Interview with Barry Eisler
by Jon Jordan
Barry's Web Site

Sept. 2002

JON:  How would you describe the first book in your series?

BARRY:  Rain Fall is the story of a half-American, half-Japanese freelance assassin named John Rain, a man who lives a life of meticulously planned anonymity in Tokyo, where, for the last twenty-five years, he has been killing people at the behest of corrupt elements of the Japanese government and making those deaths look as though they¹ve occurred of natural causes. After Rain eliminates a senior politician in a crowded subway car, agents within and without the international intelligence communities converge on his trail. At the same time, Rain is drawn outside his private world by an alluring jazz pianist the daughter of the politician he killed who is the key to the secrets her father died trying to reveal.

JON:  Do you plan to reveal more about John Rain as the series continues?

BARRY:  More about Rain is getting revealed as I work on the sequel, but more organically than by design. Rain is an interesting guy with massive contradictions contained within his personality. The more time I spend with him, the more I learn.

JON:  How much of your experiences in Japan do you draw on for the writing?

BARRY:  The Tokyo jazz scene, Rain's expertise in judo, and the city itself are all drawn from experience. Midori Kawamura was inspired by pianist Junko Onishi, whom I saw perform at Roppongi's Club Alfie, which also makes an appearance in Rain Fall. The political corruption described in the book is all true, including the rumors of a "natural causes" assassin; all I've done is distill some of what's going on in the person of certain fictional characters.

JON:  What made want to go to Japan in the first place?

BARRY:  I'm a long time martial arts enthusiast and wanted to train in judo at the Kodokan, the art's birthplace.

JON:  What is it about Judo that you like? The discipline? The work out?

BARRY:  I tend to gravitate to grappling arts -- not just judo, but also jujitsu and wrestling because, generally speaking, they can be practiced in a more realistic way than the punching and kicking arts. That said, I think that boxing is also an excellent martial art because of the realistic way it's practiced. Judo is also a hell of a workout.

JON:  Do you think it’s important to write the books in such a way that the events “could” be true?

BARRY:  For me it is, but I wouldn't propose the notion as a general rule. I like to create fiction that's an extension of actual events -- the kind of fiction that makes you wonder, "could this really have happened?"

JON:  If you were allowed total control of a Hollywood version of Rain Fall, who would be in it? And who would direct?

BARRY:  Well, I think Jet Li would be a good choice to play Rain, although he's a little young for the role and he'd have to add judo to his stunning wushu repertoire. In this regard, I'm glad to report that Mr. Li just optioned the film rights, so perhaps my wish will come true.

JON:  There are quite a few editions of the book available outside the US. Is it doing especially well in any particular countries?

BARRY:  Sony released the Japanese version this past January, and Penguin UK released the UK version in August. It seems to be doing very well in both countries. Local editions will also appear in Brazil, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, and Sweden throughout 2003.

JON:  Is this going to be a series with similar titles? All with “Rain” in them?

BARRY:  I don't know if there's a third book in the series -- I'm only about half way through the sequel right now -- but it's not impossible. I don't know what future titles will be, although I've received some amusing emails with proposals. My two favorites are "Rain Coat" and "Rain Check."

JON:  What made you want to write a book? And why the book you wrote?

BARRY:  I've always loved to write, although Rain Fall was my first novelistic undertaking. One morning when I was living in Tokyo, I had a powerful image come to me, of two men following another man down Dogenzaka in Shibuya. I still don't know where the image came from, but I started writing about it, trying to answer the questions it posed: Who are these men? Why are they following the third guy? Eventually, it became the first scene in the novel, which came to draw naturally on many of my own experiences and interests.

JON:  How do you go about your research? Do you do it in person, on the internet?

BARRY:  I use the Internet a lot, but I also read extensively and interview people who are closer than I am to some of the relevant subjects. Most of all, I use on-site investigations, making sure to literally walk in John Rain's footsteps to ensure that what I'm describing is accurate and also conveyed, I hope, with some immediate emotional impact.

JON:  Who are some of your favorite musicians?

BARRY:  Sade, Seal, Southern All Stars. Lately I've been listening a lot to a new Japanese jazz pianist named Akiko Grace. She's wonderful.

JON:  What kind of things do you do with your free time?

BARRY:  I just watched the first season of The Sopranos on DVD. It's the best thing I've ever seen on television except for Lonesome Dove -- which was a movie, so maybe it's unfair to compare.

JON:  Are there any aspects of Japanese society that you think may be better than American society? Respect for elders, that kind of thing?

BARRY:  There's a lot to admire about Japan's culture and society. If I had to identify a single thing, it would be Japan's attitude of restraint. Unlike Americans and certain other nationalities, Japanese rarely get upset in public over, for example, getting cut off in traffic, or over other things that in the scheme of things can only be thought of as trivial. After you've spent some time there, a lot of the public displays you see elsewhere can seem childish by comparison.

JON:  You have a nice website. Have you been getting a lot of feedback from readers?

BARRY:  Lots of positive feedback -- kudos to Koichiro Fukasawa of Wasabi Communications. Ko-chan can be contacted through the "Contact the Webmaster" link on my website.

JON:  Although John Rain is an assassin, he has his own moral code. Do you think that is important towards making the character some one people will care about?

BARRY:  Yes. Without some sort of a code or philosophy, the character would be a nihilist or even a sociopath -- not someone for whom you could feel much empathy. The challenge, I think, is to present a guy who does bad things in such a way that the reader understands, and (horrors!) even likes him. This way, the reader has a good time and even learns something about herself.

JON:  Do you write full time, or do you still have a day job?

BARRY:  I've put aside up my previous day job and am now writing full time.

JON:  If someone visits Japan, what are some things they should not miss?

BARRY:  Try one of the public baths. But don't forget to shower first! The best guidebook to Tokyo is Rick Kennedy's Little Adventures in Tokyo. Every one of the little adventures he suggests is a gem.

JON:  How would you describe a perfect day?

BARRY:  A good review for Rain Fall; 1500 quality words on the manuscript; a jujitsu workout; a nap; dinner and wine with family and friends.

JON:  Who are some of the authors you enjoy reading?

BARRY:  A quick sampling would include Pat Conroy, Jame Ellroy, Dave Gutterson, John Le Carre, Trevanian. I also like Stephen King -- not just the books, but the man. He's remarkably wise, honest, and funny -- I recommend his memoir On Writing.

JON:  What’s the one thing always in your refrigerator?

BARRY:  A severed head. My wife keeps telling me to get rid of it, but I'm afraid to act until Rain okays it...