A kaiju author’s travel memoir: HOW TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE IN NORTHERN JAPAN by Raffael Coronelli

Travel is one thing that no responsible person is participating in this year. However, just because you are trapped inside does not mean your mind cannot wander streets in countries far beyond your own. That is what Raffael Coronelli’s new book How To Have An Adventure In Northern Japan will allow you to do. It is a very personal travelogue that immerses you in his experiences.

You may ask yourself what this book has to do with Tokusatsu and one look at Coronelli’s credits will make that abundantly clear. Writer of the novel series Daikaiju Yuki and writer of the Godzilla Unmade Audio Drama episode “Godzilla vs. Hedorah II”, Raffael is a man with Kaiju on the brain. Gamera II is mentioned multiple times as Coronelli travels throughout the films major shooting locations. Daimajin, King Kong Escapes, Shin Godzilla, and Ultraman all come up in book, in a way that feels natural. As someone who has spent so much time in the world of Tokusatsu, the joy at seeing these locations brought to life is palpable.

The reason to check this book out is bar none the genuine love found within. There is not an ounce of cynicism in this book. I challenge anyone to read the chapter about his visit to a Maid cafe and not be moved by the genuine enjoyment. Irony is rife in everything and it is very easy to see something from outside of our culture in a demeaning manner. This is avoided expertly in this book. The locations traveled are oftentimes breathtaking even in black and white (photos are included in the book but not in colour) but what really stands out are the small moments. The people Raffael encounters on his journey no matter how short the encounter is feel real and that’s because they are. The human element can be lost from Travel guides and travelogues as many focus on the locales. The country is beautiful but so are the people within it. A fact that is not glossed over here.

Reading this book was an escape in more ways than one. After suffering a serious stroke earlier this yea,r there are many things done in this book that I simply won’t be able to experience. Multiple breweries and liquors are talked about in detail in this book in joyous detail. Due to my medication, I will not be able to drink in the authentic tastes of Japanese alcohol, but this book allowed for a wonderful substitute.

The book captures a unique time and place as it takes place mere months before the pandemic struck. This gives the book a feel that no other journey will be able to replicate. The pandemic will strike your mind every time a new individual is met. The human cost in this entire international tragedy is easily lost with people becoming numbers ticking by on a news report and it is incredibly important to remember that there are people behind those numbers. The final chapter of the book deals with this and addresses how many of the people met in the book are doing, something that was very much appreciated.