Putting aside the content of the article, the photo of the "Cherry tree with temple in background. Chubu Region, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. " is actually a photo of Matsumoto Castle (in Nagano Prefecture).
As noted, they likely had nothing to do with it... but I take all of Iyer's writing about Japan with a grain of salt, because despite those 28 years, he can't read a word of Japanese and is apparently proud of it.
Thanks for pointing that out, considering he can't really participate in the culture or even read Japanese literature he has a pretty limited perspective I wager.
From article:
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I can't read — I can't — to this day, I can't read or write Japanese. And I'm at the mercy of things around me. I can't have the illusion that I'm on top of things. Japan was a place that I had a huge amount to learn from, and I'm still learning it.
This has to be hyperbole - how can you live in a country for 28 years without learning what a single word looks like?
reminds me of teens today who feign ignorance of popular music and only listen to classic rock or some other specific genre and love to criticise others' taste in music.
That's a pretty high bar. Newspapers, news magazines and technical materials (economics, poli-sci, math, circuits, algorithms, mechanical designs, chemical processes)are straight forward enough. And enough to consider one functionally literate, I would contend. Enough to participate in day-to-day culture, I would contend.
Japanese literature can be completely different level of challenging.
That astounds me. I met some expatriates that were illiterate (well, they couldn't speak much either) when I lived there -- but they usually came and went over the course of three year stints. They lived with their families, in expat neighborhoods, and their kids went to Western (American) schools.
And they left. Every ~3 years or so.
Even that would kill me. For me, literacy is job one. I never understood how an adult would be - could be - willing to be functionally illiterate as an adult.
