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Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
A riveting true-life tale of newspaper noir and Japanese organized crime from an American investigative journalist who "pulls the curtain back on ... [an] element of Japanese society that few Westerners ever see" ( San Francisco Examiner ). Now a Max Original Series on HBO Max
Jake Adelstein is the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police Press Club, where for twelve years he covered the dark side of Japan: extortion, murder, human trafficking, fiscal corruption, and of course, the yakuza. But when his final scoop exposed a scandal that reverberated all the way from the neon soaked streets of Tokyo to the polished Halls of the FBI and resulted in a death threat for him and his family, Adelstein decided to step down. Then, he fought back.
In Tokyo Vice he delivers an unprecedented look at Japanese culture and searing memoir about his rise from cub reporter to seasoned journalist with a price on his head.
Jake Adelstein is the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police Press Club, where for twelve years he covered the dark side of Japan: extortion, murder, human trafficking, fiscal corruption, and of course, the yakuza. But when his final scoop exposed a scandal that reverberated all the way from the neon soaked streets of Tokyo to the polished Halls of the FBI and resulted in a death threat for him and his family, Adelstein decided to step down. Then, he fought back.
In Tokyo Vice he delivers an unprecedented look at Japanese culture and searing memoir about his rise from cub reporter to seasoned journalist with a price on his head.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2009
About the author
Jake Adelstein
14 books681 followersJake Adelstein has been an investigative journalist in Japan since 1993 and low-ranking Zen Buddhist priest since 2017--and is unlikely to ever achieve satori. That's okay. He's considered one of the foremost experts on organized crime in Japan and works as a writer and consultant in Japan, the United States and France. He is the author of Tokyo Vice: A Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan (Vintage) and has written two other books published by Marchialy in France.
𝗝’𝗔𝗜 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗨 𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗔̂𝗠𝗘 𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗦 (I Sold My Soul For Bitcoins) 2019
𝗝’𝗔𝗜 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗨 𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗔̂𝗠𝗘 𝗘𝗡 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗦 (I Sold My Soul For Bitcoins) 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,393 reviews
March 4, 2010
Everything I ever learned that was important in my life I put in this book; it's almost the totality of what I have learned about Japan and right and wrong and the grey areas in between., Giving it four stars is probably a little like as they say in Japanese, 自画自賛 (jiga-jisan) "praising your own painting" which is terribly immodest and not Japanese like at all but there you are. It's not perfect but it's probably the best book I will ever write and I'm happy with that.
I've gotten some really nice letters from people who have read it and more than that, many have donated money to the Polaris Project, which does valuable work in combating modern-day slavery and providing assistance to victims both in the United States and Japan--and elsewhere.
So I feel like I'm atoning a little every time someone reads this. And that"s not a bad feeling. It helps me sleep better at night.
Originally I gave this book five stars but I'm deducting one for typos and to be more Japanese. I'll fix the typos before the paperback edition.
Overall, this is the best I could do and if some feel it lacks self-disclosure, well, some things are better left unsaid. For the people involved and for myself as well. I'm hoping the paperback edition on October 5th, are my final edits.
I've gotten some really nice letters from people who have read it and more than that, many have donated money to the Polaris Project, which does valuable work in combating modern-day slavery and providing assistance to victims both in the United States and Japan--and elsewhere.
So I feel like I'm atoning a little every time someone reads this. And that"s not a bad feeling. It helps me sleep better at night.
Originally I gave this book five stars but I'm deducting one for typos and to be more Japanese. I'll fix the typos before the paperback edition.
Overall, this is the best I could do and if some feel it lacks self-disclosure, well, some things are better left unsaid. For the people involved and for myself as well. I'm hoping the paperback edition on October 5th, are my final edits.
March 23, 2014
Christ, what a douche.
June 5, 2018
”Either erase the story , or we’ll erase you. And maybe your family. But we’ll do them first, so you learn your lesson before you die.”
Jake Adelstein went to Japan at the tender age of nineteen. One beautiful thing about being nineteen is it still feels like anything is possible. I remember those heady days well, when failure was a foreign word and those bumps in the road were not anything to get stressed about. On the inside cover of the book, it said that Adelstein had gone to Japan “in search of peace and tranquility”. He could have stayed home and joined the Hermitage in Big Sur if that was what he really wanted. No, what Jake wanted was excitement and he got it in spades.
”It’s hard to think when you can’t breathe. It’s even harder to think when you can’t breathe because a yakuza bruiser has you pinned against the wall, with one hand around your neck and the other hand punching your ribs, and your feet are dangling off the floor.”
