Few people can truly understand another country and write about it with insight, aplomb and humour. Clearly, Max Value is not one of them. But fewer still can live in a foreign country for 25 years and still not have a clue. This takes unparalleled ineptitude and naivety, and it's here the author really shines. 'Dazed and confused in Japan', 'Lost and incontinent in the Orient', 'How to mangle a foreign language', '101 Ways to Infuriate Locals' would all be good subtitles for this look back on an expatriate's life in Japan.