As a gaijin studying in Japan, I used to read the comic strip as it provided glimpses of Japanese idiosyncrasies as well as a source of guide. But one has to be familiar with the Japanese culture and way of life to appreciate the humor; otherwise the humor would appear flat.

For anyone has special interest on how people live in Japan, or Tokyo in this case, it is a nice light reading. Yu can find fun cultural tidbits and interesting day- to- day behavior of Japanese people from foreginer's point of view.

A collection of comic strips about an American married couple living in Japan. Comic strips are collected in several chapters based on their topics, namely Surviving, Relationships, Work, Language, Seasons, Culture, Food, Shopping and Travel, and Junko. Japan is one of the countries in the world that has a unique culture and Roger Dahl managed to describe the moments of daily life that might be considered normal by Japanese, but they give a deep impression to foreigners living in Japan. The short stories in this book are funny, entertaining and provide an overview of daily life in Japan.

Dahl is great at digging into the small details and differences that only real experience illuminates, like the dangers of spreading foot fungus through wearing a host’s slippers and the etiquette surrounding sneezing. He especially shines in the strips detailing the problems of navigating the Japanese workplace.