One of those moments when you’d like to use compelling words to convince the thug to quit hitting you, but with all your major organs sloshing around your body as he uses you for a punching bag, it is hard to compose anything more eloquent than...a...grunt.
So how did the young lad find himself in such precarious circumstances? He went to work as an investigative reporter in Tokyo. In fact, he was the only American journalist ever admitted to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club. I do believe his Japanese publisher relished his audaciousness in even thinking that achieving such a position was possible.
So for eighty soul crushing, social life annihilating hours a week he investigated the Japanese underbelly and found more than just fleas and ticks.
”As far as entertainment districts went, in 1999 nothing beat Kabukicho for pure sleaze. Drugs, prostitution, sexual slavery, rip-off bars, dating clubs, massage parlors, S-and-M parlors, pornography shops and porn producers, high-dollar hostess clubs, low-dollar blow job salons, more than a hundred different yakuza factions, the Chinese mafia, gay prostitute bars, sex clubs, female junior high school students’ soiled uniforms/panties resale shops, and a population of workers more ethnically diverse than anywhere else in Japan. It was like a foreign country in the middle of Tokyo.”
Did someone mention the Yakuza?
The tattooed gangsters, if they live long enough, generally end up needing new livers from the Hepatitis-C they get from unsanitary needles. These guys donate fingers when they fuck something up. The guy that was punching Jake Adelstein because he was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be was yakuza.
In these sex slave clubs, the yakuza generally use foreign women to keep the police and the Japanese government from being overly interested in their activities. Foreign males are not allowed in these clubs because the foreign men tend to feel sorry for the girls and try to help them once they realize their circumstances. Adelstein, with the help of dark sunglasses and low lighting could pass for Japanese. He was able to get into one of those clubs, but when the girl he was interviewing broke down in tears, the gig was up. Punch, punch, punch, never come back here again.
It doesn’t take long for Adelstein’s name to be known by the very people who, when they use the term ‘taking an interest,’ really mean that their interest will be short lived because you won’t be around to worry about much longer.
He has a good friend, a smart woman, a teacher who is living in Tokyo. A person he can give books to who will actually read them and discuss them with him. He discovers how she pays for all the extra travel she does and the expensive clothes.
I get paid a hundred dollars a minute. You know why? Because most Japanese guys last two minutes.”
I laughed at that. “You’re right. In terms of pay by the minute, my job can’t touch yours. But doesn’t it depress you a little?”
“Well, that’s when cocaine comes in handy. A little blow, and I’m ready to blow.”
I didn’t laugh at that.
I didn’t either because we do get to know this woman and to think of her resorting to prostitution for an upgraded lifestyle, not because she has to, but because she wants to be able to do more and own more, is somehow shameful when I think of all the foreign women who are caught in sex slavery without much hope of ever escaping the crippling debt they are forced to pay off with humiliating acts of degradation.
Not only does Adelstein take on the yakuza...crazy enough...but he also takes on the Japanese government. He discovers very quickly that when you are taking on people with this much power that his ability to protect his sources means that he can’t tell anyone, not his bosses, and not even those he loves about what he is investigating and who is helping him. The secrecy, the anxiety, the real fear of being hurt, and exposing himself every day to the worst that society has to offer is obviously unsustainable.
Then he gets the visit from a tattooed freak in a business suit who tells him to ”erase the story, or we’ll erase you.” It’s easy to cut and run, even honorable. After all, it is hard to justify putting the people you love in danger because you won’t let loose of a story, but then as I’ve established Adelstein didn’t come to Japan for peace and tranquility. You don’t win by bowing down to pressure. You win by pushing back.
This book was a compelling atmospheric read with novelesque elements as he not only describes the scene, but also the scene around the scene. I had thoughts that he saw himself in terms of a noir movie as he brushed shoulders with evil men and tried to save not one damsel in distress, but literally hundreds who all needed a champion. Highly Recommended!
To see all my recent movie and book reviews please visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
You can like my Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Jake Adelstein went to Japan at the tender age of nineteen. One beautiful thing about being nineteen is it still feels like anything is possible. I remember those heady days well, when failure was a foreign word and those bumps in the road were not anything to get stressed about. On the inside cover of the book, it said that Adelstein had gone to Japan “in search of peace and tranquility”. He could have stayed home and joined the Hermitage in Big Sur if that was what he really wanted. No, what Jake wanted was excitement and he got it in spades.
