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Unbeaten Tracks in Japan
Unbeaten Tracks in Japan
byIsabella L. (Isabella Lucy) Bird
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69 customer reviews
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From Australia
Laurie
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading but takes patience
Reviewed in Australia on 5 January 2017
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A vivid description of Japan just after the Meiji restoration. Poverty, disease and curiosity towards the author throughout. Her descriptions of the Aino are detailed and interesting. Ms Bird is a good chronicler but never very positive about the state of Japan and the Japanese.
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From other countries
maryleopard
5.0 out of 5 stars late Victorian perspective on Japan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2009
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This book would be enjoyed by anyone interested in Japan,in travel literature, or in anthropology. Isabella Bird, an intrepid late Victorian, travelled alone, apart from her translator/guide, into parts of Japan rarely, if ever, visited by a foreigner let alone a woman, at a time when the country was beginning to 'modernise'.
The book is composed of chapters formed from her long letters home. While the descriptions of the discomforts -endless rain, soaked clothes, dirt, insect-ridden inns and uncongenial food might pall (even if understandable), her evocations of the countryside are lyrical and deeply felt and her analyses of the characteristics and habits both of the Japanese and the Aino tribal people of the far north shrewd and entertaining. If you have visited modern Japan, it is fascinating to see both how much has changed (Japan is the most comfortable and hygenic country you could hope to visit!) and how much remained the same - the courtesy, the industriousness, the discipline. Of course,Isabella Bird writes from a Victorian perspective, and, not being affected by modern political correctness, is not afraid to use terms like 'savages' or comment on the 'ugliness' of most Japanese men. But there is no sense that European society is in all respects superior - several times, she comments on how we might learn from the Japanese.
The literary style of the book is a delight - easy to read, with a lucid use of language. IT SHOULD NOT BE MODERNISED!!! Perfect bedside reading - you can skip the longeurs. I shall read her other books.
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Books on Asia
5.0 out of 5 stars Great detail on the superficial lives of Japanese in Meiji Period
Reviewed in Japan on 30 April 2019
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Really loved all the copious detail in this book about Meiji Period Japan. Nowhere else can you get this kind of inside look at the superficial lives of the Japanese before the turn of the century. Bird writes her diary-form letters with a wicked honesty and doesn't hide her biases which makes it all the more entertaining. The illustrations are excellent and lend insight to her descriptions.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating travelogue of Japan written 140 yeaars ago by a woman of adventurous spirit, curiosity, courage, and grit.
Reviewed in the United States on 30 January 2015
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A fascinating and apparently largely unflinching look at Japan--especially what were then the little traveled parts north of Tokyo, including Hokkaido, by an intrepid and curious Englishwoman of courage and grit, mostly traveling in the primitive back road travel conditions of the late 1870s, soon after Japan was opened to westerners.
All that she observed then has either entirely passed away or has been totally transformed, and will not return again. Thus, her up close and personal observations are extraordinarily valuable for those wishing to know just how a Japan--on the cusp of "fundamental transformation," and just starting to be changed/contaminated by western ideas and technology--appeared to the eyes of a westerner.
I see a reviewer here downgraded this travelogue because of what he decried as the "racism" that permeated this book, especially as it pertained to the Ainu.
A fundamental mistake in evaluating and trying to understand an old book/travelogue dealing with places, peoples, or past historical events is to criticize and condemn the worldviews, attitudes, and judgments of the author vis-à-vis past peoples and times, based on the standards of today.
Miss Bird was not a person of today, but the product of the English Empire of 140 plus years ago, near the height of its success, power, and reach, and master of a large portion of the Earth, moreover, she was a firm Christian believer, and also obviously of the belief that her religion and culture were superior to all others, and she judged the things she saw, heard, and experienced accordingly. But, even her most withering observations and comments came from what was obviously a very kind heart.
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Birgit
5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic, humorous, intoxicating
Reviewed in Germany on 21 April 2013
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Strictly recommended for anyone who wants to travel through Japan or have already done so. While the challenges faced by the author are insignificant to compare with those of today's Japanese trips, the mentality of the people, the descriptions of the landscape and explanations of the major sights such as Asakusa or Nikko will be familiar to many. The author's travel reports, some of which are very amusingly written, offer a detailed, authentic and largely unjudgable insight into Japanese society in the late 19th century, thus also contributing to the understanding of Japanese culture today. Anyone who has already been lucky enough to travel to Japan will smile or nod knowingly in many places.
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DW Rubric
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and readable adventure by a brave woman who recorded it all in great detail
Reviewed in Canada on 9 March 2014
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Isabella Bird put her trust in the locals and set out on an adventure that was definitely off the beaten tracks.
She confronted the dangers of difficult mountain passes and extreme storms. She put up with her own health challenges and the discomforts of remote villages.
Along the way, she recorded her experiences in great detail to provide a readable and convincing picture of life in 19th century Japan as she saw it.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Miss This
Reviewed in India on 2 September 2017
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Great reading. Flowing language.
