I’ve only been in Japan for a few months, so I haven’t found my footing yet. You see, when my boyfriend, Charles, got relocated to the Tokyo branch of his investment bank, I quit my environmental law practice and followed along. It wasn’t a stupid idea, not really. But Charles is always so busy.

My daily routine––such as it is—is a work in progress. I wake up really early, it’s still dark outside. I’m not a morning person, but Charles has to be at the office before the New York Stock Exchange closes and the Tokyo Stock Exchange opens. Once he’s up, it’s hard for me to go back to sleep. So I get up and make a cup of Peet’s coffee. Charles’ investment bank imports it from the States because he likes it, and they want to keep him happy and productive. And profitable.

After my Peet’s, I do some yoga stretches and go for a run. Jogging in Tokyo is not for the faint of heart. Lots of streets have no sidewalks. I almost got run over by a taxi who was coming too close and going too fast. I think the driver was staring at me. There aren’t a lot of Black folks in Tokyo. I often feel like Japanese people are looking at me, trying to sneak a glance at the foreigner. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I don’t think so.

After my run, I take a shower. A shower in the morning and a bath at night. I’m not a crazy germaphobe, but I love unwinding with a glass of Zin in the deep Japanese soaking tub. Charles’ bank has his favorite wines imported, too.

Next task of the day is thinking about strategies to find work. I told Charles that I wasn’t going to take any money from him, and Tokyo is more expensive than I’d realized. So far, I’ve struck out at every job I’ve tried to land. Practicing law, teaching English. The hostess bars are always looking for women. I’m not that desperate. Yet.

With time on my hands, I’m trying to be a diligent student, so I might pop a Japanese language cassette tape into my Walkman. Learning Japanese is tough. Or maybe I just don’t have an ear for it. But I hate being illiterate and unable to speak. If I stay at home, I don’t have to deal with the language barrier or people’s stares.

My brother back in Chicago told me about World NetLink, the online digital service. I’d rather be hiking through a forest than sitting at a keyboard, but my brother encouraged me to give it a try and get online. Why not? I don’t have anything else to do. Personal computers are way beyond my budget, so I used my boyfriend’s Mac even though he told me not to touch it. Mum’s the word.

Getting online is like opening a window to a fourth dimension. A whole new world. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I pray I don’t break Charles’ computer because he’d kill me. But I can connect with people through online discussion forums and user groups. I even tiptoed into a sex chat room. Who knew total strangers would get together to share erotic fantasies?

The other day when I was online, I met a really cool Japanese guy. And even though it’s only through a keyboard and a monitor, he’s my new friend in Japan. I’m still not sure what I’m doing online, but it’s my window to the world. And I made a friend. What could be the harm in that?

Do you like Japanese food? Sushi, yakitori, sashimi, ramen? Leave a comment about your favorite dish. Tokyo Firewall is free on Amazon today (12/28/18) and a signed print copy will be sent to one lucky winner. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends December 30, 2018. Good luck everyone!

You can read more about Alison in Tokyo Firewall, a novel of international suspense.

An outsider in a foreign land. Her ruthless cyberstalker. She’ll fight tooth and nail for her digital privacy. By any means, if necessary.

Tokyo, the ’90s. When Alison Crane quit her environmental law practice and followed her hotshot investment banker boyfriend to Japan, she thought they’d only grow closer. But jobless and broke, Alison sits home alone all day—and most nights—isolated by culture shock, wobbly language skills, and her boyfriend’s ambitions.

Desperate for company, she ventures onto the only avenue she has left—the brand-new digital frontier. Inside the confusing web of cyber chat rooms, Alison is approached by a charming Japanese man, and the two regularly meet online.

But her digital safe haven soon becomes a virtual nightmare when a troll who despises foreigners taunts her with escalating threats of violence. As her predator’s attacks intensify, Alison must parlay her legal smarts and budding computer skills to stand her ground, or she’ll lose her only source of freedom. And maybe her life. . .

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Meet the author:
Elizabeth Wilkerson was one of Silicon Valley’s first cyber-lawyers. She lived in Tokyo where she practiced securities law, studied Butoh dance, and founded a company to present African-American culture to Japanese audiences. A native of Cleveland, she graduated from Harvard and holds JD and MBA degrees from Stanford. Get in touch at elizabethwilkerson.com. (Elizabeth’s favorite Japanese food is oden.)

All comments are welcomed.