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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Every April a front of cherry blossom moves northwards across the Japanese mainland, heralding spring and an outbreak of parties and celebration at its arrival. Author and missionary Lowell Shepherd decided to follow this floral eruption, cycling 2,000 miles in seven weeks. He wasn't just chasing petals: as he prayed and pedalled, he hoped to gain an insight into the psyche of the Japanese nation.
It feels as if we readers are hitching a lift on Shepherd's parcel rack thanks to the incredibly detailed diary he kept up despite fatigue and knees so painful he had to chew painkillers and mutter prayers for strength through clenched teeth. He writes evocatively of a land of contrasts, lush valleys and spectacular mountains ceding to urban sprawl and Karaoke bars, but above all of the friendliness of the Japanese and their astonishment and delight when they hear of his pilgrimage.
One of the most striking passages in the book is when Shepherd visits the Peace Museum at Nagasaki, where a second nuclear bomb was dropped after Hiroshima, in August 1945. The statistics are appalling but even more numbing is the fact that most of our modern nuclear warheads are 50 times more powerful than that dropped on Nagasaki.
As Shepherd concludes his two-wheeled odyssey he realises that he understands himself much better and has a greatly strengthened faith but that he has hardly scratched the surface when it comes to understanding the Japanese. Nevertheless, this is an enticing journal for anyone wishing to discover more about Japan, its people and one man's trust in God. --Amanda Cameron
Product Description
The flowering of the cherry blossom is a powerful symbol of hope in Japan. The first buds open in the south in March and within six weeks the whole country has celebrated the blossom's return as a signal of new beginnings; the new academic year begins and young workers traditionally embark on their first jobs. Intrigued by this unique national celebration, and by Japan's rapid modernisation in the last sixty years, Lowell Sheppard sets out on a six week adventure through the 2000 mile length of the country, following the flowering of the blossom as it progresses north. Travelling on a bicycle, he experiences at close hand both everyday Japanese life and the glorious visual feast of the blossoms as he visits 100 viewing sites before the season is over. But when it ends, the sense of national disillusionment is tangible...This intimate encounter with the Japanese at their least inhibited reveals how they are coping with the transition from modernity to post-modernity and asks whether hope is to be found, or whether it is as elusive and fleeting as the cherry blossom.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great insight into a very intriguing, intricate culture.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Chasing the Cherry Blossom: A Cycling Challenge in Search of the Spiritual Heart of Japan (Paperback)
As a life-long resident of Japan I was captivated by Lowell's view of and insight into Japan as a foreigner and yet one who has lived in this land. There are so many things I just take for granted very much like many of the native Japanese. In recent years I have come to understand and know much more about Japanese culture. Even so, many of the insights in "Chasing the Cherry" provoked me to think again and to understand yet more shades of meaning to this intrguing, intricate society and culture.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I have been captivated by Sheppard's insight as a foriegner.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Chasing the Cherry Blossom: A Cycling Challenge in Search of the Spiritual Heart of Japan (Paperback)
I have been captivated by Sheppard's view as a foreigner and yet as one who has lived in Japan. Because I have grown up here there are things I have just taken for granted but many of Sheppard's insights have provoked me to think again and to understand yet more shades of meaning to this intricate society and culture.
2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is the most attractive book I've ever seen!WOW!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Chasing the Cherry Blossom: A Cycling Challenge in Search of the Spiritual Heart of Japan (Paperback)
This book stuck my eye. There is just something about this book that makes me feel peaceful, happy, grateful, spiritual, and wanting to read this book.
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