This near epic story of two Japanese families in Tokyo takes their lives from prior to WW2 into the 1960's. Beautifully and gracefully depicted, the book starts rather slowly until midway the struggles of the younger generation to adapt and survive in the new world order draw one in to the point of addiction. Gorgeous well developed characters and an education in cross cultural East-West mores awaits! Those of us who found it slow in the beginning were glad we had persisted to the end!