893

Alpha, recently graduated from the East-West University in Hawaii, seeks his fortune in Japan by becoming an English teacher. He falls in love with Rie, the receptionist at the company where he is employed. Neither is aware of a hidden connection through Rie's uncle and father to the Japanese mafia (yakuza). When Rie's terminally ill uncle tries to break into the domestic monopoly on the sale of pachinko machines, a strange twist of fate occurs. When her father tries to sever similar ties with the yakuza by opting not to play a monthly "gratuity," he pays a steep price. Finally, the yakuza violates on of it's own cardinal rules, resulting in Rie's alarming disappearance. Alpha faces very limited options as he contemplates his future. The plot line of 893 is based on a composite of true events. The book offers readers a pleasurable introduction into the current Japanese culture and worldview, focusing on the complexities that arise in interactions between that society and Western culture.