Japan with Sue Perkins

I have watched many documentaries about Japan - some by very intelligent and respectful hosts like Jonathan Sherr and Takako Takiwa or Johanna Lumley, and at least one with the boorish James May - and most of those have some feeling of escapism or tourism. They've all emphasized the fun and beauty of Japan, or carefully illustrated Japanese principles or admired Japanese artistry. This documentary is something entirely different.

First of all, Sue Perkins confirmed my long-held suspicion that Tokyo is one of the hells on earth. Not by mocking or making fun of the residents of Tokyo, but by taking Western viewers inside very specific traditions and ways of life that are rigid, lonely, and frankly disturbing. Perkins also greets Japanese people with respect, love, and honor but she vocally criticized what the urban modern culture is doing especially to Japan's young people.

Then Sue takes the viewer on a more traditional view of rural areas of Japan, linking back to impressive traditions and the wisdom of the elderly. This is must watch just for the section where she spends an evening with geishas.

Japan with Sue Perkins

Without doubt Sue does a good show, it is engaging and entertaining and she slips the gags in, however I want to tentatively make a few suggestions on improvement.

Sue manages to antagonise the viewer with some extremely irritating behaviours.

1, she is a bright and highly intelligent person yet she nearly always arrives at every situation with a preconception which then has to be deconstructed. How about an open mind for the future!

2, the pop concert with the men she deemed it to be sleezy because they were men and yet the geishas were wholesome and honest because they were women. Can you spot the bias!

3, Sue is constantly looking for confirmation of a global sisterhood of women, we saw this with the diving grandmas, there is no such thing and Sue knows this, just as their is no brotherhood of Muslims, black men are not bros, and there is no gay community etc etc, these are all limiting tropes. At most all these so called "communities" are shared interest groups and even that descriptor is stretching it!

4, ridiculous statements, she spoke of the Budha wall in the cemetery being a democratisation in death, on the contrary they were in the wall because they were all poor. Also the future of work here is less and less hours, to suggest we will follow a Japanese model recently invented in the last 40 years is absurd knowing the decadent English.

Japan with Sue Perkins is not as visually stimulating as Joanna Lumley's Japan, there are almost no Drone Panoramic Shots, for example.

The show is grittier and more down to Earth, concerning itself more with Cultural Immersion and Social Commentary.

For one it captures the weirdness sometimes of Japan, with their Employee Hell Camps, Single Marriages, etc. Sue is also quite funny on some spots, especially on involving a Flute in the Forest.

The lack of visuals is made up for by having a bit more substance, less "Touristy" and more humor.