As someone of Japanese heritage this is amazing. I feel like I walked the streets/tracks of where my grandmother did when she lived there. It is absolutely stunning. I have never read anything by Mr. Dougill before but he painted a beautiful picture of what it is like truly living there especially outside of the city lights. Great read.

When I first moved to Japan in the 1980’s, English books were a precious commodity. There was no internet yet, much less Amazon and ebooks for reading pleasure. English books meant a budget-busting visit to Kinokuniya.

There was a custom then among English speakers of passing along the books we finished. It wasn’t unusual for another foreigner to hand you a book on the train.

One day as I was getting off the shinkansen at Kyoto Station, a guy with a heavy backpack standing in the queue to board reached out an arm. “Hey, you want this book?” he said. “It’ll change your life.”

I assumed he was pushing some religious tract but I never said no to free books. As I continued my journey towards Arashiyama, I thumbed through the gift, The Great Railway Bazaar, by Paul Theroux. I was immediately captivated.

As an American, trains had always seemed to me something from an earlier era, before cars and highways, a time of continental crossings and the wide open West filled with buffalo. In Tokyo, though, I learned to rely on the Marunouchi Line to carry me between home and work, and later, when I moved to Kobe, rode the Hanshin line and city subway daily. But the train was merely a mode of transportation, the most convenient way to get from point A to point B.

Until I read The Great Railway Bazaar. That book opened my eyes to the joys of travel by train. It wasn’t about the destination so much as the journey. It was the people you met on the trains, the scenery flowing past the window while the wheels clacked out a steady, relaxing rhythm.

The shinkansen is truly a marvel to get across Japan quickly and efficiently. If you’re on a business trip, that’s all that matters. But if you want to see the country, why whizz past it at 200 mph when a local train will highlight the beauty outside the window.

Paul Theroux’s books are more than travel guides. They’re stories of travel. Of meeting unusual people in unusual places and enjoying the narrow, microcosm of every unique location. Anthony Bourdain created something similar with his food shows which weren’t so much about cooking as the joy of sharing a feast with interesting people.

The Great Railway Bazaar recounts Theroux’s 4 months of travel by train across Europe, Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia in 1973. He made a brief stop on the shinkansen to meet Haruki Murakami — the translator of his novels— but declared Japan boring. The shinkansen was too efficient he said, and travelers didn’t mix and mingle in a restaurant car or bar while a steam train strained over steep mountains.

But that book did change my life by showing me the joy of train travel. Of visiting towns and seeing the lives of local people instead of museums and exhibits. Of tourism as walking a city, shopping in the local markets, visiting sake breweries and pottery kilns instead of checking must-see sites off a list.

However, despite living in Japan off and on for 35 years, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve seen little of the country away off the main shinkansen line connecting Tokyo to Fukuoka.

In the past few years, I’ve tried to rectify that deficiency with visits to Niigata, Akita, Nagano, and Kyushu, and am planning visits this winter to Toyama, Kanazawa, and Hagi.

All this to say that when I saw the book, Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan, it went straight to the top of my must-read list. When I received my copy, it was far more than I expected.

I thought the book would be a kind of tourist guide to the local cities along the Japan Sea coast. It isn’t. What I found instead, to my immense joy, was a kind of Paul Theroux travelogue, John Dougill’s trip through the quiet, forgotten side of Japan.

Rather than a list of places to visit and things to do and see, this book gives us his personal impressions of each town he visited, including conversations with the locals that make each place come alive.

Dougill has lived in Japan since 1994 and has written a number of books about the country. He speaks fluent Japanese, making him the perfect guide to the countryside, and is a beautiful writer.

One of the recurring jokes in the book is that whenever anyone asks where he’s from, which just about everyone does, he replied that he’s from Kyoto where he’s lived for many years. The various reactions by Japanese people to his answer are telling.

Though he describes the towns he visits, Dougill is more interested in telling the stories of the people he meets along the way, the aspects of Japanese culture that the places highlight, even how these quiet towns have impacted and been impacted by national history and politics. Though I’ve lived in Japan for many years and even edit this publication of Japanese culture, there were many revelations in Dougill’s anecdotes and observations of things I didn’t know or hadn’t put the pieces together.

With this book, Dougill also proves Theroux wrong. The shinkansen itself may be boring in its efficiency and perfection, but Japan is not, especially in the smaller towns that thrived during the Edo era, before the advent of the train network, when major trade routes ran by ship up and down the Japan Sea coast.

Dougill himself describes this book as following in the footsteps of Alan Booth, who wrote in The Roads to Sata of his 2000km walk the length of the entire country, from the northern tip of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Kyushu, and Will Ferguson’s hilarious tales of hitchhiking the same path in Hitching Rides with Buddha, as well as Donald Richie’s books of his solo travels around the Japanese countryside. Booth, in particular, is a constant companion throughout Dougill’s book.

