Pearl City: Stories from Japan and Elsewhere is short fiction for busy people who love to travel. Six of the stories are set in Japan, and the others in Hong Kong, East Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, France, Austria, the Philippines, and Cambodia. The stories, which carry themes of freedom, family, redemption, justice, courage, corruption, girl power, are tied together by a single message: triumph over adversity. Included in this collection are: Crossing the Ditch (winner, Hal Porter Prize 2017, Australia), Night Fishing (highly commended, Ouen Press Prize, 2020, U.K.), Oysters to Die for (selected, Noir Nation No. 7 international crime fiction, U.S.), and The Convenience Store Ballerina (selected, The Best Asian Short Stories Anthology 2019, Singapore).