ABSTRACT
This book is about a journey of discovery. The process of conducting research on a topic enveloped in taboos is all about entering into a context through a trusted set of contacts and colleagues with whom you have passed some sort of test. In this highly politicized situation, each step of the way is fraught with concern over making a potential error or creating a misunderstanding. Being passed along the line of an ever-increasing web of contacts requires that authenticity and credibility be visible and verifiable. In an attempt to provide the reader with a sense of the precarious nature of this research, several passages pertaining to the process are included. I have not separated out the content from the context. The story is the research in its entirety. For those unfamiliar with Japanese culture, perhaps the descriptions of the individuals as well as what they have to say will illuminate, at least in part, what it is to be Japanese.