Instead of walking or hitchhiking across the country, Dougill rides the local trains from Wakkanai at the north of Hokkaido all the way to Ibusuki at the bottom of Kyushu.

While less physically demanding than walking the entire country or as quirky as hitchhiking in a country that doesn’t hitch, Dougill’s trip by rail felt more accessible for my own travel. It’s a trip I will make in bits and pieces myself, following his path from Toyama through Kanazawa to Fukui a few months from now.

Unlike a guidebook that’s useless once you’ve visited the location, I especially enjoyed reading Dougill’s experiences in the towns I’ve already visited. Inevitably, we’ve traveled the same path, been to the exact same shops, met some of the same people. Reading his adventures was like thumbing through my photo album.

If you have any interest in the regions of Japan away from the big cities, I recommend this book highly. It’s a pleasure to read while being amazingly informative, too.

Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan might even convince you to get out of Tokyo and Kyoto to visit these forgotten places with quiet charm, and ditch the shinkansen for the local private trains that clack slowly along old rails.

Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan: A Journey by Train from Hokkaido to Kyushu by John Dougill is published by Stone Bridge Press and available in ebook and paperback on Amazon and the publisher’s site.

5 stars!


A delightful and vividly detailed exploration of history, local folk tradition, literature and gastronomy on Japan's "less explored coast". The authors unique voice (and dry humour) adds to this charming travelogue, and I - already familiar with many facets discussed - lapped it up. While this was a comfort read for me, I wonder if the addition of some photographs would have enriched the experience of the unfamiliar reader.

While not shying away from controversial (and hardly discussed in the mainstream) topics, I particularly enjoyed the authors take on western explorers and the Japanese sensibilities.

My thanks to the author, Stonebridge Press and Netgalley for the eArc. All opinions my own

With thanks to netgalley and the author for allowing me to review this book.

I’ve always want to travel to Japan for many years and ‘off the beaten tracks in Japan’ allows me to do this, well from the comfort of my arm chair.

Off the the beaten tracks is a brilliant book about travelling around by train but not to touristy parts of Japan, that most people know, which makes it more enjoyable.

A great book

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book.This book has some interesting spots and history about the various trains and depots in Japan. I enjoyed reading about the history as well.

Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan is a rare thing, a good solid readable and enjoyable travel book. The journey from the very top to the very bottom of Japan is easy to recreate using this book which has just the right amount of interesting facts, personal memoir, and good descriptions along with the humour of a convivial travel companion. If more travel books were as good as this one the genre would not stagnating in the doldrums.

This was a really wonderful read I enjoyed accompanying the author on his trip.Sitting at home while getting to tour Japan was wonderful .The author has a wonderful writing style& a sense of humor that I really enjoyed.A charming informative read.#netgalley #stonebrigepress

Just returned from Japan and ready to go back to experience this west coast 'slow train,' experience. I guess I have a reason to return! Wonderful writing.

Having lived and worked in Japan for several years 30 years ago, this book called out to me as a way to reminisce. I was a little disappointed that the journey only featured the West Coast, as I lived on the East Coast, however, culturally the island if Kyushu was still familiar and very enjoyable to read about. I loved the little cultural anecdotes that brought back so many wonderful memories for me, and the deep seated love of nature that is an intrinsic part of Japanese culture. Thank you. Recommend fir anyone who has lived in haoan or is interested in travelling there

What a joy it was to have been taken along on John Dougill's journey by rail as he traveled from far North to far South along the coast of the Sea of Japan. This peek into the road less traveled featured stops at castle towns, historical sites and tiny villages where he shares glimpses into the beauty of the surroundings and the people. I smiled throughout this book at the charming way that Dougill wove anecdotes and history of these lesser-known destinations that made them come to life. Travel writing at its inspires or satisfies wanderlust and Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan certainly succeeded in doing both.

Quick synopsis:
A travel memoir of touring through some of Japan’s more remote and less travelled locations along the Japan Sea, highlighting bits of geography, history, culture, and the wonderful and unexpected adventures you have when you slow down your pace.

My Thoughts:
Travelling through Japan is on the top of my bucket-list and this book was the perfect companion to my “someday” planning. A book that begs to be read and enjoyed at a slower pace, the author (a British who has lived in Japan for 30 years) will take you on a charming, enjoyable, and often amusing meander through Japan. Highly recommend!

Many of Japan’s most famous sites are on the southern Pacific coast and, indeed, this is where the largest cities are, greatest investments have been made, etc. Our author decides to travel the length of Japan via the northern shore (facing Russia and Korea and China) using the Japanese train system. Many of the places mentioned sound wonderful and it does encourage you to think about visiting places beyond the typical tourist itinerary.