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C. E. Stevens
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating glimpse into a newly-opened Japan--and the outsider who travels through it
Reviewed in the United States on 19 March 2019
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"Unbeaten Tracks in Japan" is such an unlikely book--a series of letters by a British female independent traveler / amateur anthropologist traveling through the unbeaten paths of a Japan at the dawn of its opening to the West. Seeing Japan through Isabella Bird's eyes is fascinating both for her account of rural northern Honshu and Hokkaido, as well as what her writings say about her own mindset and worldview. Bird herself is an unlikely protagonist in her own story, a female traveler who had suffered painful maladies her whole life, who nonetheless eschewed comforts and took the rather arduous route through parts of Japan that even today are largely off the beaten path. Bird is a gifted writer, skilled at narrating both the mundane and the sublime aspects of her journey through a Japan that will be both familiar and yet intriguingly foreign for those readers familiar with modern Japan.
Bird is very observant, and especially for her time, very empathetic, open-minded, and gracious--in many ways, she is easy for the modern reader to relate to, despite the wide gulf in time and culture that separate us. However, I think it is precisely because she exhibits so many relatable qualities that it is all the more jarring when she does describe the Japanese or Ainu as grotesque, savage, stupid, hideous, looking like monkeys, or any other number of descriptions that will be rather shocking for the modern reader. I imagine there are some who would either blacklist Bird for this reason, or at the other extreme, excuse her for being a product of her time. I wrestled with this issue throughout my reading of this book, and I came down in the middle between these two extremes: I could *understand* Bird as the product of her environment, while at the same time finding such utterances (and the mindset that produced them) as abhorrent and, to borrow one of her own phrases, savage. Not only that, but it also represents a missed opportunity--how can one fully understand or appreciate peoples that they view in patronizing terms as children, even animals, no matter how 'well-intentioned' they might be? How the reader thinks about this issue will likely differ from individual to individual, but for many, it will likely be difficult not to let this issue affect their enjoyment of this work. Yet, it also provides an important and thought-provoking meditation on issues of race, class, and religion that Bird herself could not have anticipated when she wrote her letters. For this reason, I for one would've loved Ito's take on traveling with Bird!
Yet, for most of the book, this is not a major issue. If anything, the reader will likely get a little weary of the descriptions of the difficult roads or uncooperative horses or flea-infested lodgings, which get a bit predictable and repetitive after a time (although, they do make one appreciate Bird's hardships all the more, as well as her restraint in not romanticizing her journey). Yet, just when one starts to grow a bit weary of such descriptions, Bird will give a fascinating account of a wedding or hospital or temple that pulls one in completely. Her writings in Hokkaido are particularly poignant, poetic even. This work might not be for everyone, but for anyone interested in this time period and this location, it is an important document and an interesting read. Warts and all, I'm glad I read it, and would happily recommend it to others with similar interests.
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中井 裕子
4.0 out of 5 stars Kanto edition only
Reviewed in Japan on 19 October 2021
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It's a shame that it's not the full version.
The depiction from Yokohama to Nikko is recommended because if you read it in the original expression, you can understand the nuances of the author's wit that are different from the Japanese translation and it's fun.
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Tom
4.0 out of 5 stars good read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 November 2013
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For those interested in Japan or nature this is a great book, Bird sets the scene so well that you almost feel like you're on the journey with her at times. I only gave it 4 because I was interested in reading more about Yokohama and Tokyo of that period but they barely feature.
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Philip Newbould
4.0 out of 5 stars Past Japan
Reviewed in Germany on 6 February 2026
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An interesting insight into Japan by a Western Victorian lady travelling alone.
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H I
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good work!
Reviewed in Germany on 8 November 2014
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To be able to travel like this already at this time is simply unique, therefore also a unique work! That's why I like to read their other books too!
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MikeRichardson
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, interesting to see the changes in Japan over the last 150 yers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2021
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I bought this book for my wife, it being the choice of a book club to which she belongs. Having spent a few days in Japan 3 or 4 years ago I read it after her, and found it most interesting. Discovered after only a few pages that the British introduced railways to Japan in 1872 not only manufacturing them, but laying the 18 miles of track, and providing the engine drivers and guardsmen. How things have changed with the world famed Japanese 'Bullet Train'. The book is based on letters the author , (the first woman to explore the wilder parts of Japan, alone other than a guide/translator) and written in a very discriptive style. I found it a real pleasure to read, although unfortunatly my wife struggled with it
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Philip Sandoz
5.0 out of 5 stars Unbeatable Facts of Japan!
Reviewed in the United States on 27 September 2016
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As a long-term, 40-year, British foreign resident of Japan, I found Isabella Bird's 19th century description of Nihon wonderful, perspicacious and unbelievably funny. Her attitude was so gorgeously superior, as was typical of British people dealing with any foreigners at that time, especially the barbaric "yellow races", but still extremely perceptive in regard to social mores and, particularly the male-female relationship. She also beautifully destroys the modern legends of the Japanese as an historically clean and sophisticated people, but manages to show deep cultural respect while, at the same time, poking fun at the inward-looking, foreigner-excluding Japanese society. I particularly enjoyed noting what differences have occurred in Japan over the past 150 or so years (many), but, even more so, what has remained exactly the same (even more).
Absolutely lovely. I'm really looking forward to reading Izzie's other travel tomes.
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野口永朋
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad that Bird can read in English
Reviewed in Japan on 2 July 2015
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To be tricky, there are three versions of the original book.
