Like Ross Barkan, I knew of Craig Mod long before I read his book.
This book was wonderful. He writes about Japan without being touristy or escapist. It's thoroughly pro-human and tender. I cried at some stories, felt optimistic for the world in others. The photos were beautiful, though I sort of wished they were glossy pages.
I lucked out, being in the right mood to read this, and it probably won't land if you're looking for raw information or a driving plot. It's meandering but in a good way. Highly recommended, a beautiful book.