In 2002, twice Booker-winning author Peter Carey travelled to Japan,
accompanied by his twelve-year old son Charley, on a special kind of
pilgrimage. In this memoir-cum-travelogue he charts this journey, inspired by
Charley's passion for Japanese Manga and anime, and explores his own resulting
re-evaluation of Japan.In 2002, twice Booker-winning author Peter Carey travelled to Japan,
accompanied by his twelve-year old son Charley, on a special kind of
pilgrimage. In a stunning memoir-cum-travelogue Peter Carey charts this
journey, inspired by Charley's passion for Japanese Manga and anime, and
explores his own resulting re-evaluation of Japan. Although graphically violent
and disturbing, the two mediums are both inherently concerned with Japan's rich
history and heritage, and hold a huge popular appeal that crosses the
generations. Led by their adolescent guide Takashi, an uncanny mix of
generosity and derision, father and son look for the hidden puzzles and
meanings, searching, often with comic results, for a greater understanding of
these art forms, and for what they come to refer to as their own 'real Japan'.
From Manhattan to Tokyo, Commodore Perry to Godzilla, kabuki theatre to the
post-war robot craze, "Wrong about Japan" is a personal, witty and moving
exploration of two very different cultures.
