{"product_id":"japanese-book-joe-joseph-9780140157833","title":"The Japanese","description":"We can all reel of the names of Japanese companies. But who in the West can identify even a few of Japan's top politicians or celebrities? Japanese industry may have invaded our living rooms, but the Japanese themselves remain a far-away enigma. Fuelling this mystery are the baffling contrasts that give Japan its tang: tradition, diligence and quiet conformity collide with an inventive, consumer-mad culture, jangling with neon. Japan may be rich, but cheek-to-cheek overcrowding and a weakness for overwork mean that few Western rivals envy the quality of Tokyo life. Materialism has become an escape-valve: yet while we can imagine coveting a Picasso, would you yearn for a massage with gold foil, or for mink door-knob covers? What do the Japanese make of themselves? What do they make of us? Joe Joseph, ex-Tokyo correspondent for \"The Times\", finds the answers in this study, in which he reveals a society that has moved so fast that it's not too sure where it's going, or why.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49591058366737,"sku":"GOR004464494","price":11.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51751805780241,"sku":"GOR004346930","price":11.39,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0140157832.jpg?v=1750811597","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/japanese-book-joe-joseph-9780140157833","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}