LISA COUNTRYMAN is a woman of complex origins. Half-Japanese, adopted by African American parents, she returns to Tokyo, ostensibly to research her thesis on Japan´s ´´sad, brutal reign of conformity.´´ When she vanishes. Tom Hurley, who is half-Korean and half-white, is assigned to her case at the American embassy, as is local cop Kenzo Ota, who is 100 percent Japanese but deemed an outsider. In this ´´poignant story of prejudice, betrayal and the search for identity´´ ´´(Newsweek International), the trials and tribulations of these three remarkable characters are ´´at turns trenchantly funny and heartbreakingly sad´´ ´´(Publishers Weekly), ´´/An/ elegant and haunting debut´´´´(Entertainment Weekly), Country of Origin is a ´´swirl of action, a whirl of love and sex and race and politics, local and international´´ ´´(Chicago Tribune)--a ´´quiet literary triumph´´ ´´(Booklist.)