Michael Crichton's Rising Sun is a decent whodunnit buried under layers of explanations of Japanese culture, the differences between Japanese and American cultures, the usual technical details that go with novels like these, and a history of Japanese-American corporate espionage. It reads, in fact, less like a novel and more like Japan for American Dummies, with a backstory thrown in for exposition.

An American woman is found murdered in the giant Nakamoto Tower on the evening of its grand opening. Because of the politically and culturally sensitive nature of the evening, a special liaison for the Los Angeles Police Department is called in to investigate. He's accompanied by a retired police captain, who has lived in Japan and is an expert on Japanese culture, Japanese history, Japanese politics, Japanese crime, Japanese economics, Japanese-American relations, and, well, everything Japanese. 

It's Michael Crichton, sure, but you can already tell it's going to be one of those books. 

From the offices of the Nakamoto Tower, the investigation proceeds onwards, to university laboratories, boardrooms, dingy apartments and multimillion-dollar playboy mansions. For how centric the book is on Japan, the story takes place entirely within the United States (and at that, entirely within the state of California). If Crichton is to be believed, that's because Japan has virtually taken over the United States, and there are enough Japanese characters (in fact, I think they outnumber the Americans) to make you think the story was actually in Japan (with a supporting American cast). 

Maybe it's a matter of perception. When I picked this book up, I was hoping to read a good mystery/thriller with some interesting (if dated) information on Japanese culture. Ergo, I was disappointed when Crichton spent pages and pages (and pages) describing the differences between Japanese and Americans, the differences between Japanese and American economics, the differences between Japanese and American business practices, the difference in Japanese and American approaches to law & order and crime & punishment, and how the microchip revolution affected both Japan and America. Between these pages and chapters of explanations, the investigation into the death of the young woman continues, incorporating forensics, suspicious video camera footage (and pages and pages and pages explaining both), and yes, why the Americans and the Japanese view her death quite differently. 

Then again, it's a Michael Crichton novel. The man was a polymath, and he wasn't going to let you forget it.

(contd.)