Growing up in the crime-ridden streets of Los Angeles, author Darrell Gartrell could easily have become just another statistic. But he had a dream: To start a language school abroad. He chose Japan. First a tutor, his private lessons led to the opening of an Osaka-based English school in 1991. The "eikaiwa", called Wisdom21, was an instant hit and eventually expanded nationwide. But a "gaijin" owning a prominent eikaiwa was to come at a heavy price. As a successful black man, Gartrell attracted, not only polite Japanese society and local celebrities, but of the feared 'yakuza' (mafia) who wanted in. Darrell shares his experiences here-a penetrating memoir of a successful gaijin entrepreneur in Japan. Buy now