Born in 1933 in Fukuoka, Japan, Yutaka was a just a boy when WWII began. National turmoil was joined by personal turmoil when he and his brothers lost their parents, and along with them, their home.

So began the first of Yutaka's many moves, which took him all over Japan, then to Canada, where he moved with his family in 1973, and even China, where he did business in the last part of his career. Through determination and perseverance, he became an engineer and entrepreneur-designing, amongst other things, hockey sticks and booms-a career path that was beset with threats of bankruptcy and betrayal by partners along with unexpected kindnesses.

Beyond the Billows is a detailed portrait of engineering in the 20th century and the Japanese immigration experience in Canada. It is also an expansive memoir, telling Yutaka's personal story of hard-won success in business over three continents.