”It’s hard to think when you can’t breathe. It’s even harder to think when you can’t breathe because a yakuza bruiser has you pinned against the wall, with one hand around your neck and the other hand punching your ribs, and your feet are dangling off the floor.”
One of those moments when you’d like to use compelling words to convince the thug to quit hitting you, but with all your major organs sloshing around your body as he uses you for a punching bag, it is hard to compose anything more eloquent than...a...grunt.
So how did the young lad find himself in such precarious circumstances? He went to work as an investigative reporter in Tokyo. In fact, he was the only American journalist ever admitted to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club. I do believe his Japanese publisher relished his audaciousness in even thinking that achieving such a position was possible.
So for eighty soul crushing, social life annihilating hours a week he investigated the Japanese underbelly and found more than just fleas and ticks.
”As far as entertainment districts went, in 1999 nothing beat Kabukicho for pure sleaze. Drugs, prostitution, sexual slavery, rip-off bars, dating clubs, massage parlors, S-and-M parlors, pornography shops and porn producers, high-dollar hostess clubs, low-dollar blow job salons, more than a hundred different yakuza factions, the Chinese mafia, gay prostitute bars, sex clubs, female junior high school students’ soiled uniforms/panties resale shops, and a population of workers more ethnically diverse than anywhere else in Japan. It was like a foreign country in the middle of Tokyo.”
Did someone mention the Yakuza?
The tattooed gangsters, if they live long enough, generally end up needing new livers from the Hepatitis-C they get from unsanitary needles. These guys donate fingers when they fuck something up. The guy that was punching Jake Adelstein because he was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be was yakuza.
In these sex slave clubs, the yakuza generally use foreign women to keep the police and the Japanese government from being overly interested in their activities. Foreign males are not allowed in these clubs because the foreign men tend to feel sorry for the girls and try to help them once they realize their circumstances. Adelstein, with the help of dark sunglasses and low lighting could pass for Japanese. He was able to get into one of those clubs, but when the girl he was interviewing broke down in tears, the gig was up. Punch, punch, punch, never come back here again.
It doesn’t take long for Adelstein’s name to be known by the very people who, when they use the term ‘taking an interest,’ really mean that their interest will be short lived because you won’t be around to worry about much longer.
He has a good friend, a smart woman, a teacher who is living in Tokyo. A person he can give books to who will actually read them and discuss them with him. He discovers how she pays for all the extra travel she does and the expensive clothes.
I get paid a hundred dollars a minute. You know why? Because most Japanese guys last two minutes.”
I laughed at that. “You’re right. In terms of pay by the minute, my job can’t touch yours. But doesn’t it depress you a little?”
“Well, that’s when cocaine comes in handy. A little blow, and I’m ready to blow.”
I didn’t laugh at that.
I didn’t either because we do get to know this woman and to think of her resorting to prostitution for an upgraded lifestyle, not because she has to, but because she wants to be able to do more and own more, is somehow shameful when I think of all the foreign women who are caught in sex slavery without much hope of ever escaping the crippling debt they are forced to pay off with humiliating acts of degradation.
Not only does Adelstein take on the yakuza...crazy enough...but he also takes on the Japanese government. He discovers very quickly that when you are taking on people with this much power that his ability to protect his sources means that he can’t tell anyone, not his bosses, and not even those he loves about what he is investigating and who is helping him. The secrecy, the anxiety, the real fear of being hurt, and exposing himself every day to the worst that society has to offer is obviously unsustainable.
Then he gets the visit from a tattooed freak in a business suit who tells him to ”erase the story, or we’ll erase you.” It’s easy to cut and run, even honorable. After all, it is hard to justify putting the people you love in danger because you won’t let loose of a story, but then as I’ve established Adelstein didn’t come to Japan for peace and tranquility. You don’t win by bowing down to pressure. You win by pushing back.
This book was a compelling atmospheric read with novelesque elements as he not only describes the scene, but also the scene around the scene. I had thoughts that he saw himself in terms of a noir movie as he brushed shoulders with evil men and tried to save not one damsel in distress, but literally hundreds who all needed a champion. Highly Recommended!
To see all my recent movie and book reviews please visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
You can like my Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
October 20, 2015
Jake Adelstein is a talented and hard-working journalist who has written some enlightening and important articles about crime, Yakuza, enjou kosai and the darker side of Japan's sex industry. I recently was made aware of his memoir, Tokyo Vice, and out of respect for his work, thought I'd give it a go.
