Olivier Fabre

I am a third generation mixed-race of Japanese descent living in Japan. Many of my friends were Korean-Japanese and yes, many of them worked in the pachinko industry. This book brought their history vividly to life and also found some resonance in my story too. Though I am a privileged Eurasian and my family did not have to endure the level of hardship many Korean-Japanese went through, I can understand and relate first hand to Solomon's final choice and can hear Kazu's rant all the time. While some have said the final chapters were optional, I feel they instead encapsulate the result of all that history and the state of mind of many present day marginalized non-Japanese nationals (or sometimes returnees) in Japan.