Direct Translation Impossible: Tales from the Land of the Rising Sun

Many Westerners are intrigued by Japanese culture, but only a small percentage of them get to see it up close. Very few of them indeed get as close as Chad Frisk. In his short new book he shares his experiences:

- Struggling with and mastering a foreign language
- Overcoming culture shock and its neglected cousin, reverse culture shock
- Teaching English with no formal training
- Breaking into traditional Japanese festivals
- Managing cross-cultural miscommunication
- Constantly feeling stupid

This book is a window into the life of a foreigner in Japan and will appeal to anyone who is considering teaching English abroad, wants to see Japan from the inside without buying a plane ticket, or enjoys the occasional dose of schadenfreude.