1. Unbeaten Tracks in Japan Vol. 2 by Motohara (1880 First Edition)
2. Unbeaten Tracks in Japan Volume 1 by Motohara (1885 First Edition)
3. Unbeaten Tracks in Japan New Edition (the first edition of 1900)
This book seems to be a transcription of 2 in the Gutenberg Project.Since this book is just 130 years ago, there are many parts that can not be seized sensitively, such as place names (such as Perry Island in Tokyo Bay) and British monetary notation, and illustrations have been cut.
It is recommended to read along with “New Translation of Japan Okuchi Journey” translated by Kiyonori Kanasaka recently (2013) from 2.The currency is also converted to yen, so it is easy to understand.
This book and 1. is based on the review of the reviewer of the same translation “Complete Japanese Outback Journey 1-4”.
I read and found a piece that is further cut.The last part of the LETTER XXXI, Bird (the daughter of the pastor), reveals doubts about Christianity.
Well, I'm glad that Unbeaten Tracks can be read in English.
The sentence A traveler must buy his own experience (LETTER VI last) is very creepy.Are you ready for the bird?
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J Lennard
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating insight to Japan in the late 19th Century seen ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2015
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Fascinating insight to Japan in the late 19th Century seen through the eyes of a Victorian lady. Her descriptions are so vivid bringing scenery, people and events to life.
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Alice Folkart
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, but it's not for everyone
Reviewed in the United States on 23 June 2013
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Isabella Bird, a Victorian female explorer, went where no woman, and sometimes no man, had gone before. Fascinating look at the back country of Japan, before much Western contact. She traveled with a Japanese guide/translator and horses and mules and 'chair men' (to carry her in a sort of palanquin) with no itinerary, with no language, with only an intense desire to 'discover.' But she is a Victorian writing in the English of her day which sometimes would be a little long-winded and turgid for a 21st Century reader. I like that language, myself. So no problem. Definitely worth it. Her travels in Hokkaido are particularly interesting - the Ainu (Hokkaido native people) are a fresh experience for her and she makes no bones about their stage of social and cultural development. She sometimes refers to them as 'aborigines,' but she sees them clearly, their kindness, their welcome, willingness to share whatever they have with a foreign stranger, their sensitivity at the same time as she sees their difficulties. She is a good observer of people and their culture. We are lucky to have a woman's view account of Japan, and especially Hokkaido, from this era. For the right reader this will be a treasure. Also highly recommend any other of Isabella Bird's travel books.
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Teresa Weber
2.0 out of 5 stars Can't you call a “book”
Reviewed in Germany on 12 January 2021
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Absolutely confusing, copy & paste only with a few errors! (e.g. Flowkg Invocatiok instead of flowing invocation)
table of contents has been adopted with page numbers even though there are no page numbers in this book and even if they didn't fit anyway.
Layout is not present, there is no paragraph between the letters, instead of umlauts there are often simply numbers in the middle of the word (T6kiy6 instead of Tokyo)... And I'll see that after 5 minutes. It is probably just a scan of the book and it was printed as the computer reads it, without correction.
I haven't compared it to the original yet, but it seems to be both volumes of the first edition in it, but 2 stars. But to ask for money for such a “book” at all is an impudence. Since normal prints of the original would look better and are far more clearly arranged. But since I only need it for study purposes and want to put notes in, it's enough for that. Makes me angry anyway.
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A. S. Bird
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating account of travels in 19th-century rural Japan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2015
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading Isabella Bird's account of late-19th-century rural Japan. We had recently read her Rocky Mountain account in our book group, but this book is even better.
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yamanaka-ko
5.0 out of 5 stars Content is plain and ready to be used in the field
Reviewed in Japan on 30 March 2021
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The essence of sales activities is explained specifically in a very easy-to-understand manner. It is easily written, but the theoretical support for success in sales activities is also added properly, and the manual to refer to when they are in trouble, for managers who control the sales force, and for salesmen It seems to be useful as well.
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Lilly
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating 19th Century Woman
Reviewed in the United States on 25 February 2002
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This book is actually a series of letters written in the 1870's by Isabella Bird, an intrepid Scotswoman,to her sister. Japan had "opened" to the west only some 10 years earlier and she was determined to visit the "untoured" areas of inland Japan, off the beaten track. I wondered to myself how many hordes of Western tourists had there already been to Japan at that time? What makes this book so interesting is twofold. First of all she describes peasant and village life in areas which were quite poor and did not conform to the picture of Japanese life in the cities of Tokyo or Kyoto at that time or now. As was true for Europe at the same period, there were huge differences in the standards of living between the different classes and between town and village. Her descriptions of the Ainu were especially vivid and interesting. The other aspect is Isabella Bird herself. She traveled by pack horse, cow, rickshaw and on foot via mountain tracks and fording countless rivers. She slept in flea infested Ryokan and endured being stared at endlessly. For weeks at a time she could speak only to her servant/interpreter since she did not know Japanese. Recommended for those with an interest in Japan or good travel writing.
