Cover Image: Tokyo Mindscapes

Tokyo Mindscapes

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Member Reviews

Tokyo Mindscapes is a lovely collection of images and text that showcase the sights of Japan's capital city. Although this is not a travel guide, it can certainly be used by readers to start mapping out places and experiences they'd like to include on their next visit. Readers who have already spent some time in Tokyo will already be familiar with much of the content in this book.

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A lovely book, giving travel ideas for what to see in Tokyo- not just the usual touristy sites, but some of the lesser known, more hidden things to do and see. Especially nice is that the book covers all seasons, to give travelers who visit during off-season times ideas as well. Beautiful photography throughout completes the package!

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Recommended: sure
For a short guide with ideas for a trip to Tokyo, for seasonal ideas, and for photos to get you excited and choose which you want to prioritize

Thoughts:
As a traveler, one of the most annoying things I face is what to do when heading somewhere in the off season. Usually this means winter, when it's too cold to be outside all the time, which is what I usually want. Each place has it's own issues with a season or two though, and it's hard to decide what do when you hit a less-than-ideal day. This book is a great cure for that, as it addresses great options for things to do and places to explore for every season in Tokyo! I wish I had more guides that did this.

There were a decent number of suggestions for each season, so you still got a good number of useful ideas to choose from regardless of the popularity of the time to go. There were the recommendations you expect, like popular shrines and ways to view Mt. Fuji, but also less common ones, like old palace summer homes transformed into a public jungle and museum. The details about the places can help you learn about them culturally and historically, and frame what you might expect to experience. A good example of this would be some of the shrine visits that are frequented at certain times of the year by people seeking blessings (new years, for a main example). On a more practical note, there's also location and business info for the places specified in the back of the book, so you have an idea of times they're open each day as well as where to go for more info. The map is great for planning out a route.

The big issue I had with this was the formatting. For whatever reason, the ebook was almost unreadable. Primary issues were random line breaks, inconsistent capitalization, and statically sized media. The last issue was the most disappointing, as a huge part of this guide are the photos that the author worked hard to capture the heart of each place. They looked beautiful, but unfortunately some of them were sized so small that I really couldn't see anything of them. Typically in ebooks, you can click on the images to view them larger on their own, but that was lacking here. This would obviously be solved with a printed book, but you lose some of the digital option convenience for while ON your trip.

Thanks to NetGalley and Museyon for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

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I like the note about the auhtor's effort spent in getting the photos right. Enhances the appreciation of the book.

You can go inside the Giant Buddha temple of Kamakura.
Vermillion Torii gates.
Children's forest
Waterless waterfalls
Karesansui garden
Helpful 'Tokyo Calendar' of activities.
All the spots are numbered and laid on a map

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I never had any desire to visit Tokyo until I read Tokyo Mindscapes, and that's the highest praise I can give any tour guide. Curling up with it was a lovely, tranquil experience of armchair travel. I only wish there were more pictures! Dividing it up by seasons gave it a timeless feeling that seemed very in tune with Japanese culture. Highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

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My mind is sufficiently blown. Before reading this book, while I was definitely intrigued by the beauty and culture of Japan, I was also a bit passe about it. It seemed so far away and so different from my own culture and country that I simply couldn't wrap my head around it. But reading this book has really broadened my horizons (which wouldn't be that hard, but the sentiment still stands). It is truly stunning. The photography is sublime. The detail is superb. I love how the author has organised it into four sections and the four seasons, and how she has laid out all the different places you should visit in each season. It's perfect, because it makes you realise that Tokyo (and Japan as a whole, but we're focusing on Tokyo here) is a city that must be visited time and time again, and varying times of year, to truly get the full experience of this phenomenal city. I have never much wanted to go to Japan. Sure, if the opportunity arose I would never hesitate. But it was never high up on my bucket list. I can assure you that from the moment I opened this book I was rapidly thinking how soon I could book a trip there and visit it myself. It is truly amazing, and even the pictures are worth picking this up. I imagine it would be even more stunning as a physical book.

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This book has amazing pictures and notes of each place that's hidden within Tokyo, Japan. As a person who always wanted to visit such an amazing place, I always enjoy books like this. I love the best kept secrets inside this book and learned a lot about the cultural notes of each place that is pictured within the book. I will keep some of the places in mind if I ever do visit Japan one day.

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It is not really a long book. It has a brief - very brief - history of Japan. Divided into the seasons and what you can see at its best during those seasons. A quick introduction to different places and get one or two images.

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A stunning book and a breaking of the mold in regards to what a travel book should look like.

The photographs capture the beauty and elegance of these Japanese icons. To group the destinations into optimal seasons of the year was genius. Creative harmony that transfers to the reader that invokes a sense of adventure and a longing to visit far away places.

I appreciate how the author incorporates the absolutely necessary Japanese terms which gently challenges the English-speaking reader to truly soak up the Japanese culture.

Tokyo Mindscapes would also make a smart addition to a home decor arrangement as it graces a bookshelf or coffee table.

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Tokyo Mindscapes: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See by Misaki Matsui is currently scheduled for release on August 1 2019. Traveling to Tokyo? Be sure to see some of the most iconic sites in Tokyo and nearby cities—from gorgeous skylines and jaw-dropping nature to hidden treasures. With this photo/guidebook, visitors can explore both the cutting-edge and traditional parts of the city like a local. The photographer and author introduces the beauty of the four seasons of Tokyo and surrounding cities that Japanese residents love. The collection showcases more than 100 beautiful images of Tokyo including Senso-ji, Roppongi Hills, Todoriki Valley, Mt. Takao, the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, and more.

