- Japanese behavioral traits, including non-verbal communication, hansei (self-reflection), heijoshin (a calm mind) and shoshin (childlike openness)
- How Japan's geography and history have shaped its culture--its natural disasters, scarce resources, centuries of isolation and its feudal past
- Japanese idiosyncrasies, ranging from food traditions and absurd jobs to a love of queues
- The Japanese spirit, as evidenced in traditional art, manga and attitudes to women
- Shintoism and Buddhism, looking at temples, festivals, rituals and how religious beliefs pervade popular culture, as seen for example in Studio Ghibli's movie Spirited Away
- Japan's dark side, including crime, the yakuza, adultery, bullying and suicide
The book ends with a gloriously random selection of all things Garcia considers especially magical about Japan--from izakaya to shiitake mushrooms, summer fireworks and green tea!