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Marcus Chen
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Unexpected Gifts: A Journey to Self-Discovery and Life-Transformation While Living in Japan (The Japan Chronicles Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Marcus Chen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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No. 1 New Release in Japanese Travel and Japanese Biographies.

When Marcus’s wife, Renee, joins him on his expat assignment to Tokyo, he looks forward to exploring iconic Japanese destinations and enjoying local food and culture with her.

Devastated by personal loss, plunged into the near-death experience of Japan’s largest earthquake, and facing an identity crisis, he struggles to find meaning in his life.

Will practicing aikido and becoming a father bring him peace, or will he continue to strive for fulfillment?

Perfect for fans of Tune in Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries by Tim Anderson, Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo by Matthew Amster-Burton, and 21 Years of Wisdom: One Man's Extraordinary Odyssey in Japan by Darrell Gartrell.

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 1
    The Japan Chronicles Part II
  2. Print length
    231 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 18, 2020
  6. File size
    4845 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08PVRM5XM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (December 18, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 18, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4845 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 231 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

About the author

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Marcus Chen

Marcus Chen

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Marcus Chen is a global marketer in the pharmaceutical industry, an author, a success coach, and an entrepreneur. He developed a keen interest in world cultures and languages after he moved to Manila with his family as a young teenager and he enrolled at the International School with classmates from nearly 100 countries. After he left the Philippines in the 80s for the U.S., he continued his language studies and pursued his MBA at THUNDERBIRD, a top global management school. Since grad school, he often traveled internationally for work and pleasure and has now visited more than 50 countries in five continents, lived in 7 of them across Asia, Europe, North and Central America, and he has studied 9 languages.

While on a 3-year expat assignment in Tokyo, he wrote Square Watermelons and Unexpected Gifts, two books in his first memoir series about his time in Japan, at the encouragement of friends and family who enjoyed reading his blogs about Japan while he lived there. He lives with his two boys in Boston and intends to keep exploring far corners of the world when he can and to record his voyages as he adds more destinations in the coming years.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
20 global ratings
Wonderful memoir. Highly recommend!
5 Stars
Wonderful memoir. Highly recommend!
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Top reviews from the United States

BADOC
5.0 out of 5 stars 2nd time’s a charm…
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
Well that was a super fun read! I’m a traveler and right in the middle of the dreary winter…So I picked up this little gem and got lost in Marcus’s Japan adventures! I never got “the expat” shot so was enthralled to ride along with him as he experienced both the challenges and opportunities that embracing change, provides a person. If you love friendship, food, travel and being a citizen of the world, you’ll love this book!! A fantastic summer read too…so pick it up and head to your favorite reading nook!! “You’re never bored if you have a book!”-Michael J. O’Connor…my Dad
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Dyane Harwood
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved reading "Unexpected Gifts," Part 2 of The Japan Chronicles!
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
Marcus Chen's first book, "Square Watermelons," was a wonderful, evocative read. His memoir left me wanting to know what would come next in the intrepid expat's life in Tokyo.