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たま
4.0 out of 5 stars Ainu people who live polite and frugal
Reviewed in Japan on 16 January 2015
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In Meiji 11, trains run between Shimbashi and Yokohama, and infrastructure such as schools and bridges have begun in the region. But the life of the common people is a continuation of the Edo period for boys, girls are teething black. Horses, rickshaws, and sometimes walking birds depict the Tohoku region and Hokkaido (Donan) of this era. It is a big adventure such as falling horses on a steep road or getting into a river stop in heavy rain. Bird himself sees Japanese and Ainu people in Kochikochi Christians and is quite discriminatory colored glasses, and such expressions can be seen everywhere. However, as she travels forward and lives optimally with the politeness and honesty of a shabby dressed pagan, it looks like she is growing in her own sense of inconsistency. She herself is polite to Japanese and Ainu people and takes care of their illness. I feel even sorrow for the Ainu people who disappear without leaving a name in the pressure of the Japanese people. Considering the background of the times at a discount, her colored glasses seem inevitable. It is a valuable and interesting book in the sense that it depicts the scenery and people's lives in Japan in detail. There is also a description of the army rebellion, the Takebashi incident, which occurred while the bird was traveling.
As with the free book of this hand Kindle, illustrations are omitted, so you need to check the image published on the Internet. In addition, some important descriptions and tables that explain Japanese are missing. If you read seriously, you might want to look for a decent book with images, and if you want to know the exact place where she stopped by, a Japanese translation may be better.
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Harry
3.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable journey, blinkered by racism
Reviewed in the United States on 27 January 2015
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Ms Bird embarks on her journey with quite a backhander - "though I found the country a study rather than a rapture, its interest exceeded my largest expectations." A compliment of sorts, I suppose. As with her other books, Ms Bird's racism comes to the fore, describing her runner (the poor man who powered her conveyance) as "a kindly, good-natured creature, but absolutely hideous." She frequently describes the Japanese as ugly, "with figures anything but statuesque" and even refers to some teachers as "looking more like monkeys." Thankfully the racism is generally less heavy-handed than Ms Bird's later work, Among the Tibetans, but it is still odious and certainly rankles given her frequent references to the kindness and courtesy extended to her by so many (on whom she was totally dependent) and who sought to meet her demands and make her journey a success.
Her journey was extraordinary and arduous and she stuck with determination to her goal of travelling the back roads/tracks through the most difficult of terrain, at times life threatening to all involved.
She hits her straps in the northern island of Hokkaido - she clearly revels in the wild country of volcanoes and rushing streams and provides an important (and generally very positive) account of living with the Aino. But once again, her dreadful supremist attitude comes through, referring at length to one Aino man as `it' and his spouse as `the mate'.
If you can get past the sad spectre of racism, this is an epic tale of a journey through country and cultures that have since disappeared under the onslaught of modernity.
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Geoff Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars Japan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 April 2020
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Lovely ...learning about Japan
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Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars This is one book that should be compared to her Korean travel book
Reviewed in Japan on 27 September 2021
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Isabella Bird's travel to Korea is a valuable book that actually traveled and published in Korea at the end of the 19th century (the era before the development of the Sino-Japanese War, except around the port although it opened from the national seclusion, until the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War), but before that she went to Japan I also stayed for a while and have a book out. That's what this book is about. I think it is easy to understand the reality of the Korean peninsula at that time, if you compare it with the impression of the Japanese at that time from Westerners (for her, oriental people were dwarfs and dressed in quirky clothes).
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john hiscox
2.0 out of 5 stars Exploring northern Japan the hard way.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2015
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Possibly only interesting for readers who want to know what travelling in the more remote regions of Japan 150 years ago was like. Much of the narrative is very repetitive. But you have to admire this woman who travelled mostly in appalling conditions with only a local guide for company.
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Nocal ken
5.0 out of 5 stars Historically important book
Reviewed in the United States on 23 July 2024
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A well-detailed and honest description of old Japan before it opened the door to the world.
If you seriously love Japan, you need to read it.
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Richard A. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars A unique travelogue in early Meiji Japan
Reviewed in the United States on 2 March 2014
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Being a long-time resident of Japan who lives in the northern countryside, I find this account of northern rural Japan in the late 1870s fascinating. While the reportage is detailed and often perceptive, this is not a literary classic, so this book is recommended to those readers who have an historical interest in what northern rural Japan was like in pre-modern times. What is most striking about the contents of the book is Bird's shocked depiction of the sheer poverty and isolation of the rural villages located in the central mountain spine of the country. She dared to tread where no foreign visitors had trod before and captured a still-life of a pre-modern subsistence lifestyle that is hard to imagine a century and a half later. The literary limitations of the book seem to arise from Bird's inability to engage socially or emotionally with the people she meets on her journey partly because of her ignorance of the Japanese language (though she was accompanied by a Japanese guide and translator), partly because of her need to focus on survival in a harsh travel environment, and partly because she could not escape the confines of her Victorian worldview. At all times, you are reminded that this is an outsider's travelogue, but what a travelogue!
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えみ
5.0 out of 5 stars For those who love Japan and travelling
Reviewed in Japan on 17 September 2021
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This book was recommended by a friend. I love the way it’s written. Great if you love Japan and travelling!
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Melinda D. Wiselka
2.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful story defaced by racism.
Reviewed in the United States on 29 December 2015
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This book could benefit from a careful revision that excludes the racist comments that deface what might otherwise be quite a beautiful work.
