Kischer's book is seven interviews with old Japan hands, which conceptually sounds fantastic. Anyone who has lived in such an interesting country for as long as these men have (why are all the interviewees male?) should have some very valuable insights. While Kischer's sample may be quite credible and qualified, they are also rather boring on the whole. They worked in Japan, for a long long time, and that's pretty much it. I found only two interviews to be worth reading - Donald Richie's and Kischer's own interview (done by another journalist). Given the massive differences in male-female roles that apply even to foreigners, Kischer's failure to talk with women about their lives in Japan is disappointing.