Tokyo Mindscapes: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See is visually stunning, but so much more. The images are wonderful, and give readers a great feel for the beauty that can be found in Tokyo. The text that describes to location of each offers readers information on the history, architecture, people, and more. None of the text blocks are huge, or overly wordy. They just give enough information to show readers why they would want to see it in person, and when might be the best time to do so. I enjoyed learning about the locations featured even though I have no big travel plans in my future. I love learning about places I have never been, and this book was a enjoyable opportunity to do so with Tokyo.

Tokyo Mindscapes: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See is a wonderful book for those planning a trip, and those that would love to see the sights, but have no plans to do so in person (at least anytime soon).

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Museyon and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Tokyo Mindscapes: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Author Misaki Matsui wanted to introduce the beauty and complexity of Tokyo through the four seasons. With different cultural events, landscapes, and places of interest, Tokyo comes to life though the photographs and accompanying explanations. Tokyo Mindscapes is a great travel guide for those new to the region or for those familiar with Tokyo to rediscover their love for the city. One note on the technical side: I did have trouble with the photographs lining up with the proper text on my Kindle itself, but had no issues using the Kindle app on my desktop computer.

Having never been to Tokyo, but always wanting to, this travel book fascinated me from page one. Part travel guide and part history book, the author does a great job of bringing the area to life. From images of Tokyo Tower (built in 1958 to symbolize the country's recovery after World War II) to Kameido Tenjin Shrine (nicknamed Flower Shrine, it is now used by parents and students to pray for good grades and college admissions), readers will be able to get an insider's perspective of Tokyo.

There are many images of areas such as Shinjuku Gyoen (Tokyo's Central Park) and National Noh Theatre (a performing art which tells traditional literature through dance with masks and costumes), as well as prominent festivals and important temples. These popular tourist destinations are shown with great accompanying photographs and descriptions. Readers will be able to get a clear picture of the region from Tokyo Mindscapes. Focus is heavily placed on green spaces, spiritual spots, arts, and cultural events, but I would expect nothing less because of the pride that the Japanese people express about their region. The only negative to this book is that the author neglects the all important cuisine of the region, as I would have liked some emphasis to be placed on the food as well.

Overall, this comprehensive guide to the splendor of Tokyo does the region justice and I would recommend Tokyo Mindscapes to readers looking to explore the beauty of this corner of Japan.

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This is a beautiful, full color travel book showing some of the real beauty of Tokyo. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone about to travel there for the first time.

The parks and temples are more than pretty! The book gives background and significance of places, trees and everything a traveler really needs to know to fully appreciate visiting these places.

It would also make a great remembrance book for someone who has seen these places and might want to remember their significance. The photos are much better than post cards!

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I don't think I have ever seen a city guidebook organized by season, and although it may not be a very practical approach, I found it oddly inspiring, like I wanted to see those specific Tokyo landmarks in those times of year. The layout and the beautiful photography would make for a lovely coffee table book as well. At the end there is a handy calendar that sums up the places and events to visit throughout the year, maps divided by wards and a glossary. I would say get the practical guidebook with the big fold-out map, and reference this one for a more inspired approach to your visit.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Tokyo Mindscapes is a beautiful book and it would make a great gift. The photographs are stunning and interesting.

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This guide is full of beautiful photographs and would make a wonderful gift for someone moving to our planning to visit Tokyo. It was fun to read through and learn about a city I've not yet visited.

Thank you to Museyon Inc and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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Gorgeous book that I would get for anyone going or living in Tokyo! Stunning photography, well laid out book with info, including maps of the areas. Would love to see it in hardback.

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"Tokyo Mindscapes" by misaki matsui is a beautiful primer on art, culture, religion and lifestyle in Tokyo, Japan. It is meant to be a guidebook to a thriving city, home to more than 13 million people, but also would be a beautiful souvenir after a visit.

It contains around 70 different sites separated by season highlighting the festivals that each season corresponds with and the various cultural sights to see during those times. misaki matsui is both a brilliant artist and an eager host, wanting to show you all her favorite parts of Tokyo.

The book features some of Tokyo's best gardens, museums, parks, aquariums, theaters, and there is even a factory night cruise to explore! The end of the book includes a Tokyo calendar with various highlights listed, several maps corresponding to the areas mentioned in the book, and also a brief history of the city and the various time periods corresponding with the age of the historic sites.

misaki matsui covers everything you could think of about Tokyo.

I received this eBook free of charge from Museyon Inc. via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

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Let me just start by saying that I'm so impressed by this author's work and how much effort and knowledge she put into this unbelievable book / guide of Tokyo. If you ever want to go to Tokyo, buy this book! Seriously! I'm not just saying it because of the amazing pictures of all the places you can visit but because you will never get lost in this humongous city of 13 million people. There are maps of all the places you can go and the best part is that you have all the information you could need to get from one place to another. You have train lines, how many minutes it takes on the train and on foot, links to each place mentioned, best shops, views, when to go (with even a calendar and also hours - morning, afternoon...), ect. Trust me, you need this book! I am so happy I found it, because it's my dream to go to Japan and believe me, this book will travel with me, for sure! This is the ultimate Tokyo guidebook!

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