Aoki Yuka (青木由香) traveled to dozens of countries before deciding to settle in Taiwan.
The artist and writer, a Japanese native who at the time did not speak a word of Mandarin, fell in love with Taiwanese culture and the kindness of locals towards her.
But when her first book about life in Taiwan, How Strange! One Japanese Woman’s View of Taiwan (奇怪ㄋㄟ:一個日本女生眼中的台灣) was published five years ago, Aoki was afraid she’d have to flee the country.
“I was scared, even though I thought what I’d written was hilarious,” says Aoki. “I wrote things like Taiwanese men have long nose hairs, ladies fart on the street and people walk really slowly. I was afraid people would get angry.”
In her book, Aoki discusses how her compatriots go to great lengths to not release gas in public, while Taiwanese people are more relaxed about such matters (she describes a Taipei yoga class she attended as a symphony of flatulence). Japanese guests are obsessed with punctuality, arriving and leaving on the dot, while their Taiwanese counterparts have a more relaxed sense of time. At KTVs, Taiwanese people crack jokes and order food; Japanese people, on the other hand, quietly sit and listen to whoever has the mike (“There is so much stress in Japanese life, even having fun is stressful!” Aoki says).
Instead of being run out of the country, Aoki’s wacky sense of humor garnered her a fan base. Strange has sold more than 20,000 copies and was recently re-published in a limited edition.
“When I showed the book to people here, they cracked up and said ‘it’s true, it’s all true!’” Aoki says.
Aoki has authored three more books, including Hello Taiwan (台灣你好本子), a travel guide, and How Troublesome! A Guide to Japanese for Taiwanese (麻煩ㄋㄟˋ－給台灣人的日本人使用說明書), an “instruction manual” on how to interact with Japanese people for Taiwanese readers. Aoki Yuka’s Work Book (青木由香工作手帖), published in September, is an autobiographical account of the different jobs she has held down. Her travel-writing career has come full circle; Aoki is now working on a book that will introduce her favorite spots in Japan to Taiwanese readers.
Miao Pei-lun (繆沛倫), an editor at Locus Publishing Company (大塊文化), says Aoki’s carefree approach sets her apart from other travel writers.
“She doesn’t plan an itinerary. She’s spontaneous. She goes to her destination and when she arrives, she wanders around and stumbles onto a lot of cool, unexpected places,” says Miao.
Hello Taiwan gives Taiwanese people a chance to see their home in a new light, he adds.
“I was born and live in Taipei. I’m a Taipei person, but when I read Aoki’s book, I thought she approached the city in a really unique way,” Miao says. “The way she writes about it made me look at Taipei in a new light.”
The book eschews the usual spots — the National Palace Museum, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, Shilin Night Market — in favor of places that are off the path beaten by tour groups. Aoki writes about her favorite bars (including Barcode 18), music clubs (Room 18, Riverside, The Wall, Witch House) and places to eat (VVG Bistro and various night market stands). Her shopping sections focus on secondhand bookstores, lifestyle brand Booday (蘑菇) and dollar stores.
There is a chapter on her homestay with an Amis couple near Taitung and another one on her favorite organic foods cafe. Aoki includes advice on how to choose a massage therapist and taking stinky tofu back to your home country (airtight packaging is key).
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