Recently I’ve become rather interested in buying Japanese books, not sure why, since my previous obsession was buying Japanese CDs. Maybe because I’m starting to be able to read and understand at the more “required” level.
Anyway… while waiting in Haneda airport I bought these two books. “Osaka Rules” and “Daarin wa Gaikokujin, vol. 2” (Darling is a foreigner). Since I already had read the first book of the popular “Darling is a foreigner” series, I thought I could might as well get volume 2. These manga books, shows the funny differences there is between Japanese people and foreigners. The author and writer of this manga, Oguri Saori, portrays these differences by sharing situations from her own life, where she is married to a foreigner. I was recommended this book/manga when I did homestay in Nagoya last year. Since the wife of the family thought it could be “useful and fun” for me to read, being a foreigner in a relationship with a Japanese myself. For me these books are seen from the opposite direction, I guess, but they are interesting.
The “Osaka rules” book was “a spur of the moment” purchase. I just saw it on the shelf, and being the “Osaka-fan” that I am, I thought to myself that this must be a “must-read” book for me. I love Osaka and it’s without a doubt my favourite place, not only in Japan, but in the whole world. I can’t explain why, but Osaka has something I can’t help but love. This book has gathered the so-called “rules of Osaka” and divided them into categories, such as: Food, language, shopping and etc. The book has a really nice humor as it explains the interesting “quirks” of Osaka and a lot of the “rules” are followed by a one-page manga to show what exactly the rule is about.
Besides Osaka, there’s also: Tokyo rules, Nagoya rules and Hakata rules. As of now. I thought about buying some of the others. Since these books are fun and interesting reading material for people who has a interest in Japan – and who is able to read Japanese, of course.