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I just finished "IN APPROPRIATE". It is gripping, fascinating, shocking, thought-provoking, and illuminating. I highly recommend it.

Those who gripe about IN APPROPRIATE are missing the thematic forest for the trees. Kidnapping in Japan is a serious issue that deserves attention, and the author's personal experience as a left-behind parent--along with his decade-plus of observing and commenting on the rights of non-Japanese in Japan--is evident throughout. They say write what you know, and I think Debito's done a brave thing chronicling his and others' not-always-positive experiences in Japan in this book. IN APPROPRIATE raises a lot of questions, and those with open minds are invited to read my interview with the author for more on the subject at http://www.examiner.com/japanese-culture-in-new-york/interview-with-author-arudou-debito-on-his-debut-novel-appropriate

WARNING: The reviews by R.Watkins & Ken Yasumoto-Nicolson - are purely personal attacks - they did not read the book!!! They are internet stalkers dedicated to trashing Mr. Arudou (as you can see - they don't comment on the content of the book at all - just issue personal insults) - perhaps they are jealous? I'm waiting to see the books and academic contributions these stalkers have made to Japan? In fact Ken has had his own website (for the past year) meant to trash Mr. Arudou personally! DON'T TRUST THEIR REVIEWS!!!

READ THE BOOK AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!!

GREAT BOOK! Wow! I am an avid reader of Arudou’s Japan Times Columns and Academic works – I think -Mr. Arudou needs to continue... More > this work as a creative writer of FICTION!!! Mr. Arudou is a left behind parent; he has lost his two Japanese daughters in 2002! And so his thoughts, feelings and perspective on this topic are amazing.

This work of fiction is fast paced, very descriptive and an overall an exciting and interesting read. Its exceptionally accurate in its descriptions of places and Japanese society (I am a Japanese researcher / PhD who has lived in Japan-so I know thing or two). Arudou's descriptions in some parts of the book make me feel like I am right there back in Japan!!!

This is a great STORY –and while he states that it has some elements of truth from various happenings – it is a work of FICTION. Like many other stories that have been written on other social problems, such as segregation, war, social injustice, and even slavery, have brought the issues to light and even sometimes helped resolve them.

A MUST READ!!!! < Less

Having read the other reviews of this book, and the author's other online material, I was not surprised by this book when I read it. (And yes, Miss Beamer, I DID read it!) The problem with this book is that the author is trying to make a point more than he is trying to tell a story. His style is more reminiscent of a magazine article than a novel, with background facts brought too far into the foreground, and not enough development of the characters. We are given little or no insight into anyone other than the main character, and even he has few admirable qualities with which we can empathise. We are told practically nothing of the wife's character, for example, other than she makes bento... More > and babies. It is only natural that the story would resonate with those who have endured similar experiences to the main character, but for the average reader, there is little reward in the act of reading this book, I felt as if there would be little enjoyment in retelling this tale to a friend. The story itself has the potential to be a good novel, but it needs more depth, volume and background. It is reported that the author completed this work in less than a week, and it shows. < Less

"In Appropriate" is a novel by author ARUDOU Debito, a 23-year resident of Japan, the JUST BE CAUSE Japan Times newspaper columnist, and a naturalized Japanese citizen. He exposes a dark side of family ties in Japan, one rarely seen with such insight and depth.

The author writes: "IN APPROPRIATE is about more than just divorce: I wanted to describe how a person would find fascination in Japan and Japanese people, come over during Japan's Bubble Era to see Japan ripe with opportunity, and find how Japan went sour as an economy over the past two decades. It was wonderful to recount as a Bubble-Era veteran -- when in the late 1980's Japan looked poised to take over the world,... More > and even challenge notions of how capitalism works -- and see how, step-by-step, Japanese society would be squeezed and squeezed, convinced that recovery was right around the corner just like Godot. How a person could assimilate himself to the point of founding his own company, becoming bilingual in Japanese, even taking Japanese citizenship, yet be blindsided by events that were nearly always beyond his control. IN APPROPRIATE is much more than just a story of divorce -- it's a time capsule charting Japan's descent into mediocrity and comparative international irrelevance."

His nonfiction books include "Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants, and Immigrants to Japan", and “Japanese Only: The Otaru Hot Springs Case and Racial Discrimination in Japan" (English and Japanese). He lives in Sapporo. < Less