Even giving the writer the benefit of the doubt (this was written in 1880, after all), it is disappointing to see someone so well traveled who still subscribes to such a narrow worldview and in the face of so much evidence to the contrary. Ms. Bird admits that she enjoyed unheard of freedom and safety while traveling alone in the wilds of Japan, yet still considers the Japanese a lesser class of people. She makes rude comments about about their appearance, their mimicry of European fashions, their virtues, etc.
Her interaction with her Japanese guide, Ito, is most telling. She complains of his rudeness to her, but never gives any specific examples of his sins, except instances of arrogance (often related to patriotic pride) and of cruelty to a horse (which seemed to be only the following of the cruel custom in his country). It's likely that Ito found her superior attitude abrasive, particularly coming from a woman, and smarted off a few times, incurring her ire. Ms. Bird relied heavily on Ito to manage her travel arrangements and often entrusted him with her money, without even once being disappointed, yet was unwilling to consider him a "good" person. When she discovered that he broke a contract with another European because she offered him [Ito] a larger sum of money, she presents this as proof of his bad character, without once admitting, even to herself, that he may have done so for the sake of her mother, for whom he appeared to be the sole support. The fact that he never in any other way showed himself as unreliable seems to support that argument. Ms. Bird takes great (some might say inordinate) pride in delivering Ito to his "master" (the jilted European), once she has finished with him, telling her sister that the European will help Ito to be a "good" man.
Ms. Bird's contempt for the native religion was also annoying in the extreme. Many atheists would view Christianity in the same narrow way she viewed Shintoism. Being raised in another faith, she failed to understand or appreciate Shintoism. Granted. That does not make it any less useful to those who practice it nor does it make its practitioners less civilized than she is.
The worst parts of the book deal with her long visits with a "savage" race of Ainos. At one point, she laments to her sister that, unfortunately, the Aino population appears to be increasing (presumably, because she believes a "primitive" race ought to die out). At no point is she mistreated or disrespected by these "primitives". They treat her with unfailing kindness. Yet, she never fails to point out that they are only "adult children", one so ugly as to be a "missing link".
Elsewhere, the book excels in descriptive detail. If not for these unfortunate eugenic detours, this might have been quite an enjoyable romp.
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Elisa M. J. Garza
1.0 out of 5 stars Bigoted view of Japan
Reviewed in the United States on 7 August 2013
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I take a deep breath before reviewing this book to remind myself that the author is a British woman from the 19th century and it took a lot of guts for her to travel all alone.
That being said...Isabella L. Bird is a boring, self-righteous, narrow-minded bigot who decided to publish the letters she sent to her sister while she visited Japan. Why anyone bothered to give her the right, I can only guess is due to the fact that she is supposed to be the first woman to have travelled there.
Not only did I not learn one useful thing about Japan by reading this book, I was also disgusted by how Bird dismissed every Japanese custom as "abominable" and qualified any sign of beauty in the locals as decidedly European (never ever Asiatic).
Again, maybe it was natural to be so politically incorrect in the 19th century, but that doesn't justify this woman when she treats certain locals as sub-humans. She literally refers to some individuals as "it" and is an enthusiastic user of the word "savage". Not only that, but she had the gall to criticize belief systems which she found ridiculous and never stopped to think how much so is the Western faith in a man who was born of a virgin and then floated up to the skies to watch over us.
But, above all, this book is just plain boring. She goes on and on about the hardships of her travels (when she was the one who decided to go off on the "unbeaten tracks"), describing nature in the most trivial way, stopping to explain every last single piece of construction in a house, a hole in the road, the size and breadth of a horse, you name it.
The only passably good thing about reading this book had to do with the immense curiosity that the sight of a foreign woman attracted in almost all of the villages she went through. But it's not worth having to muddle through the whole thing.
You might think this is a sweet deal since it's free (on Kindle) but I can tell you this: you might be saving money but you will be wasting your time.
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Robert Jackson
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on 18 January 2014
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I spent 10 years in Japan in the 1960's and 1970's so when I discovered this book, I immediately thought I had to read it. Isabella Bird was, without a doubt, a woman who is to be commended for her courage in going where no foreigner had gone before. The letters which make up this book by reporting her experiences were probably very interesting to the recipients when received over a period of time. But when I read them one after the other they began to get rather boring. The letters describe the difficulties of travel between villages and the miserable conditions of the facilities where she stayed in the various villages. Each village stay was almost the same as the previous one and each trip between villages was almost identical to the previous trip. It was repetition followed by repetition. After reading about 20 percent of this book, I put it aside and read another book. I decided to give it another try and, with skimming over some of it, I finally finished it. I suggest that anyone who considers reading this book read the first 25 percent, skip the middle half and read the final 25 percent. That way you can get the whole story and skip all the redundancy.
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Diane Tincher
4.0 out of 5 stars Letters written home from Japan in 1878
Reviewed in the United States on 14 November 2014
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This book is a collection of letters written by a very adventurous British woman who ventured to travel within Japan with only a translator as her constant companion. She describes her travels from her arrival in Yokohama in May 1878 - just after the completion of the first railroad that linked Yokohama with Tokyo - until her departure in December of that same year. She traveled from Tokyo north through and around Hokkaido, spending an enlightening time among the Aino people.
Having lived in Japan for most of my life, I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the people, their customs and behaviors.
