A Trip Back to Asia

A Trip Back to Asia is a collection of short stories, including the cover story by the same title. Most of the episodes depict the Japanese culture and customs as well as Japanese people's nature and conduct in various contexts either in Japan or in the U. S.. The summary of each story is as follows: Grass Is Greener on the Other Side A globetrotting businessman returns to his hometown for the first time in twenty years to attend a high-school reunion party. Then, at the gateway to his hometown, he walks into his childhood friend who built his new house on a detached plot of land near the rice paddies. The two childhood friends start to share what they have been through either in the city or the country. The young businessman who moved to a big city after high school recounts his own great experiences in urban life and, at the same time, appreciates what he has missed during his absence back in the land of abundant space, greenery, and peace and quiet. A Trip Back to Asia Tetsuo, a promising, young engineer who is engaged to marry in a few months, returns from his business trip to the U. S., and, only a few days later, he receives an unexpected visit by his friend. The visitor is a Korean American girl whom he met during his stay in the U. S.. During his trip, she indicated her desire to travel in Japan in the future. He is delighted-although a little surprised-at her visit which came far sooner than he had expected. Then, while he is showing her around the city of Tokyo, he begins to learn about the true purpose of her trip back to Asia. During train rides and at places that they stop at, she narrates her personal backgrounds and the serious problem that she is facing. Regarding his own position parallel to hers, he soon finds himself seriously contemplating his own way of life-and the true values of love, cultures, and ethnic identity. The Last Fortress A housing developer tries to buy out an entire block of land in Yokote-cho in order to b