John Dougill’s latest book, Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan: A Journey by Train from Hokkaido to Kyushu, was launched in Kyoto on Sunday November 19. The event was held at Irish Pub Gnome, with music by Quin Arbeitman on piano, and 35 guests in attendance, including Writers in Kyoto members and other friends.
After people mingled for some time, John Dougill was warmly introduced by WiK treasurer, Paul Carty. “John calls himself a loner,” he said, “yet there is no-one with a greater network of friends.” (John is protesting heartily at this point, and the audience laughs at his protests.) “Not only that,” continues Paul, “but when you read the book, John is always engaging with people, and that’s where this book is really powerful. He travels from the north to the south of Japan, listening to people, and just as Walt Whitman heard America sing, John heard Japan talking, and he has captured the humanity of the people in a very beautiful way.”
John himself then gave a short speech and then read from passages from the book on Mt. Rishiri in the chapter on Wakkanai, and the tale of Tama the cat in the section A Brief History of Japan’s Railways. John was seriously ill last winter, and it had looked uncertain as to whether he would see this day at all. Not only was he “glad to be here,” but “frankly I’m glad to be anywhere,” he said in his speech to laughter, channeling Keith Richards. He also publicly thanked Paul Carty for his support throughout his illness, and also for Paul’s help with the book.
Another reason that the book is very dear to the author is because it is his most personal. In his previous writing (college textbooks, books about Oxford, film, Japanese culture and so on), he had refrained from such personal writing. This time he felt free to express himself and had intended to self-publish, but was delighted that the publisher, Stone Bridge Press, agreed to take it up. They urged him to add extra information to appeal to train enthusiasts, and did a wonderful job on the design.
I felt that this was not just a book launch, it was a celebration of life. It could also be seen as one of the good things to result from the Corona restrictions to overseas travel. The account of the long journey from Japan’s far north to the deep south runs on parallel tracks – past and present, fact and contemplation, social commentary and humour, erudition and passing thought. Not surprisingly all copies of the book at the launch were sold and signed. It was good to see, and now it is launched it is sure to win attention in the highly competitive world of travel literature.
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Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan is now on sale through amazon.com and amazon.jp. For a review by Rebecca Otowa, see here. For other reviews, see the amazon page and scroll down past the endorsement by Alex Kerr (“I know of no Japan journey that is so full of joy as this one.”)
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Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan is available through amazon and in leading bookshops in Japan (Kinokuniya and Maruzen). For a review by Rebecca Otowa, please click here. For other reviews see amazon or goodreads.