A Beginner's Guide to Japan : Observations and Provocations new-arrivals-180821 Down these mean streets a

Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean

This is the Code of the Private Eye as defined by Raymond Chandler in his 1944 essay The Simple Act of Murder

and expanding

For Shay Bourne

This readable anthology is a good introduction to a civilization that fascinates like few others

A Beginner's Guide to Japan : Observations and Provocations new-arrivals-180821 Down these mean streets aFrom one of the most engaging and discerning travel writers of his generation, a playful and profound guide to the enigma of contemporary Japan After thirty two years in Japan, Pico Iyer can use everything from anime to Oscar Wilde to show how his adopted home is both hauntingly familiar and the strangest place on earth. He draws on readings, reflections and conversations with Japanese friends to illuminate an unknown place for newcomers, and to give