Diary of a Tokyo Teen: A Japanese-American Girl Travels to the Land of Trendy Fashion, High-Tech Toilets and Maid Cafes

Christine Mari Inzer has created a bright, expressive, completely and adorably wonderful book! She tells and shows her experience as a teen returning to and rediscovering Japan.

For me, this was a sweet, snack-sized reminder of living in Japan as a foreigner, and on almost every page I thought "I know EXACTLY she feels, that was me, too!" Mister Donut? Check! Defensive subway riding? Check! Trippy television that defies explanation? Check!

The adorable illustrations perfectly balance the photographs, and the descriptions are funny and accurate. Anyone who has lived in Japan as a foreigner will love this book, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in Japanese culture.

I love the energy that the author has captured in the book. This show more book is not a thorough analysis or commentary on contemporary Japanese life. This is her catching the feelings and emotions of her journey and packaging them in a way that is both touching and hilarious. Well done, and highly recommended. show less

You know that old sitcom trope where everybody is trying to avoid having to sit through some relative's slideshow presentation of their recent trip? This is that slideshow in book form. And just like Aunt Gladys's slideshow it ain't all bad, but it's certainly not the best way to really learn about the place where she just vacationed.

I'd guess this book got the greenlight because the creator is a teenager with, it was hoped, a fresh prospective on the graphic novel travelogue. There is certainly charm and sincerity evident in this first effort. Again, it ain't all bad, but there is definitely room for development in her writing, drawing and photography skills.

Cute! Over a decade old, but I think holds up well. It would be interesting to see how the author's perspective would be different as she ages. But that wasn't the point. I enjoyed seeing Tokyo through the eyes of a teen who's reconnecting with her grandparents and experiencing Japan on her terms rather than as young child with her parents. The sketches are charming, especially interspersed with photographs of people and places. Easy, breezy, and fun to read.

Would love to see more diary-style / graphic novel / travel perspectives on places that bring a city to life through the eyes of a specific person. A fun way to get a teen girl perspective on Tokyo--would recommend. Probably not well-suited to someone going to Tokyo and thinking show more this might be a guidebook of sorts - it definitely isn't that. show less

This was a thoroughly enjoyable look at the author's return trip to Japan to visit her grandparents and reconnect with an aunt. She travels around Japan. The book is part journal, part travelogue, and cultural guide. It was a quick read, but I learned a lot and laughed some. The voice of the writer and artist is so compelling. I particularly like when there were photographs that completed the illustrations.

Diary of a Tokyo Teen follows a Japanese-American girl’s summer trip to Japan. The book is reflection of her second trip to her native homeland since her childhood, and during her stories she talks about seeing Japan through her teenage eyes.

The book doesn’t really have a fluid plot, but serves as a collection of diary entry snippets of Christine’s trip. Each section is set up by the timeline of her summer trip and focuses on different locations within the country. The illustration style by Inzer is cute and sometimes funny. Though she experiences culture shock from some of the differences between Japan and the US she says that she could find a home in both countries.

I enjoyed her entertaining tales of the overabundance of maid show more cafes in Akihabara, trying to meditate in Kyoto’s famous rock garden at Ryōan-ji temple, navigating technological toilets, and surveying all of the delicious food that Japan has to offer. Christine’s travel stories are told in a casual and candid tone making a fun rather than serious travel book. Anybody who has ever traveled to foreign country or unfamiliar places I can definitely relate to her story. As for myself, whether it’s traveling within the US or overseas I’ve has so experiences while traveling. If its international travel, I’ve sometimes dealt with some language barriers or have worried about cultural differences (eg. customs). Even within the US, I’ve been in sticky situations especially when it comes to navigating big cities (because I am horrible at reading any type of map).

Though this book is aimed at a younger audience, it is still an entertaining read for readers of all ages. What stands out to me (while reading this book) among other travel memoir books is that its graphic novel format makes it unique. Reading this book made me want to instantly travel to Japan and see what it has to offer, even though I’ve been interested in traveling for many years. This book will definitely spark the travel bug within you and I like that gives a well-rounded view of some of variety of places, food, historical icons located in Japan. show less

An short, sweet, and interesting look into Japan, through the eyes of a teen. It was a quick read, but I enjoyed it, and the narration made me giggle a few times!

Quick read. I was very glad to see some photographs. I found them helpful. There were a couple of places where I didn't really understand the text or wasn't sure which characters were pictured. Having visited Japan myself, some parts made me hungry for foods we can't find in the US. Interesting to get a teen's view.