Summary

Back in Tokyo in 1989 (Chapter 16), Solomon is working at a stockbroker at a British investment firm. He has brought his girlfriend, Phoebe. Phoebe is ethnically Korean and discovers most Japanese will not accept her as an American. Solomon plays high-stakes poker with his colleagues often and has limited time to spend with his girlfriend. In Chapter 17, Solomon speaks with his colleague about the tax on mediocrity; Kazu says “The tax for being mediocre comes from you and everyone else knowing that you are mediocre” (448). Then they start discussing Solomon’s father, who Kazu will not accept is honest and trustworthy because of his involvement in pachinko. A week later, Solomon is put on a real estate deal in which he wants to encourage an old woman to move out of her house. Kazu and Solomon idle in front of the old...