Mike Newton

In Love with Japan: a Gaijin Visits Japan and Tours Around with His Japanese Partner, Seeing Many Parts of Japan Rarely Seen by Other Westerners. Mike Newton

Mike and Naoko found romance through the Internet with Naoko first visiting Mike in England. This book concentrates on two months when Mike visited Naoko in Japan. The readers will enjoy reading about all the fascinating places that Mike and Naoko visited. The book is written as a diary with Mike writing first with Naoko writing her views based upon his entries and adding her Japanese slant.The places visited included the ancient capitals Kyoto and Nara, the nuclear-bombed cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the hot spring towns of Beppu and Yufuin, and Mount Aso, the world's largest caldera. There were some fascinating experiences including an earthquake of force 7, coach tours with all the passengers being Japanese, attending Naoko's daughter's degree award (a remarkable experience seeing the women students all dressed in kimonos), sleeping in a freezing temple, indulging in numerous hot spring baths, visits to endless temples and shrines, driving on empty motorways, almost causing an international incident in the swimming baths, and becoming five-year-old Momoko's toy monster.