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Tune In Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries Audiobook
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(3.02) - 623 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Everyone wants to escape their boring, stagnant lives full of inertia and regret. But so few people actually have the bravery to run -- run away from everything and selflessly seek out personal fulfillment on the other side of the world where they don't understand anything and won't be expected to. The world is full of cowards. Tim Anderson was pushing thirty and working a string of dead-end jobs when he made the spontaneous decision to pack his bags and move to Japan, “where my status as a U.S. passport holder and card-carrying ‘American English’ speaker was an asset rather than a liability.” It was a gutsy move, especially for a tall, white, gay Southerner who didn’t speak a lick of Japanese. But his life desperately needed a shot of adrenaline, and what better way to get one than to leave behind everything he had ever known to move to “a tiny, overcrowded island heaving with clever, sensibly proportioned people that make him look fat?” In Tokyo, Tim became a “gaijin,” an outsider whose stumbling progression through Japanese culture is minutely chronicled in these sixteen howlingly funny stories. Yet despite the steep learning curve and the seemingly constant humiliation, the gaijin from North Carolina gradually begins to find his way. Whether playing drums on the fly in an otherwise all-Japanese noise band or attempting to keep his English classroom clean when it’s invaded by an older female student with a dirty mind, Tim comes to realize that living a meaningful life is about expecting the unexpected…right when he least expects it.
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"I laughed out loud on the train while reading this, which is actually pretty rare! That's how funny it is. Anderson has a fun voice--his narrative makes you wish you knew him in person. I imagine other former English teachers will also just love the hilarious nostalgia it invokes."
— Addison (4 out of 5 stars)
Tune In Tokyo Listener Reviews
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" I laughed a bunch. "
— Joanna, 2/16/2014 -
" The first half had me laughing and not wanting to put it down. The second half dragged. "
— Jennsaurer, 2/14/2014 -
" Can you say culture shock? I did enjoy this book because he has some interesting insights. "
— Elsa, 2/4/2014 -
" Loved it! I laughed out loud more than once. I give them a solid recommendation if you are looking for a light, amusing read. "
— Unit812, 2/3/2014 -
" Truly a gaijin's story. Too much altered states for my taste. Not as much of traditional Japan as I had hoped. He seems to spend most of his time with other ex pats. Some interesting stuff like addresses "
— NC, 1/31/2014 -
" love love loved "
— Toastlover, 1/16/2014 -
" Having been in Tokyo, I could appreciate many of the things Mr. Anderson is talking about and there were some very funny and interesting situations. I just get bugged by the language. I managed to stay in Japan without using his favorite word at all, so I know it's possible. "
— Holly, 1/16/2014 -
" liked his conversational writing style. lots of LOL moments. "
— Lyn, 1/15/2014 -
" This was lighthearted and funny. I don't usually find myself laughing out loud at books, but this one got me giggling. A good quick read for someone who doesn't mind profanity. "
— Amber, 1/12/2014 -
" Generally amusing account of an American man teaching English in Japan. A little reminiscent of Sedaris' habit of self-deprecation, but not derivative. Gets good humor out of cultural differences without overtly mocking. I enjoyed it as a light read. "
— Allison, 1/11/2014 -
" Interesting diary of the author's two years spent teaching English in Tokyo. This probably won't really appeal to anyone who hasn't spent some time there but nevertheless, a funny take on life as a foreigner in that great city. "
— Marilyn, 1/4/2014 -
" Climb aboard the Tim-sensei express in this uneven, skin-deep take on the author's ESL teaching stint in Japan. Not an especially endearing portrait of the country -- or the author for that matter -- but not without a few really good belly laughs. "
— Katyrose, 12/26/2013 -
" This was a really fun read and I enjoyed Anderson's witty writing style. "
— Kim, 12/15/2013 -
" Very funny and I highly reccomend it to anybody interested in funny memoirs or Japan. "
— Andrew704, 12/9/2013 -
" This made me smile and laugh and want to go back to Japan. "
— Karen, 12/2/2013 -
" A funny, irreverant chronicle of an American gay man's experience living in Japan. His endless sarcasm and self-concious cleverness get a bit tiring, but a fun read overall. "
— Paul, 11/29/2013 -
" Fun! I enjoyed the way it was written, it made me laugh out loud. It also made me want to visit another country to get my mojo/groove/magic back. :) "
— Nicole, 10/12/2013 -
" Breezy, witty, and brimming with snarky self-deprecating humor. "
— James, 7/21/2013 -
" I found this fun to read, one man's personal observations about the people, culture, and zaniness of Japan. It paints a vivid picture, marred somewhat by the author's juvenile antics and obsessions and his somewhat superficial experiences. "
— Danica, 6/28/2013 -
" This one was okay. Funny in parts. It also felt like it was dragging in other parts as well. If you're curious about the not so talked about every day of Japan, try to give it a read. "
— Mellodi, 6/12/2013 -
" This book was good enough I guess, but IMO it didn't live up to the promises made on the jacket. Didn't get that many revelations about life in Japan and more than I wanted about the author's flaming homosexuality. "
— Marc, 6/3/2013 -
" Some really funny parts and some not so funny. "
— Valerie, 4/16/2013 -
" I usually don't go for memoirs but this book blew me away due to it's humor and the author's brutal honesty with himself. Loved loved loved it!!!! "
— Amie, 1/12/2013 -
" Amusing and interesting observations/experiences. "
— Angel, 12/31/2012 -
" This was a very inexpensive Kindle book and it had me literally laughing out loud in places. It's stories about a gay, sarcastic, southern American and his adventures in Tokyo teaching Japanese folks to speak English. Definitely worth checking out. "
— Amy, 11/27/2012 -
" One of my first e-books, I purchased it because I stayed a week in Tokyo and the positive reviews it received. Nothing exceptional, funny at times, but a bit disappointing towards the end. I did enjoy some segments specially the parts about how a westerner is perceived in Tokyo. "
— Vivek, 9/23/2012
About Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson has been a waiter, a data entry clerk, a photocopier repairman, a freelance writer, a middle school teacher, and a depressed employee of the State of North Carolina. He hopes to one day be an underwear model/bookie. He is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, where he was inducted into both Phi Beta Kappa and the Golden Key National Honor Society. He is an editor in New York and lives in Brooklyn with his boyfriend and his cat Stella.
About MacLeod Andrews
MacLeod Andrews is a multiple Audie, Earphones, and SOVAS award-winning and Grammy-nominated narrator with hundreds of credits to his name. Perhaps best known for a cinematic approach with full characterizations and intimate deliveries in series such as The Reckoners, Sandman Slim, and Warriors, he’s also been noted for his straight reads ranging from memoirs to modern classics. When not doing books you can hear him in video games, cartoons, commercials, podcasts, and reading you the news on Apple News +. Or check out one of his films.