I rate this 4 stars as some of her descriptions of temples and buildings got to be a bit much for me, although those unfamiliar with Japan may find them to be of greater interest.
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annie palmer
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful record of historical Japan and English Victorian adventurers
Reviewed in the United States on 29 September 2015
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A fascinating account of an intrepid Englishwoman's travels throughout lesser travelled regions of Japan (quite literally "unbeaten tracks") in the late 1880's. Although modern Japan is of course a different place now, some descriptions sound quite similar to current life in many respects, and the author's very detailed descriptions make it easy to see how many customs and aspects of Japanese life are the way they are now. Her reason for making such a trip was apparently for improving her health, but reading of the tough challenges and awful circumstances she experienced on her travels makes one wonder why! She stoically confronted many hardships and severe weather conditions. A far cry from the comforts of modern day travelling.
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G. Meyers
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating View of 1800's Japan
Reviewed in the United States on 5 August 2012
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Isabella Bird was a gifted observer of her surroundings and an intrepid adventurer. Her epic and austere trek from the capital of Meiji-era Japan northward to and thru Hokkaido gives readers a unique look at late 1800's Japan through the eyes of a westerner. By her rich prose, Bird draws a vivid word picture of the harsh life that confronted not only travelers but the average Japanese. As a Nipponphile who lived ten years in Japan, I found Bird's account a page turner. I felt like I was accompanying Bird on her trailblazing odyssey. I could feel the incessant fleas and mosquitoes biting me throughout the night EVERY night at every stop. But I could also sense the legendary courtesy and hospitality that are the hallmarks of the Japanese today. This book will be appreciated most by those readers who have lived in or traveled in Japan.
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Louise Keith
5.0 out of 5 stars Visit the Japan of the late 19th Century!
Reviewed in the United States on 8 October 2015
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For people like me who may never visit another country but are interested in its history and what makes its people tick, this is a fascinating look at 1870's Japan, as the country began to open its borders to Westerners. Ms. Bird traveled nearly the entire length and breadth of The Land of the Rising Sun and gave detailed reviews of her experiences. Of especial note was the time she spent living with the Aino (now known as Ainu) people, an aboriginal group of people whose ways contrasted starkly with those of the Japanese. An extremely valuable recollection of Ms. Bird's travels, insights and discoveries, written as letters to her sister, so quite easy to understand and relate to even today.
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Cindy Hamilton
5.0 out of 5 stars It is amazing, fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on 15 November 2014
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First of all, this book is out on the public domain--so it was free to download. It is amazing, fascinating, and a wonderful read. I read her book A Lady's Life In The Rocky Mountains while I was leaving Rocking Mountain National Park. I could not believe that she had this much courage to go off on her own into the unknown. Unbeaten Tracks is really even more to the unknown. I honestly do not know how she survived any of her adventures. Truly a woman to be admired. I want to read her book about her adventure in Hawaii next.
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Squid
5.0 out of 5 stars well made book on good paper stock
Reviewed in the United States on 7 January 2025
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bought as a gift. Looks interesting.
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J. Marano
3.0 out of 5 stars Travel in Japan in the 1870s
Reviewed in the United States on 15 May 2014
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I got this because I was planning a trip to Japan, but didn't actually read it until I returned. It was interesting because it was written by a woman traveling alone to very inaccessible places at a time when travel anywhere was very difficult, but travel off the beaten track was incredibly so. It was interesting to see her biases as a proper, religious Englishwoman who had, of course, never heard of the concept of political correctness. It got a bit repetitious after a while, but I thought it was worth reading, especially after traveling in modern Japan.
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Dawn
5.0 out of 5 stars A trip into a time capsule
Reviewed in the United States on 18 April 2014
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This is a splendid book for those interested in observations of a culture from a different perspective and able to look past the prejudices and customs of the observer. Take a surprisingly adventurous and detail oriented Englishwoman of the 1870’s who decides to take a trip through remote parts of Japan and document it in letters home, and you pretty much have the book. Occasionally the vantage is a bit overly judgmental and patronizing, but at others it is in equal measure humble.
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Honolulu Prime
4.0 out of 5 stars Vivid, detailed opportunity to compare different worlds, separated ...
Reviewed in the United States on 5 February 2018
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Vivid, detailed opportunity to compare different worlds, separated only by time: modern Japan, a very different picture from Isabella Bird's journeys. Isabella Bird, an intrepid pioneer single woman who traveled the world when it was unheard of.
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Christa Chourbaji
5.0 out of 5 stars One woman breathtaking journey.
Reviewed in the United States on 25 January 2024
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Very good reading.
Informative about the country of Japan and Customs.
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Ganyu
4.0 out of 5 stars Figure of Japan in 1878
Reviewed in Japan on 25 April 2019
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I read it in English.
How did Japan appear in the eyes of Westerners in 1878? I also felt interested in how the people of the Ainu lived. The
title Unbeaten Tracks ~ is probably because I paved embedded in the ground by hitting the stone on the pavement of the road from the Roman era. It means a way without people.
Throughout the text, Isaberabad felt like a person who cares about the impressions of people and things. The Japanese who first saw in Yokohama were short and skinny, and they did not look good. On the road ', you could not have a lot of love with the Japanese because you were looking into multiple people from fusuma and shoji.
But Isabella loved the nature and landscape of Japan very much.
