"The road book of the year... a warm hearted account with a generous helping of satire." Daily Telegraph With the same fervour they have for outlandish game shows and tiny gadgets the Japanese go nuts each spring when the cherry blossom sweeps from island to island towards the country's northernly tip - Hokkaido. Will Ferguson was celebrating the event in the standard fashion. And after way too much saké announced he would be the first person in recorded history to follow the blossom's progress. And to make it a challenge worth doing he'd hitchhike all the way: relying on the kindness of some very weird and wonderful strangers... The resulting travelogue is one of the funniest and most illuminating books to be written on Japan. "For anyone thinking of going to Japan, this will be an invaluable read. If you've already been you will find yourself laughing out loud in recognition. " Geographical Magazine "A mild stroke of genius... savagely hilarious. " Sunday Herald "You trust both his humour and his insights...an admirable pair of eyes through which to see contemporary Japan. " Observer ISBN 1 84195 288 5 £7.99 9 781841 952888