A Geek in Japan: Discovering the Land of Manga, Anime, Zen, and the Tea Ceremony
This book is a very quick survey of all aspects of Japanese culture that a geek outside of Japan would wonder about. It is very informative but very topical treatment on each subject covered. The writing style is very approachable and very easy to read. I recommend this book to someone who has slightly more than a casual interest in current Japanese culture but not deeply interested either. It's perfect for the budding Western otaku.