A thoughtful, illuminating exploration of modern Japanese politics and culture through the eyes of an investigative reporter

Dreux Richard presents post-Fukushima Japan in three illustrative parts, in areas where the consequences of national policy are felt: immigration, population decline, and the nuclear industry. First, he follows members of Japan's Nigerian community who have been affected by Japan's flawed and exploitative visa system. He then surveys the northernmost town in Japan, which is rapidly depopulating as its residents age and die. And, finally, he takes us into the offices of nuclear regulatory officials who cannot agree on the parameters of their own earthquake fault review, which will determine whether the nation's riskiest reactors will restart. Richard's perceptive and probing reporting establishes him as an authority on the subject matter, but he remains aware of his status as an outsider and "translator," acting as the reader's expatriate guide. The personal elements of his subjects' stories and his own perspective afford us an understanding of today's Japan that goes far beyond politics, truisms, and sensational arguments.

DREUX RICHARD is an American writer, journalist, and literary translator. From 2011 to 2016 he covered Japan's African community for The Japan Times, where he also led a yearlong investigation of the "world's safest" nuclear plant. His writing has appeared in CounterPunch, The New York Times, and Estadão, among other publications.