Others say...

"Nothing impressive"
No doubt Japan is a wonderful country but this video is far from it. It is a very basic and simple introduction to Japan and in the modern times of high tech videos this one seems to be 40 years old.

"Japan's fantastic culture seen through the eyes of a foreigner"
I'm Japanese and this DVD was obviously made by Americans who love Japanese culture. You can learn about traditional places for sightseeing such as Kyoto's temples or Hokkaido's spas. And since its bilingual Japanese can also study English. This video reminds Japanese of our fantastic traditions and customs from the perspective of a foreigner.

"Pleasing tour of Japan"
I was given this DVD as a gift. With that said, even if it was not gifted to me, I would have no problem spending $10 on it. As someone who has long been enthralled with Japanese culture, I enjoyed this unique view of Japan. While it hits the major themes repeated in many other shows and specials on the country, it also offers looks into some of the lesser known, overlooked aspects of the country. A pleasant and inexpensive alternative to a real tour of Japan.

"This DVD should be used in world geography/culture classes, Japanese language classes"
My husband and I are both Japanese who own a small Japanese restaurant where we serve authentic Japanese cuisine. We started showing (with permission) Japan: Samurai, Geisha & Technology. We constantly receive many wonderful comments.

Our customers who used to live in Japan or have visited Japan are glued to the video and start refreshing many special memories from Japan. Japanese women married with Americans and have lived in the States for many decades could feel homesick. In addition, this bilingual DVD is a wonderful tool for a bilingual study. We hope this DVD will be used in world geography/culture classes, Japanese language classes as well as at home.

"I feel compelled to write a review."
When I first saw this video, I thought it was pretty good. Because the presentation is made by a software company, I felt that the cinematography was outstanding, but that the naration sounded like it was from someone that would work at a software company (ie: somewhat nerdy). I had debated whether to show this to some of my mentally ill clients that I work with. I finally opted to show it. To my surprise, they loved it. Comment ranged from "They really packed a lot in an hour", to mentioning about specifics (the snow monkeys, the high tech section, the robots, the gardens, etc.). As a matter of fact, I thought that I would have a difficult time ending the group on time because they were fascinated with the high tech, and cars section. But almost on cue, it ended with a shot of Mt. Fuji. The company may get some more business that they wouldn't have gotten, as several co-workers, and clients asked me where I got it. So (as you can see) this review isn't mine alone, but several people. And considering that a ten spot wont even fill up a car anymore, it makes this video a great getaway. And because it's from a software company, (more than likely) this video will NOT be shown on Discovery, Travel, NG, or any of the other major cable networks. My advice, for the cinematography alone, it's more than worth the ten spot. Get it.