An American woman in Tokyo is planning to leave her lover when a tragedy strikes the nation. In a lounge in the Ginza district, an expat pianist wonders if a room in the back helps desperate men start new lives. A Japanese woman in San Francisco is searching for a consulate staff member, who has vanished with a suitcase full of passports.

Set in Tokyo and San Francisco, these stories are colorful postcards reporting from cultural intersections. A medley of voices and fresh takes on the expat experience, these intimately detailed portraits show American and Japanese characters enchanted with intercultural love while also facing the history they share. A long-time resident of Tokyo, Gattig writes with a light, witty touch and supple, poetic prose, showing how we need others to understand ourselves in the world.