Unfortunately, Tokyo Vice is not an important or enlightening book. Though it does contain some interesting bits and pieces about the Japanese metropolitan underworld, the majority of the book is the arrogant and narcissistic ramblings of a doofus obsessed with his own phallus.
READ! All about what sexual position Jake enjoyed with which hostess! GROAN! When he begins a chapter with dismounting his girlfriend! ROLL YOUR EYES! As a Yakuza moll tells Jake that he and crime boss Tadamasa Goto may not be so different after all! DISBELIEVE! Because Adelstein's braggart tendencies make him come across as an unreliable narrator.
My favorite part was how one chapter ended with Jake lamenting how society purposefully ignores the humanity of female sex workers, seeing them as objects to be used and not caring when they are abused. Then the next chapter begins with him deciding to bribe a cop with a lap dance. Great job, buddy.
Jake Adelstein is a talented journalist. He is also a total penis wrapped in a leather glove. He reviewed his own book on Goodreads and gave it four stars. He is a complete fartknocker.
Unfortunately, Tokyo Vice is not an important or enlightening book. Though it does contain some interesting bits and pieces about the Japanese metropolitan underworld, the majority of the book is the arrogant and narcissistic ramblings of a doofus obsessed with his own phallus.
READ! All about what sexual position Jake enjoyed with which hostess! GROAN! When he begins a chapter with dismounting his girlfriend! ROLL YOUR EYES! As a Yakuza moll tells Jake that he and crime boss Tadamasa Goto may not be so different after all! DISBELIEVE! Because Adelstein's braggart tendencies make him come across as an unreliable narrator.
My favorite part was how one chapter ended with Jake lamenting how society purposefully ignores the humanity of female sex workers, seeing them as objects to be used and not caring when they are abused. Then the next chapter begins with him deciding to bribe a cop with a lap dance. Great job, buddy.
Jake Adelstein is a talented journalist. He is also a total penis wrapped in a leather glove. He reviewed his own book on Goodreads and gave it four stars. He is a complete fartknocker.
June 5, 2017
Full disclosure: I lived in Tokyo for seven years as a teacher and office worker and, for a year during that time, dated a proof-reader for an international news agency, so I have some insight into the culture and the job.
That said, I was really surprised at how disappointing this book was. For a memoir about a reporter's career investigating yakuza, prostitution, drugs, corruption, sex-trafficking, and murder, it's really dull. I wanted to rate this book a little higher for just being mediocre, but considering Adelstein has been a reporter for so long, this book should be a lot better. There's little insight into Japanese culture, how the yakuza works, or what it's like working the police beat that you couldn't get with a cursory internet search. Adelstein includes a lot of unnecessary details, such as what people are wearing when he runs into them like this is a low-grade crime novel and important details left out completely or mentioned in passing (his relationship with a yakuza's mistress, for example).
Frankly, Adelstein comes off like a lot of foreigners you could run into living overseas: he's barely competent at what he does, is pretty oblivious to anything outside of himself, and thinks he's the most interesting part of any story. Unfortunately, He's not an interesting enough person to be the center of a book and not skilled enough a writer to make the world around him interesting. In the end, I wasn't sure what this book was supposed to even be about between being a foreigner in Japan, a career reporter, and covering the crime beat when it touches on all of these but none of them ever come together or reach a satisfying conclusion. There's so much time spent in the front half on being a fledging reporter writing about pick-pockets that contributes nothing then suddenly becomes self-righteous attacking the government and mafia at the end when it's obvious he really didn't do much to contribute (or, did more to make the situation worse). Ultimately, it's a series of unrelated scenes that doesn't build to any true point and tries to wrap-up with a pseudo-philosophical statement on finding enlightenment after anecdotes about fingering prostitutes for information (literally).
If you're looking for books on the Japanese crime world, you'd get more from the Yakuza wikipedia page. I'd recommend the book McMafia, which has a chapter breaking down the history of the Yakuza and where they're going as well as the Freakonomics documentary section on corruption in sumo and police investigations. Despite being short parts of a larger collection of stories, both provide a lot of insight into this bizarre yet fascinating world.
That said, I was really surprised at how disappointing this book was. For a memoir about a reporter's career investigating yakuza, prostitution, drugs, corruption, sex-trafficking, and murder, it's really dull. I wanted to rate this book a little higher for just being mediocre, but considering Adelstein has been a reporter for so long, this book should be a lot better. There's little insight into Japanese culture, how the yakuza works, or what it's like working the police beat that you couldn't get with a cursory internet search. Adelstein includes a lot of unnecessary details, such as what people are wearing when he runs into them like this is a low-grade crime novel and important details left out completely or mentioned in passing (his relationship with a yakuza's mistress, for example).
