In 1994, an American woman and her seven-year-old son embarked on an adventure that took them inside a culture where the older generation remains closely tied to the past, while the younger generation attempts to move into a present that brings unprecedented change--the culture of Japan. Carolyn Underwood is a single mother with a full-time job as an executive in a pharmaceutical company. In this position she tests every cultural norm held sacred by a traditional Japanese citizen. As she and her son find their way through the Kobe earthquake, an important message is brought home to them--that the ability to lean on friends, neighbors and colleagues, regardless of national or racial mind-set, connects us all under a simple category--fellow humans.