Review: Good concept but failed execution
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2014
This story starts with a traveler from Australia, who has come to Japan to teach English through one of the many programs out there.  He shows up - his name is Mike, but it doesn't really matter because the people all blend in together.  Anyway, he is met by Paul, who is part of the teaching program and assists new teachers.  Paul makes Mike to the apartment building, but then Mike decides to wander around Japan - using the vending machines on the street as a landmark to help him find his way back.  Mike does not yet know that there are vending machines on every street, so he wanders around aimlessly for hours trying to find his way home, until he miraculously happens to find other new teachers, who just happen to be staying at the same apartment building.  They go to a bar and drink.  During this evening of drinking, you learn that Mike (the first person you meet) is a little on the shy/uncertain side, Mark (another Australian) has obviously been to Japan before because he knows the language and culture too well to have just learned it on his own, and then there is Jon.  Jon is a wannabee who sulks when anyone is better than him in anything.The book then fast forwards a decade.  Mark is now coming back to Japan (he left at some point apparently) to work on a business venture, Mike is now a salaryman (or dresses like one) and it's uncertain what he really does except that he lives and works in Japan, and Jon is still in Japan, still working as a teacher's assistant, with no apparent changes.There here, the book falls apart.  Someone who don't know and haven't met before has been thrown into jail for possession of drugs, and now the police have his phone which makes Jon nervous.  Apparently Jon has ties to the Yakuza and drug dealing.  Mike & Mark are forced to eat whale (it is ordered for them and they eat it without knowing what it is) which means that Mark's business deal apparently falls apart.  And Mike... I'm still not sure what really happens to him.Basically, nothing in this book makes sense toward the end.  And since they don't bother to tell you about anything that they actually did in Japan other than drink, you really don't care about the characters either.