GERI O SHIMASU: ADVENTURES OF A BAKA GAIJIN

Praise for GERI O SHIMASU: ADVENTURES OF A BAKA GAIJIN

Geri o Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin is a wild, irreverent ride through the misadventures of a foreigner navigating life in Japan. The book blends humor, cultural clashes, and absurd situations into a series of short, punchy stories. The author doesn’t hold back, offering brutally honest, often self-deprecating accounts of mishaps, misunderstandings, and strange encounters with the locals. It’s a mix of travelogue, comedy, and a deep dive into the quirks of Japanese society, told through the lens of someone who is clearly both fascinated by and out of their depth in the culture.

—LITERARY TITAN

Her anecdotes have clarity of detail even over a decade on, and my favorite parts were misadventures with food etiquette and the quirks of daily life. Luria turns the lens on herself frequently and her role in the broader context of integration, and development from a “baka gaijin” (silly foreigner) to someone who finds a sense of belonging. 

—Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Geri of Shimasu: Adventures of a Baka Gaijin by Alia Luria is a well-written memoir that is a must-read for anyone traveling to Japan, especially for the first time as you can learn from the author’s mistakes instead of having to experience them for yourself. The book touches on themes like cultural immersion, personal growth, and schadenfreude. According to the author, schadenfreude is “"a reflexive human reaction to revel in the misfortune of others,” one which she encourages the reader to embrace as they read about her troubles and misfortune. I have to say I found myself embracing schadenfreude as I could not help but laugh at some of the situations she found herself in as she tried to adapt to the difference in etiquette and culture. While her experiences were at times awful, awkward, and even humiliating, she used them as a learning experience to improve herself which I found very inspiring.

—LitPick Book Reviews

Geri o Shimasu is more than a travel memoir; it’s an exploration of what it means to truly step outside one’s comfort zone, to stumble, to laugh at oneself, and to find unexpected joy in the process. Like an unpredictable Tokyo subway ride, the journey is sometimes smooth, sometimes turbulent, but always unforgettable.

—Mary Jones, The Chrysalis Brew Project

Playlist for GERI O SHIMASU: ADVENTURES OF A BAKA GAIJIN

About ALIA LURIA

Alia Luria's debut novel, Compendium, was published in 2014 and garnered several accolades, including the National Indie Excellence Award in Fantasy and the Reader's Favorite Silver Medal in Fantasy. It was also a finalist for the Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award in three categories, including First Novel. The sequel, Ocularum, is forthcoming. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her personal essay, "You Might Eat Organic, but You're Full of Baloney," was a creative nonfiction finalist for the Malahat Review Open Season Awards in 2018 and was published by Northwest Review. Luria's work has also appeared in Toho Journal and Wingless Dreamer.