Escape to America

About the Book

Thirty years ago, Tetsuo Fukuyama was working as a college music instructor and teaching piano to private students. But his depression was becoming so severe he could hardly even play a short piece on the piano, and began entertaining suicidal thoughts. After seeing medical specialists and trying massage, acupuncture, injections, and even psychic consultations, he decided to leave his homeland and experiment with a completely different lifestyle: living in New York City. In his new setting, the author had to cope with language barriers, getting help from strangers, being robbed at gunpoint, suffering from tuberculosis, and finding work. He feels fortunate to acquire a music teaching position at a private Japanese school, and building a roster of private music students. Fukuyama decides to see America, and travels to Seattle and San Francisco, the latter city reached after driving cross-country. Amidst new sights, sounds, and friendships, he discovers that his depression has abated and he is able to find joy in everyday life. This story of how the author’s courage, resilience, and determination helped him survive difficult circumstances will encourage readers to find their own happiness.

About the Author

Tetsuo Fukuyama stayed in the USA from 1989 to 2008. While today it is said that there are many cases of depression in Japan, in the 1980s the author didn’t even know it was depression causing his distress. Since returning to Japan, he has come to miss his life in the US and has organized his experiences into this book that expresses his deep gratitude to the people he met in America.