Today as well I have a review for you about a foreigner who visits Japan for the first time and ends up leaving feeling a completely new person.
Fiona Hanning just traveled to the other side of the world to spend two weeks in Tokyo, Japan training with one of the best photographers, Yutaka Araki, to learn the best techniques and to put together a portfolio to show in her first exhibition once back in London.
The last person she thought would have come to pick her up at Haneda Airport was Gabriel 'Gabe' Burnett.
Gabe is a renowned award-winning photographer who lately has been more in front of the camera instead of behind it: tons of gossip magazines reported his highly spirited nights out, with a new girl every time.
But Fiona doesn't want nor has time to worry about that because Tokyo is so different: it's a perfectly balanced mix between tradition and all things modern and unusual. People may not speak English but they sure know how to take care of their guests: that's why Fiona immediately clicked with her house host Haruka and her daughter Setsuko, who made her feel less homesick and worried about Fiona's overprotective mother and more like she needed to start living the life she really wanted.
Two weeks working with a difficult character like Gabe isn't proving to be easy, but there are glimpses of his true self confirming he's not a bad person...just like Fiona remembered.
👍👎My Thoughts
Even if the book title is a bit misleading because most of the 'action' takes place anywhere but near the 'little teashop', I still have to praise the descriptions: they're so detailed and it's not just the famous Meiji Jingu shrine or Shibuya's crossing and I loved it!
I've been to most of those places and it felt so good and nostalgic to read about them...
The story itself is nice, I appreciated a lot Fiona's transition from someone how's still stuck in the past and the confident and mature person she becomes after meeting some kind and challenging people while in Tokyo.
Based on my experience, I think also Japanese culture and customs have been also portrayed truthfully or, at least, the perception of us foreigners towards them.
I'm not a fast reader but I finished it pretty quickly as it was well written...I prefer books with lots of dialogues, while 'The Little Teashop in Tokyo' is mostly descriptive but after all, it was an easy and nice read.
The story wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be but I was still left with the kind of feeling I already knew where things were going to...
This is the kind of book you read when you want something heartwarming, even better if set in a country you wish to visit.
Books about foreigners in Japan already reviewed on the blog
My vote: 6½/10
Ph: sohopress.com
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