waiter “Betsu betsu dekimasuka?” (Can we pay separately?).

I thought this term most useful and added it to the ‘Useful Japanese’ file on my phone.  It would later occur to me that although betsu betsu is welcomed when paying (in some cases), the betsu betsu culture doesn’t really extend any further than this. This really made me think about how things work back home in the U.K and how life there compares to here.

Individualism and separation from the masses is encouraged and embraced, yet there is more social segregation and less of a community spirit back home.  Perhaps the lack of this in Japan does in fact subliminally aid and expand the feeling of unity, as well as the sense of belonging and togetherness that takes place. It is one that is ever present in that overwhelming feeling you experience when you first travel here. It’s a feeling that’s difficult to depict, yet it’s one of joy and it leaves you wanting more; quite like that unexplainable addictive pain synonymous with getting a tattoo.

The next topic on my list of observations comes from witnessing instances where people need help from others and do not receive it. It’s very difficult for me to ignore my instinct to help those in need, and to understand how people can lack such an important innate characteristic.

My first example took place on the train whilst I was on my way to meet friends.  An elderly lady stepped on the carriage and in doing so, tripped and fell head first into the seats opposite.

Everyone on board simply sat or stood there and stared at the poor woman.  I was about to stand up to help when the only other foreigner, a young twenty something lad beat me to her aid.  The woman initially refused assistance, but after realising she was in more pain than she first thought, accepted this offer. He struggled to help her stand and still onlookers continued to stare.  Eventually she made it to her feet and he offered her his own seat. The whole time I could not believe how obviously people were staring and yet ignoring the entire situation.  If this were to happen in the U.K, multiple people would be rushing to assist where possible.

The second instance again involves an elderly lady on the train who was struggling to stand in the swaying and moving carriage. She was using a walking stick to steady herself but was still stumbling around in difficulty.  All this was happening next to the Priority Seats that are clearly labelled in Japanese, Chinese, English and in picture form, stating that these chairs are for the pregnant, ill and elderly.

Each seat was occupied by persons under the age of thirty playing on their phones or sleeping.  It made me mad, so I rose from my seat halfway down the carriage (leaving my bag in place to prevent any other vultures from grabbing it) and walked over to the woman to offer her my seat.  The look of shock on her face told me this rarely happens and as she gratefully accepted my seat, the thanks and bows were plentiful. A few stops later a spare seat became available and she signalled for me to occupy it.  I, in turn gratefully accepted the offer, as I felt like this kind of generosity would go amiss in most places back home, and for this reason, she became the latest in my string of train buddies made overtime.

The third occurrence comes from a friend’s anecdote told to me recently.  It is one that takes place many years ago when they were on their way out one morning. They arrived at a busy station and entered the packed train.  Whilst standing at the edge of the door, waiting for it to close, they slipped and fell through the gap between the platform and the train.  Shouting for help and hanging on for dear life, nobody came to their help and it took them all their strength to clamber onto the platform with bloodied knees and a shaken demeanour.  This story in particular shocked me because I could only imagine how frightful and helpless they must have felt and cannot comprehend how people could just stand there and observe.

The final case is one that I have seen a few times, each time different but with the same results; a fight taking place, passers-by stopping to watch and ultimately a foreigner stepping in to break things up. The example I have chosen to depict comes from an article I read about a traveller in Japan.  It took place at the West Exit of Ikebukuro station. Two guys had entered a brawl and one was exceedingly larger than the other.  The latter ended up unconscious and bleeding on the floor with the former continuing to attack him at full force. A crowd collected and encircled the pair whilst nobody called for help.  It took the foreign traveller to stop, drop his luggage, jump in between the two and shock the attacker for him to consider stopping.  Even after the police arrived to the scene and the traveller tried to offer his assistance, the police refused his help and sent him on his way.

This of course all stems from my own personal opinions and thoughts, and I only seek to make light of these instances; offering a thrilling account of situations that have made me think and question life here. There is also of course a wide expression of individualism found in Japanese culture, music, fashion and in particular in places like Harajuku and Shimo-Kitazawa. There you will find vintage and hipster shops lining the labyrinthine streets, where men dress as women, and where girls don their favourite coloured contacts and wacky anime outfits.

I could speak for hours or write an entire separate novel on how amazing this country is and how its people are incredibly kind, thoughtful and welcoming.  This country will always be my home away from home and I will always cherish my time and memories here.  It is for this reason that I chose to write this critical piece to offer an insight into a part of Japan that perhaps people are unaware of, albeit in the extreme minority of cases.

Queues will always continue to annoy me; especially when they’re seen as a good sign rather than a deterrent, the ovine traits of some no longer frustrates, but amuses me, and I will forever sacrifice my seat on the train for the elderly because that is just the way of my inner British gentleman (which according to some people is another debate in itself!).

Update #3 - ‘BECAUSE JAPAN’ REVIEW! May 21, 2020

Hi all,

Exciting news! My new book Because Japan is NOW AVAILABLE IN SHOPS!!
I wanted to thank you all once more for your continual …
Update #2 - Book Updates Aug. 30, 2019

Hi guys,
Just a quick update to let you know how the book is coming along. I have signed with a publishing house based in …
Update #1 - 100 orders sold!! Aug. 13, 2019

Thank you ever so much to all you beautiful people who have preordered your copy of Because Japan. I’ve just reached the 100 milestone which is ever so exciting! …

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Ash Watson

About the author

Because Japan, 日本ですから

Synopsis

Outline

Audience

Promotion

Competition