The Japanese Way of Parenting
And What It Taught Me About Raising (Mostly) Calm, Caring, Capable Kids
Contributors
Formats and Prices
- On Sale
- Apr 21, 2026
- Page Count
- 208 pages
- Publisher
- Workman Publishing Company
- ISBN-13
- 9781523531851
Price
$19.99Price
$25.99 CADFormat
Format:
- Trade Paperback $19.99 $25.99 CAD
- ebook $11.99 $15.99 CAD
- Audiobook Download (Unabridged) $18.99
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While Bringing Up Bébé introduced readers to the French way of raising obedient children who are seen but not heard, and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother shared an in iron-will parental approach to creating high-achieving kids, Lisa Katayama’s Parenting the Japanese Way brings the principles of Japanese parenting to Americans, emphasizing unconditional love, community, and harmony with nature, to nurture children who are well-behaved, respectful, and creative.
Japan is well known for its culture of respect, technological innovations, delicious food, peaceful vibes, and deep connection to nature. The source code to all of it is the way the Japanese view childhood—as a time of rigorous training for societal participation, where they learn from the start that are just one part of a larger whole. Katayama takes readers along with her as she travels back and forth from her motherland of Tokyo to the East Bay of California to expose her two American, mixed-race kids to the Japanese way of parenting. Readers will be inspired to take some of her insights—the importance of routine and ritual or the benefits of simplified spaces or the power in making everyday things cute—and adopt them into their own parenting, no matter where they live.
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"Lisa Katayama’s warm and insightful book offers a treasure trove of tips for raising respectful, responsible, and autonomous kids. We’ve already started practicing omotenashi and making onigiri in our home!"
—Michaeleen Doucleff, New York Times bestselling author of Hunt, Gather, Parent
"I love this book. From its cover and introduction to its content and storytelling. The gentleness of Lisa, author and mom, and the gentleness of Japanese culture is carefully and beautifully woven into this manuscript. I believe that not only readers with a personal closeness to this story, but so many other culturally blended families, will enjoy and benefit from such an authentic and sympathetic take on immersion. Myself included, not only because of my own ethnically and culturally diverse family, but more specifically as the mother-in-law of a Japanese American "daughter." I am so proud of Lisa for attempting and completing this work of art (and soul), telling her story, and enlightening others."
—Dr. Siggie Cohen, PhD, Child Development Specialist, @dr.siggie on Instagram
"Lisa Katayama is a mesmerizing writer, and this book is funny, wise, and genuinely mind-opening. A fascinating and irresistible must-read!"
—Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
"The Japanese Way of Parenting is bursting with durable ideas for raising capable human beings. Katayama’s insights about community, simplicity, and trusting children to do more are exactly what overwhelmed American families need right now."
—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drive and The Power of Regret
"In today’s near-impossible landscape of modern parenting, this book serves as a lighthouse for anyone thinking seriously about how to raise the next generation. No culture is perfect, but Lisa’s thoughtful exploration of key Japanese approaches offers practical and inspiring tools for raising empathetic, community-minded children."
—Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Oscar nominated filmmaker of The Making of a Japanese
"A child arrives. With no manual. No previous training. No hints on how to operate it. And thus, parenting begins. Lisa Katayama takes us all the way around the world to her birth-country to share special insights in Japanese parenting. Stunningly useful advice, told in stories and ways where the lessons not just reverberate—but inspire."
— Keith Yamashita, Founder, SYPartners and The Institute for Moral Imagination
"The Japanese Way of Parenting provides a vulnerable interrogation into the relationship between culture and parenting. Here, she shares her own journey as a parent and her adoption of Japanese practices designed to create thoughtful children who see themselves as responsible to a larger community. I particularly appreciate the research on how and why Japan has adopted certain practices based on the socio-political societal goals. At this moment in history, reflecting on how we can act in service of the common good resonates deeply and holds lessons for parents and educators."
—Tolani Britton, education researcher
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