The Final Yen

"Clever, insightful and beautifully written … Mr. Bennett knows his Japanese characters as well as he knows his American hero, and THE FINAL YEN is a book both charming and moving." --T. Coraghessan Boyle, Author of EAST IS EAST and OUTSIDE LOOKING IN"R. Sebastian Bennett demystifies much of the modern Japanese social insularity and business philosophy while engaging readers in a seriocomical narrative of a youthful, American 'salaryman' in Tokyo. This is simultaneously a book about Japan and about American ideals of independence and intellectual freedom. THE FINAL YEN is smart, witty, and informative." --HAROLD JAFFE, Editor of Fiction International, and Author of REVOLUTIONARY BRAIN 1989, Tokyo.A young American businessman is facing a prison sentence for a crime he did not commit. In a system where 99% of all accused are convicted, how can he find his way back to freedom?After moving to Japan on a quest for cultural insight, the narrator finds a job as an Advertising Representative at a Japanese publishing company, and he excels. Rising through the ranks, he soon finds himself face to face with executives at the height of Japanese corporate power. The economic "war" against America is raging.But the xenophobia and social pressures of Tokyo prove too much. He quits his job and makes plans to return to California. However, on a final night out with business associates a sign outside a hostess bar is knocked over, explodes, and starts a fire.The narrator is accused of vandalism and causing the fire. His business associates lie about the incident, and the American Embassy won't help him. Prison seems inevitable…Under surveillance, in the midst of the investigation, the narrator must outwit the police and flee from Japan. Are the police watching too closely for him to escape? Read more