Hidden Japan: An Astonishing World of Thatched Villages, Ancient Shrines and Primeval Forests

Environmentalist/travel writer/Japanese home restorer Kerr revisits touchstone sites in his ongoing journey to discover authentic Japan. Much of Kerr’s work focuses on degradation through modernization. These 10 essays were originally written in Japanese for his audience there, so non-Japanese readers may find location details a little cryptic. However, this is a travelogue and not a guide; Kerr is aware of the paradox in describing hidden worlds but discouraging visitation. Instead, he proposes a new travel philosophy: defining tourists more broadly as a larger community of a place, and in the case of this title, a community of people abroad who love Japan. The author cultivates this sense of connectedness by sharing his deep knowledge of everything from the commonplace (roofing, trade and pilgrimage routes, shrines, food) to the esoteric, such as Butoh dance, Shinto and Buddhism, tree heritage, and art collection.