Even 140 years ago, young people in the local region left their farmland and sore away from Tokyo. Also, tattoos were an alternative to wearable clothes, overseas Chinese people had business in Yokohama since then, and Ainu people could drink 4,5 times more sake than Japanese people. is assumed to be.
The body is smooth and dry end. When I left Japan, I wanted you to feel good farewell.
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P. Burk
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book about an amazing journey
Reviewed in the United States on 17 March 2023
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Diary of travels in primitive northern districts of Japan. Good descriptions of rough travel with none of the modern convenience we are used to.
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Backpacker
5.0 out of 5 stars Fan of author!
Reviewed in the United States on 22 July 2021
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I'm a fan of the author. Though written in the late 1800's, her descriptions are excellent and her books are interesting! I love all of her books!
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jack a maruta
4.0 out of 5 stars Still Nikko is one of the best combination of culture and nature
Reviewed in the United States on 21 February 2015
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Isabella Bird changed her thought of Japan and Japanese people after her usual trip. She impressed Nikko a lot. Still Nikko is one of the best combination of culture and nature.
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Hide. H.
4.0 out of 5 stars Precious record of Iasabella Bird's travels in Japan
Reviewed in the United States on 10 November 2012
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About 150 years ago, Isabella Bird travelled Northan parts of Japan. She had recorded the precious records about Japanese life at Northan parts of Japan at about 150 years ago.
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Batman_Bin_Suparman
4.0 out of 5 stars Suggested reading for geographers.
Reviewed in the United States on 12 February 2019
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Isabella Bird's books are great reads for anyone with an interest in geography.
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徳清
4.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly easy to read.
Reviewed in Japan on 16 November 2016
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I read it while remembering that I read it in Japanese translation earlier. The content is surprisingly easy to read.
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Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars It arrived properly. Thank you very much
Reviewed in Japan on 21 December 2020
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From now on, I'll read it slowly while translating it.
After all, I can't read English.
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diane k zimmerman
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on 15 December 2022
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gift
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スズシロ
5.0 out of 5 stars I was impressed.
Reviewed in Japan on 8 August 2020
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In the very beginning of the Meiji period, English women traveled from Tohoku to Hokkaido and left a folklore description.The despise feelings of the Orient or the non-Christians are exemplified in some places, but it is inevitable in times.In the sketch of the weaver tool used by Ainu, Isabella Bird has left a sketch, and it states that Shuttle (), but in the Japanese translation book, it is incorrectly translated as Reed.It's a pity.
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shirley
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 5 February 2015
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I do not like the author...biased opinion! a kind of racial discrimination
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T.Masuda
4.0 out of 5 stars Hats off to the adventurous travel stories of English women who ran from eastern Japan to Hokkaido in the early Meiji period, and their curiosity and clear records!
Reviewed in Japan on 2 June 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
It is surprising that there were such adventurous English women in the early Meiji period. Overcoming many difficulties such as fleas, lice, bad odors, rough roads, etc., and leaving a clear long travel story, I think it is a valuable heritage for Japan as well. When I started reading it, I was also surprised to learn for the first time that my first place of stay was Kasukabe, where I currently live. (Unfortunately, I quickly got into trouble, and I didn't seem to have a good impression), and after that, I also passed through my hometown Tochigi City, so I read it with interest until the end. Using horses and rickshaws, I think it was 2-3 times faster than Basho's Okunohosomichi Travelogue. Sometimes there were words I didn't understand, but since I was able to easily use the dictionary function, I fully enjoyed reading with my Kindle.
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いるちゃん
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Japanese Figure
Reviewed in Japan on 17 April 2016
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It is a travel book of a British woman who traveled from Tokyo to Hokkaido in 1867. I wanted to read one day, but now it was ridiculous and wonderful.
The appearance of Japanese people at that time is lively and the scene of Japan at that time is described in detail, so you can understand Japan from Edo to the early Meiji period. She was
also surprised that her purpose was to go to Hokkaido to interact with the indigenous Ainu people and touch people's lives. In fact, her stay in Hokkaido and the customs of Ainu bears and funerals are amazing. In the first place, I was wondering if there was a book written by Japanese that described the situation at that time in such detail.
I read it in the English version, but it is difficult to enter as a class. It took me a year even though it was just about 200 pages. Sometimes the word is old, but proper nouns, such as plant names, are difficult. There are many Japanese such as tokiyo, yadoya, daimiyo, kuruma, etc., but it is difficult to read because it is not italic.
But I thought this book was a must-read Japanese. As you can see from the fact that many Western books are sold on Amazon, it still seems to be very often read abroad. It is probably a book read by foreigners who are interested in Japan. Recently, the number of visitors to Japan is increasing, is it necessary for accepting parties to read it?
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Gollum+Galadriel
4.0 out of 5 stars These days, there are also many related publications. Their translations have been bumpy and uneven.
Reviewed in Japan on 14 January 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
The prejudice of the British Empire middle class is round out, but it is an interesting travelogue to Taichen. Walking along the Tohoku region, if the road was so terrible, when you go out around Shonai, I made an insignificant praise as “Arcadia...” But thanks now if you are a Yamagata prefecture, you know the author's name even if you don't know what's inside, and mostly benefactor. What benefactor is it? The description of the Ainu is elaborate, or rather, it seems that meeting Ainu people was really fun.
