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Atomic Sushi: Notes from the Heart of Japan, By Simon May, Alma Books, 2006 (hardback) 2007 (paperback), 256 pages, ISBN: 1-84688-002-5 Reader’s Comments by Ann Dent British readers will find Simon May's "Atomic Sushi" interesting and very amusing, any Japanese reader will find it insulting. It is stated on a preliminary page, "This is a work of fiction," so what is fiction and what is fact? That an educated academic should have done so little research before taking up a prestigious appointment at Japan's top university is lamentable. Simon May's ignorance of the historical and psychological difference between the Japanese and the British, which is critical to any understanding or judgement, is evident in his book. To write an amusing account of a foreign civilization is open to bad taste, tactless behaviour and rudeness. I wonder if "Atomic Sushi" has been translated into Japanese? I sincerely hope not! Meanwhile, the Brits will laugh, have fun and enjoy it.

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