Eh, it was in the Pacific Ocean somewhere. I'm not too sure where. One of the farmers was of Japanese descent, so that's maybe where the Japanese angle comes from.
I quite liked the book, which is called "Strangers from the Sky," BTW. There's a dichotomy between the aging Kirk et al (it's set just before ST2) and the young Kirk et al who get stranded on Earth.
There hasn't been much done with the characters from the second pilot who didn't make it out alive. I'd like to see more about Gary Mitchell, Lee Kelso, etc. (Dangit! I can't think of anything to call the psychiatrist except "Hot Lips," and that's the wrong series!)
So, yes, I liked the book, and I much preferred it to the movie (No Borg! Gets my vote!).
The Whiner Trekkie