This book interested me because I’ve traveled to China and South Korea and currently live in Japan. Michael Booth’s book is a primer on the historical relations among these three “tiger” nations in the Far East. According to the author, Confucian beliefs posit China as the source of all knowledge and civilization that filtered down to South Korea and then Japan. In other words, Japan should have known its place in the hierarchy as the youngest brother instead of trying to take over its older siblings.

The book is quite an enjoyable read because it takes you through different historical locations in each country where the author chats with local professors, museum staff, and students about controversial issues such as the “comfort women” issue (such a misnomer!), Unit 731 (biological warfare), and the Nanjing massacre.

I also realized that China has its own issues with Hong Kong and Taiwan because of their histories of being colonized by other powers (the British in the former and Japan in the latter).

The book also tries to delve into Japan’s complicated relationship with the US, which was akin to a colonizer/colonized one since Perry’s invasion at Kurihama and the US occupation of the country at the end of WW2.

From my reading, I also saw many similarities between Korean and Japanese cultures with the gap-eul and sempai/kohai relationship, the chaebol and family-owned businesses in Japan, the hagwon and juku culture in education, and the need for social approval in both societies.

What I gather after completing the book is that South Korea and China still bear grouses towards Japan for its imperialistic behavior and wartime violence and Japan just wants everyone to forget about it and move on. Japan is also quick to point out that it was also a victim of war in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, failing to mention the provocations that led to those great disasters.

Each nation’s attitude is particularly revealed in how it records its history, whether in its school textbooks or national and local museums.

My final synopsis? These nations probably have no idea how similar they are which makes their geopolitical conflict seem pointless and counterproductive in the long run.

Until recently I knew little about Asia. However, a newly awakened interest in Japan and modern Japanese culture led me to request this book and I found it incredibly interesting and enlightening. I learnt many new things about these three countries and their relationships, and Booth's fun storytelling/travel guide approach made it a light and enjoyable read. Several times I laughed aloud at his jokes and witty commentary, and I felt his discussion was nicely balanced, always considering both sides of every issue. I finished feeling I had a better understanding of the complex relationships between these countries and it has left me interested to learn more. A solid four stars, and I recommend Three Tigers, One Mountain to anyone interested in Asian history and culture.