What follows are a series of vignettes of the various towns/cities that the author travelled to on the trains. If you’re a train aficionado looking for details of rolling stock etc., this isn’t included. If you’re looking for lots of descriptions of the Japanese countryside viewed from the train, this also isn’t often included. What we have then are a series of selective pen portraits of each of the places (the stops) rather than the journey itself, per se. These pen portraits include the items that the author thinks most encapsulate their time in the place rather than being a conventional guidebook to each place, with particular focus on the local food. As with other reviewers, we need more maps/photos to help set the context as these are less familiar places/dishes.

Overall, an entertaining read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a fun and interesting book that made me want to just dump everything and book my next trip to Japan. Then again, I want to do that just about everyday, but this book made the urge even stronger than usual. I would love to have a similar experience one day. However, I do have to agree with some of the other reviewers in that I would have liked to have seen more photographs, maps, etc. Also, I agree that this would make a great documentary. That being said anyone who loves travel memoirs or is interested in Japan will find this to be a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Off the Beaten Tracks Japan begins in the snowy, far, north of Japan, Hokkaido. Just miles from Russia, this sparsely populated area has a long history and is home to the Ainu people. Dougill will travel the length of Japan using the railways on his way south. A lovely travel journal from a seasoned traveler, Dougill’s fresh look at a country full of tradition. Japanophiles will adore this book.. Reading about the day to day life outside of the large cities and how to navigate a foreign country.

I love books about or featuring Japan. This was a really entertaining and readable experience of a less travelled path during the Covid pandemic.

I wish there would've been more maps, pictures, photos or illustrations to accompany the text.

It will make you want to book a holiday asap 😁

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book much much more than I anticipated! It is so well-written and humorous that I actually wish I had such a book for every and any future trips to any country. John Dougill gives very good insights about Japan from the point of view as a foreigner who has lived there for a long time.

5 stars from me.

As a previous resident of Kyoto and Tokyo, I've long loved reading anything about Japan, so I eagerly dived into this book. After reading the first few sections, I stepped away and admonished myself to read more slowly and cherish the moments of the journey, because it was obvious to me that it was the kind of book that I'd want to stay cozily immersed in and feel quite sad when it came to the end. (Side note: We can all be happy and relieved that Mr. Dougill could continue journeying around Japan and write many more volumes!)

I think that any reader with an interest in Japan will enjoy this book greatly. For a small country, there is just so much to explore and take in. If you know nothing about Japan, this book will give you an appealing taste of what a journey to Japan could look like. But for those of us who HAVE lived in Japan for a number of years, the book will be, perhaps, even more appreciated. Mr. Dougill is a long-time resident, a passionate teacher, historian, and lover of all things cultural. He adeptly feeds us tidbits to entice us into, possibly, our own journeys. No matter how much you think you know about Japan, experiencing it through Mr. Dougill's eyes will help you open your own eyes. His dry humor in his interactions are also much appreciated. Never once does he become preachy but he doesn't shy away from addressing sensitive issues either.

If there were more books written in this vein about various countries around the world it would go a whole lot further in enhancing global understanding and motivating travel to different lands, even if it is only from one's armchair.... or zabuton.

Thank you to NetGalley, Stonebridge Press, and John Dougill for an advance copy of this book. John, please take out your train map and start planning your next journey!

Amo il Giappone, e sono sempre alla ricerca di guide che mostrino luoghi fuori dagli itinerari più battuti, sia nelle città (che nascondono molto al visitatore occasionale) sia, soprattutto, fuori di esse. Perché è vero che il Giappone ha molti volti, e vorrei conoscerli tutti. Questa è una guida perfetta: luoghi particolari, da raggiungere in treno, poco conosciuti e frequentati soprattutto dagli occidentali, corredata da descrizioni precise e bellissime foto, per iniziare a viaggiare prima di prendere l'aereo.

Delightful experience, useful and joyous at the same time. I will definitely consider visiting those places as this book made me dream and yearn for adventure. Recommended.

When I started reading the book I thought I was going to find another format and I think that was what played against me a bit.

Here we have a very detailed trip through much of Japan (I would love to imitate this trip, you really go through a lot of interesting cities and places), and it took place during the COVID-19 pandemic when you couldn't travel abroad so the government boosted domestic tourism (well done).

What happened here is that I would have liked it to be accompanied by images, maps, illustrations of something related to what is being told, images of food, things like that! That would have enriched it a lot and given it a special touch. I know that it requires another type of budget, and that this is missing does not mean that it has not been a more than interesting read.

It would be great to see a documentary like this. Calling Netflix.

Thank you very much Stone Bridge Press for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.