It's too bad Hill didn't try harder to transcend his biases. Perhaps he's aiming his book at a biased audience, though. It's also too bad there's not more written about Masako from a less biased point of view.
He also appears to try and find biases (against Harvard's neighborhood? And Belmont High?? Silly).
I think those comments on Harvard and Belmont High are not due to him not liking them, they just serve to sharpen the contrast (between wellbehaved young Masako and her wild western environment
) - that´s his journalist instinct taking over, I am afraid.
I do not like it, but in order to be just, one would have to admit that this is not all he says in his book about these educational institutions. The most part of what he writes concerning them is actually quite serious. (Incidentally, having read the book, I´d like to add: if I were you, I would not unquestioningly believe ALL that is written in this thread about it. If you are really and seriously interested in this matter, I´d recommend to read it yourself and share your impressions at TRF...
)
However, you are absolutely right, of course, generally speaking. But if Hills´ book did not have this element of West-against-East bias (which, frankly, could be much worse still), I doubt that it would have become an international bestseller. Maybe it would not even have been published. In the other thread, I have several times mentioned the book by Martin Fritz and Yoko Kobayashi about Masako which I find much more balanced than Hills´ book and that never lacks respect towards Japanese traditions. I have always thought it a pity that it was not translated into English to make it available to a far greater number of readers. But I was not surprised that it did not happen. The book was too balanced to be attractive for worldwide publication.
(It was not a bestseller in Germany either. There is not much coverage of the IF in Germany, nor seems to be much interest.) Sensational reporting simply gets much more attention - not only in western countries, incidentally. Before Hills´ book had been translated into Japanese,
weekly magazine Shukan Asahi introduced the book, stating in the headline that the crown prince and princess intended to leave the Imperial Household. The Imperial Household Agency sent an official letter to protest against this false information. The magazine editor responded that the article was to introduce the book, implying without actually saying so, that he had been quoting Ben Hills (which gave the book a bad reputation right from the start). But, as a matter of fact, Hills has never asserted anything like that. So, I think, in dealing with this book you have to always be aware that, although it does have its faults, there are, in fact, people who have an interest in making it even worse than it is. In his article on why he was “banned in Japan” (link above), Hills explains why this is so, and I am convinced that, in this case, he is absolutely right. It is only a pity that he does not also admit that he has given his critics more reason to complain than would have been desirable by making several factual mistakes.
I know it is frustrating but, in this matter, the truth seems to never be simple. Imo, Hills´ book has its faults, but it also does have its merits.
, and I am afraid that this has not helped to further a good understanding between different nations and cultures. 
