Before I opened this book, I was expecting it to be very dull and uninteresting to be
quite honest. To my surprise, the author, T.R. Reid, had a great sense of humor that made it more
than easy to get lost in the pages. I found myself laughing at certain parts, which rarely happens
when I read. Before I knew it, I was more than halfway through the book and could not wait to
dig into the rest. I think what pulled me into the reading the most was that it was relatable
coming from the perspective of another American looking into a new culture. As, as I too have
experienced many new cultures while deploying with the Navy. Reid examines the many
differences in our Judeo-Christian values, here in the west, and the Confucianism values of the
east. This comparison of values is derived from Reid’s own life experiences.
It all began when he moved his family of five, from a small town in Colorado to the
hustle and bustle of Toyko to take on a new job position. The culture shock would hit them
almost immediately after their flight landed at the airport in Narita, Japan. While at first it
appeared to be any ordinary airport, they soon discovered that this was not the case. The
family’s first observance of this new culture was that the airport workers on the tarmac pumping
fuel, handling luggage, and guiding planes were not wearing the typical t-shirt and jeans that
you would see here in The United States. Instead, they were wearing fancy pressed uniforms
with neckties and white gloves. After the plane was steered up the landing gate and parked,
the neatly dressedneatly-dressed workers would line up to welcome the passengers with a respectful bow.