Dragon Dance by Peter Tasker (Kodansha)
If there are three countries vying for the dominant position in East Asia, I think it’s China, Japan, and the United States. Fortunately, the region is currently stable right now and all three countries are working together in the best interests of their citizens (or so I would like to believe). Imagine if things were different. Imagine if the story you’re about to read came to fruition. A very scary thought indeed.
The time is 2006. The world is suffering from a great recession and Japan is falling by the wayside. Their economy is down and the people are looking for someone to blame. At the same time, China is becoming a power that can no longer be ignored. As Japan weakens, China gets even stronger and a leader in a secret group in China is making use of a Japanese terrorist named Reiko Matsubara to further destabilize the relationship between Japan and the United States, leaving the gap opened to be filled by China.
Tasker sets up a great story filled with political intrigue, manipulation, conspiracy, espionage and the search for truth. He has lived in Japan for over twenty years and his knowledge of the nuances of Japanese places and culture makes you feel as if you are there in the middle of this power struggle.
Dragon Dance is a delicate balance of power between three of the world’s largest economies - Japan, China, and the United States. Japan, once having the image of being one of the world’s safest places now has a rising crime rate, regular security alerts and an increase in homelessness and poverty. In these trying times, one politician has come to the fore, Tsuyoshi Nozawa, a former musician with a very right wing agenda is riding on the wave of his popularity. He is an ultra-nationalist who is campaigning to have Japan sever it’s military ties with the U.S. and for Japan to become a nuclear power.
Following another storyline, a long time Japan resident and female reporter, Martine Meyer has been following the progress of Nozawa’s rise to power. Around the time of a new election, Meyer has been receiving e-mails from an unknown source warning of impending “accidents” at various places. The more she looks into the matter, the more complicated the news story gets. She senses a conspiracy about Nozawa’s rise to power and how Nozawa is being manipulated by more sinister forces.
As a longtime resident of Japan myself, I can attest to the authenticity of Tasker’s Japan. He makes you feel as if you are there yourself. Tasker manages to create a mystery that is compelling enough to keep you interested in the outcome, however, the plot does tend to veer off in some directions which at times takes the story away from the main action. The subplot of the female reporter and the relationship with her Japanese microbrewery owner boyfriend is a bit lacking in detail and doesn’t really add anything to the story, but don’t let that keep you away from a good yarn.
Even today, many countries are still trying to be the dominant force in all of Asia - especially China. The U.S. does not want to remove its military bases from Japan, and some sections of Japan’s current government would love to repeal Japan’s constitution to perhaps allow for a military build-up. I sure hope those right wing advocates remain in the shadows! ~Ernie Hoyt