“犬馬難描，鬼魅易畫。”在作者看來，存在著兩個日本：一個日本經濟發達、民生富裕，為人們所熟知；另一個日本卻有著僵化腐敗的官僚體製，岌岌可危的命令型金融係統，以及被泛濫的基本建設破壞殆盡的自然環境。更可怕的是，後者纔是真實的日本。作者旅居日本多年，對日本愛之也深，責之也切。如此鋒芒銳利的書，自2001年以來已在日本重版八次並受到歡迎，這本身就從一個側麵說明瞭日本所麵臨的睏境之深，對改革要求之迫切。

幾乎在所有方麵，中國都存在與日本類似的問題。惟一值得慶幸的，如本書中文版序言所說，是中國可能具有更強的變革能力。惟有推進改革，中國纔能避免重蹈日本的覆轍。

The decades of Western adulation for the Japanese 'economic miracle' failed to notice a key point: that in the pursuit of this miracle the Japanese had turned their country into a degraded, concrete shambles - a wilderness of bad planning, corruption and crowding. Now that the miracle is at an end and Japan seems set to remain in the economic doldrums it must become apparent to everyone that one of the world's greatest cultures has ruined itself almost beyond repair. Alex Kerr's wonderful book conveys vividly and furiously both the dazzling nature of Japanese culture and how the bureaucrats of a country he loves have poisoned and ruined it.