Kingsley's 'newsreel' tone a touch distracting

Full of interesting information, this audio book makes for a good introduction to Japanese religions and spirituality. I was looking forward to hearing Kingsley narrate but, for some reason, he adopts a tone right out of a British war-time newsreel which, while amusing, highlights when the script occasionally oversimplifies topics (carefully explaining them in "Western" terms,) and the piece slips into the patronizing. Nevertheless, the information is clearly presented, aided by voices other than just "newsreel Ben" for quotes from other scholars etc...
A small warning for those who are not used to listening to Japanese speaking with a heavy "Katakana English" accent - a few of the Japanese readers might be a little difficult to understand.

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Interesting, informative, & enjoyable

I received a lot of good information and more importantly understanding about Shinto beliefs and some of the more modern Japanese religious beliefs.

Realistically

Realistically, a book about Japanese lore would feature Japanese speakers, who (guess what) learned English after Japanese and therefore feature their accents. Realistically, it is not difficult to understand, unless you are entirely inept at English. Realistically, listening to a book written about Japanese lore by a white guy is bound to have its mistakes, but overall a decent retelling of Shinto. But definitively from a western perspective. The author studies religions from all over the world, but that’s the first real mistake. Shinto is not a religion, it is a lifestyle. Shinto is a way of living.

Bleh

I believe there were some good insights somewhere but the premise of having Japanese speakers/actors speak VERY poorly accented English - to the point of being unintelligible at times - was horrid.

This was imo a complete waste audibly. Written - it's probably better.

Interesting, at first.

He did a good job when he explained a few things about Shinto. but I wish he would have stuck more traditional religions instead of going on about small religious sects that most Japanese people dont even know about. So if your interested in Japanese culture, read half the book, and then read something else.

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