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たく
5.0 out of 5 stars It seems that considerable English proficiency is required...
Reviewed in Japan on 30 September 2017
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I gave up buying it to challenge the original text... When I showed it to an Englishman, they said that they also have a lot of literary expressions, so it would be difficult if you really tried to understand it.
I generally understood the content, so I gave it a perfect score.
It seems difficult if you don't have considerable English proficiency, so it seems better to be prepared for the purpose of the challenge.
I have a Cambridge Advanced Econ (CAE). Just for your reference.
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leonido
4.0 out of 5 stars My hometown is out, so I bought it.
Reviewed in Japan on 21 February 2013
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My hometown, Usu (house) in the Iburi region, is clearly depicted.
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u植地 勢作
5.0 out of 5 stars The illustrations are also wonderful
Reviewed in Japan on 7 July 2016
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It has been carefully investigated, and Japan at that time comes to light like an image
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呑気泡亭
1.0 out of 5 stars I have no illustrations
Reviewed in Japan on 31 May 2014
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The Kindle version of Unbeaten Tracks in Japan has 4 paid versions in addition to this free version.I wondered how they differ from each other, and I downloaded the Tuttle version (781 JPY) and another book Dover Edition (782 JPY).The Tuttle version is New Edition, the Dover version is the First edition, but both have the same illustrations, whereas the free version does not have any illustrations.It can be said that the illustrations that can be seen at the time have been omitted is a fatal defect.
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T.N.
5.0 out of 5 stars It is a wonderful book that also went through Fukushima (Aizu) in the early Meiji period.
Reviewed in Japan on 16 January 2016
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In 1878 in the early Meiji Restoration, especially in the north of Nikko, from Fukushima (Aizu) to Hokkaido, it is an adventure record that went through with one English woman (although there is an interpreter) mainly in the mountainous area. The beautiful nature of Japan, the life depiction of local people as it is, is wonderful.
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Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars fast delivery
Reviewed in Japan on 13 January 2016
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I ordered it to write a paper. The deadline was approaching, so I wanted them to come as soon as possible, but it was much faster than I had imagined and was very helpful. Even though it was a Western book, it was a domestically delivered product, so I could get it at a very low price with no shipping costs, and it was perfect for me as a student. Since it's a used item, it's charming that insects got caught between the books and died.
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Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars Good!
Reviewed in Japan on 29 December 2015
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Since it was introduced in Bratamori, it was free to look at the kindle version, so I decided to study English as soon as I studied.It is interesting to understand the state of the time.There is also a Japanese version in the library, so if you don't understand English, you can try the Japanese version.
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Mansaku
5.0 out of 5 stars In many translated books, it is important to read the original.
Reviewed in Japan on 28 October 2015
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Isabella Bird is often written in translated books that compliment Japan in one place or dirty words in another place. It is also noticed that there are not many. Place names, etc. are also used in translation books, many and do not meet with reality. The Japanese translation of a translator who has not examined the real world is just a translation.
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Chappie
5.0 out of 5 stars I also want to search for sketches
Reviewed in Japan on 10 May 2015
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There were some difficult words, but in the end, I enjoyed reading them. It was a pity that there were no illustrations, but I think this edition's positioning is unavoidable. I don't know if there is a collection of sketches drawn by the author, but I'm going to search for them.
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SO
5.0 out of 5 stars Be sure to read Isabella Bird's Trip to Japan in English.
Reviewed in Japan on 19 June 2011
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I bought Unbeaten Tracks in Japan by Isabella L. Bird on Amazon and read it. I was also surprised and enlightened by a number of things. First, the fact that they came all the way from England (Scotland) to Japan in the first year of the Meiji era, and in particular traveled alone from Tohoku to Hokkaido, where they only brought one Japanese man as an interpreter, and it is surprising. I salute you for clearly documenting that trip without much prejudice. The depiction is clear, lively, and doesn't use an elaborate style, etc., so I think it would be nice if it could be read in Japan in more of the original text. I read with interest the details mentioned, such as the fact that there was already a Kanaya Ryokan in Nikko around that time, and that in elementary school, I put chairs on the floor instead of tatami mats to study. What impressed me in particular was that they treated the Ainu people without prejudice, and it was written that they complained about their plight while being angry at the Japanese government through a Japanese interpreter, and I now know that it was not taught in Japanese history. You can also learn how to look at history from multiple perspectives. There are illustrations brilliantly drawn by the author himself in various places, and the sentences are becoming more and more three-dimensional. There also seems to be translation, but if you have at least a certain level of English proficiency, you can enjoy English several times more. It's not about an unknown country, so it's easy to understand.
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DOROTHY WAKELING
5.0 out of 5 stars Thumbs up for Isabella Bird
Reviewed in the United States on 20 February 2015
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Fantastic observation and insight.
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渡邊弓子
5.0 out of 5 stars I understand the old days very well
Reviewed in Japan on 30 March 2014
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The situation at that time was described very carefully, and I was able to imagine it well.
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無限
5.0 out of 5 stars It's interesting. A really interesting observation record.
Reviewed in Japan on 15 June 2013
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The author's observations are detailed and really unique. Observing the accompanying interpreter is also interesting.
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