"Unexpected Gifts: A Journey to Self-Discovery and Life-Transformation While Living in Japan" is another fascinating chronicle of the author's time in the Land of the Rising Sun. Chen examines his frustrating, yet ultimately rewarding years working for one of Japan's largest pharmaceutical companies. In "Unexpected Gifts," Chen's wife Renee is finally able to join him at the "mansion," the name Tokyoites use for an upscale apartment. As he did so beautifully in "Square Watermelons," Chen describes his rich experiences with a variety of Japanese foods, culture, and traditions. We read of his progress in aikido, a challenging martial art. Chen digs even deeper personally in this book as well. He never pretends to have his life perfectly figured out. Chen reveals his anxieties of his uncertain professional future, and gives the reader a glimpse into what it's like to become a new father in Japan. This book ended too soon for me! Once again, I wanted to know what happened next, so hopefully Chen will pen another book in the future. I highly recommend this book!
3 people found this helpful
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fabulouschrissie
5.0 out of 5 stars Life in Japan
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
I loved the first book in this series, Square Watermelons, and I was worried that this wouldn't be as good. But I enjoyed this just as much. Marcus is no longer the unsure gaijin of book one, getting to grips with a new culture and language. He's settled into his job, has made friends, and finally his wife has been able to come out to join him, and enjoy the luxurious lifestyle that comes with working abroad. But not everything goes smoothly. Alongside the fabulous meals and trips that Marcus and his wife enjoy, there is sadness and uncertainty, a devastating earthquake, and much introspection about the future. After three years loving the lifestyle and the people, how will Marcus cope with the transition to living and working in the US? I thoroughly recommend this book: whether you know anything about Japan or not, you are sure to enjoy it. And I'm hoping that, although his Japanese journey is done, we will get further books from Marcus.
2 people found this helpful
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KLM MEX
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book!
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
Verified Purchase
Marcus describes his experiences with a variety of Japanese foods (some sounded really good, other not so much), and the work culture. Marcus and his wife did a lot of traveling in this book, makes me want to return to Japan for an actual visit not just sitting in the airport. The part of the book that had me totally fascinated was his experience in the earthquake, his description was so intense I felt actually felt like I was with him.. Great follow up to Square Water Melons. Hopefully another book Marcus??
2 people found this helpful
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Wisco Kid
5.0 out of 5 stars Round 2!
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021
Verified Purchase
After Square Watermelons I wanted more. Life's adventures don't line up perfectly but looking back it all seems to make sense. I thought Mr. Chen's first book was great because it really details the myriad of experiences you will get when you actually settle into a new world. But this book takes it further and it becomes about how life rolls on.

I am enjoying living vicariously through this guy's world. I think I'm getting sushi for lunch.
2 people found this helpful
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RL
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful memoir. Highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
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RL
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful memoir. Highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
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One person found this helpful
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Eric DELARGE
5.0 out of 5 stars An honest introspective journey into oneself
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2021
Living in Japan for now more than 30 years, I liked a lot the 1st tome of the actual adventures of Marcus Chen in the land of the rising sun and was wondering what to expect from the 2nd volume.
I have not been disappointed, the light and funny tone went into the background to give the stage to the genuinely introspective thinking which brought the author to re-visit what really matters in life.
This is refreshing in times when we are so addicted by too often futile and shallow noise of social media...
It challenges each of us and bring a pause for own thinking.
Great book not to be missed!
Customer image
Eric DELARGE
5.0 out of 5 stars An honest introspective journey into oneself
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2021
Living in Japan for now more than 30 years, I liked a lot the 1st tome of the actual adventures of Marcus Chen in the land of the rising sun and was wondering what to expect from the 2nd volume.
I have not been disappointed, the light and funny tone went into the background to give the stage to the genuinely introspective thinking which brought the author to re-visit what really matters in life.
This is refreshing in times when we are so addicted by too often futile and shallow noise of social media...
It challenges each of us and bring a pause for own thinking.
Great book not to be missed!
Images in this review
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2 people found this helpful
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K Jeffrey Homan
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic "self-introspection & professional life guide."
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2021
The writing style was lively, entertaining and informative. I went to TBird like Marcus ten years earlier than him, was hired locally as the the only non-Japanese employee under 50 years old at Accenture Japan, spoke only passable Japanese, didn't travel internationally, and certainly didn't live a "mansion." His understandings and explanations of the Japanese culture and business idiosyncrasies are "spot on!" The dilemmas and confusions we both faced were nearly the same, but I sure could not put pen to paper as informative and as entertaining as Marcus did!
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Top reviews from other countries

THIERY
5.0 out of 5 stars An immersive journey in Japan
Reviewed in France on April 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
Excellent book. Marcus Chen was a great colleague before becoming a wonderful friend. Very proud to meet this amazing guy during my professional life and to know him now a little bit better .
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