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The book opens with a series of sinister events. There's a Ninja rappelling a skyscraper in a quest for something of value. The theft of an artifact from a Dutch museum. The drunken seduction and hanging of a young Japanese student. There's a connection between all of these events, one which will become clear to Ken Tanaka much later. Ken has been downsized and recently engaged in some amateur sleuthing which resulted in solving a crime involving a Japanese businessman. A Japanese TV show wants to feature him in an episode and has offered to pay for a trip to Japan, all expenses covered. Being a third generation Japanese American, Ken is thrilled to have the opportunity to see the land of his family roots for the first time. Much is revealed to him during his time there, and his acknowledgment that he is truly an American, albeit a member of a minority population, is truly an epiphany. In Japan, he is accepted as being Japanese purely based on his outward appearance but he feels like an alien based on his American upbringing. In America, the opposite is true. During his visit, Tanaka learns that he may possess a valuable samurai sword that belonged to the Toyotomi dynasty dating from the 1600s. The Toyotomis had a series of six swords or blades that held clues to the location of a treasure. Using computer enhancing techniques at the local Nissan offices, he narrows down the possible locations of the treasure. Threatened by the Yakuza mobsters, he uses all his wits to resolve the dilemma. The book itself is a treasure. Ken is a very likeable protagonist, subject to making errors in judgment but maintaining a wry sense of humor. Furutani does an excellent job of painting a picture of a culture that is both known and unknown to us, building in unexpected humor along the way. From the description of a Japanese men's room to a unique way of preparing noodles, you'll be fascinated. The plotting is interesting, but Furutani's greatest strength is clearly in characterization. Don't miss this and the first in the series, Death in Little Tokyo.
Reviewed by Maddy Van Hertbruggen, August 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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