FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE APR 12, 2004 CONTACT: Dawn Singh 857-544-0739

Robert Whiting, Best-Selling Author on Baseball and U.S.-Japan Culture, in Boston May 10

Robert Whiting, author of "You Gotta Have Wa" (1990, Vintage), will be in Boston Monday, May 10, to discuss his new book, "The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave from Japan and the Transformation of Our National Pastime," (April 2004, Warner Books). The event will be held at the International Restaurant, 184 High Street in downtown Boston from 6:00-7:30 pm, and is sponsored by the Japan Society of Boston. Tickets are $10 for Japan Society members, $15 for non-members and may be purchased by calling the Japan Society of Boston at 617-451-0726.

Whiting is best-known for his books on Japanese baseball, "You Gotta Have Wa" and "The Chrysanthemum and the Bat," awarded the Time Magazine Sports Book of the Year in 1977. His broad knowledge of Japanese-U.S. culture also resulted in a book on corruption, "Tokyo Underworld," which included an enthusiastic quote on the jacket from Mario Puzo, author of "The Godfather," and shot to the #2 spot on Japan[base ']s book charts. Dreamworks Studios quickly snapped up film rights and scriptwriter Nick Pileggi ("Goodfellas") is currently working on the screenplay.

Whiting, who has lived in Japan off and on most of his life, has written about Japanese-U.S. culture clashes he has observed first-hand. The impact of American baseball players moving into Japanese leagues in the 1970[base ']s and [OE]80[base ']s has now reversed itself, according to Whiting, with highly-sought after players like Ichiro Suzuki, rightfielder for the Seattle Mariners, and Hideki Matsui, Hideo Nomo, Kazuhiro Sasaki and Kaz Matsui joining the major U.S. teams. They have not only altered the perception of team playing, or "group harmony" (wa) but have also had a major impact on the popularity and "hipness" of Japanese culture in the U.S., particularly in the Northwest where sushi has become a regular menu item at Safeco Field in Seattle.

Whiting conducted over 100 interviews, traveled nearly 100,000 miles and read 100 books in preparation for [OE]"The Meaning of Ichiro." He is on an extensive book tour that includes Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, St. Louis, Seattle, Honolulu and other major cities.

Copies of "The Meaning of Ichiro" will be sold at the discounted price of $22 (15% off retail) at the book talk on May 10th and autographed copies may be ordered by calling the Japan Society. A special ticket package is available that includes admission to the book talk (one beverage and hors d[base ']oeuvres included) and a ticket to the Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners game at Fenway Park Sunday, May 30th for $70/Japan Society Members, $80 non-members (obento box lunch included). For more information, call the Japan Society of Boston at 617-451-0726.

This program is sponsored by Warner Books, the National Association of Japan-America Societies, Tokyo Club, and International Restaurant & Lounge. US-Japan 150 Founding Sponsors: AFLAC, All Nippon Airways (ANA) , Pfizer Inc., Toyota, TEPCO, Noevir, and Sony.

This event is part of the Japan Society of Boston[base ']s Centennial Celebration which kicked off January 1 and will continue through 2005 with dozens of special programs including Kabuki Theatre at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, an exhibition and symposium on John Manjiro, the first Japanese person to live in America, the 150th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship linking Japan and the U.S., exhibitions of Japanese art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Children[base ']s Museum and Peabody Essex Museum, conferences and presentations at Harvard, Tufts, Wellesley and MIT, film retrospectives, sporting events and many more explorations of Japanese culture. For more information, visit www.us-japan.org/boston.

The Japan Society of Boston is a tax-exempt American organization whose mission is to promote cultural and economic ties and active interchange between Japanese and Americans for mutual understanding, benefit and enjoyment. As the oldest Japan Society in the United States, it serves as a bridge for a network of individuals, cultural and academic institutions and business and financial firms that are linked together by a strong interest in Japan and a shared recognition of the importance of the US-Japan relationship.

For information or a press kit on Robert Whiting and "The Meaning of Ichiro: The New Wave from Japan and the Transformation of our National Pastime," or the Japan Society of Boston, contact Dawn Singh at 857-544-0739 or dawn@dawnsinghpublicity.com.

JPEGS available: Robert Whiting (b & w) Book Jacket (color)
6:16:13 PM  #