Japan Inside Out

This massive guide was first written during the first Japanese travel boom, in the years immediately after the Occupation. This edition is from 1989. Jay Gluck has since passed away, so there will probably not be any more updates. While the information on trains and accommodations is out of date, Japan is a place where traditions are often stubbornly held on to and fiercely guarded, and for depth and breadth of knowledge, you won’t find a better guidebook. It is especially good on the outlying areas outside the Tokyo-Kyoto tourist circuit. Even better in e-book format as the print edition is the size of a small cinder block and weighs 2.5 kg!