pemstrongYou see, Japan does not actually rest atop an infinite pile of turtles, but on the back of a giant carp . . .strongemppIn his mid-thirties, Australian freelance writer and PhD graduate Michael Guest headed for Japan on a whim, worked as tenured Professor in a national university, and stayed fifteen years. Memoir and cultural reflection, his captivating story is one of growth, adaptation and an ever-deepening appreciation of an enchanting, at times perplexing, society.ppThe author is a specialist in modern literature and humanities, with many academic and media articles to his credit, alongside international academic conference lectures. Guest takes an intellectual step beyond other books on culture and the expatriate experience in producing a rich and witty read. In his original take on the creative non-fiction memoir, we pursue the elusive spirit of the country. Notably, the book offers an insider's view of the nuances of university and professional college cultures, and the