Frankly, Adelstein comes off like a lot of foreigners you could run into living overseas: he's barely competent at what he does, is pretty oblivious to anything outside of himself, and thinks he's the most interesting part of any story. Unfortunately, He's not an interesting enough person to be the center of a book and not skilled enough a writer to make the world around him interesting. In the end, I wasn't sure what this book was supposed to even be about between being a foreigner in Japan, a career reporter, and covering the crime beat when it touches on all of these but none of them ever come together or reach a satisfying conclusion. There's so much time spent in the front half on being a fledging reporter writing about pick-pockets that contributes nothing then suddenly becomes self-righteous attacking the government and mafia at the end when it's obvious he really didn't do much to contribute (or, did more to make the situation worse). Ultimately, it's a series of unrelated scenes that doesn't build to any true point and tries to wrap-up with a pseudo-philosophical statement on finding enlightenment after anecdotes about fingering prostitutes for information (literally).
If you're looking for books on the Japanese crime world, you'd get more from the Yakuza wikipedia page. I'd recommend the book McMafia, which has a chapter breaking down the history of the Yakuza and where they're going as well as the Freakonomics documentary section on corruption in sumo and police investigations. Despite being short parts of a larger collection of stories, both provide a lot of insight into this bizarre yet fascinating world.
April 22, 2010
Jake Adelstein's recounts his time on the biggest Japanese Newspaper, Yomiuri Shinbun. This book promises yakuza, coverups, prostitution and...vice. However, Adelstein breaks the cardinal rule: your subject is interesting, not your experiences of them. No one wants to read about a journalist's experience, they just want to read about the story.
Unfortunately, we get a lot of anecdotes about his early days on the paper, vaguely interesting cases told without any setup or suspense, and updates about people he once knew. The one interesting thing that happened to him--namely, that he got on the wrong side of a Yakuza boss and was forced to publish or literally perish--was teased at the outset but not covered at all until the last 50 pages of the book.
For someone who writes for a living, he seems to be sadly deficient in some of the basics. Or maybe, as a journalist, he never learned how to sustain interest over a whole book's length.
Unfortunately, we get a lot of anecdotes about his early days on the paper, vaguely interesting cases told without any setup or suspense, and updates about people he once knew. The one interesting thing that happened to him--namely, that he got on the wrong side of a Yakuza boss and was forced to publish or literally perish--was teased at the outset but not covered at all until the last 50 pages of the book.
For someone who writes for a living, he seems to be sadly deficient in some of the basics. Or maybe, as a journalist, he never learned how to sustain interest over a whole book's length.
March 24, 2014
Very mixed feelings about this one. I never got over my distrust as Adelstein as a narrator, a judgment mainly rooted in my own time spent in Japan, and the incongruousness of the hardboiled, poorly constructed, and ego-centered writing alongside claims of serious and altruistically motivated journalism. I don't think those things (hard living and altruism) are inherently contradictory, but in this book the claims toward both mostly serve the cause of making Jake Adelstein seem like an awesome bilingual pulp novel journo stud come to life. Which, fine, it's your memoir, buddy.
I didn't stop reading though, because there is valuable information here. The yakuza are overly romanticized, and it's important to reveal them for who they are- racketeers and sex traffickers, exploiting the most vulnerable members of society, with a thin veneer of "honor and tradition" and some admittedly badass tattoos. Japan is also overly exoticized, and there are few books written about the country by people who can speak the language fluently and have a real grasp of what's going on. It is extremely easy to be a long-term expat in Japan without accomplishing either, which seriously stunts English-language journalism about Japan, and so Adelstein is a valuable resource.
Most of this book actually deals with Adelstein's life at the Yomiuri Shimbun, and the relationship between the press and the police in Japan. He discusses two quite famous cases- the Dog Lover murders in Saitama prefecture, and the disappearance of Lucie Blackman- and the complex dance between reporters and cops to obtain and publicize (or not) leads in open cases. I found these sections to be quite interesting, and my eye-rolling was limited to the number of times poor riled up babes just begged Jake for sex and he is forced to oblige for one reason or another. Whatta mensch! He seems to have a much more positive view of the Japanese police than, say, Richard Lloyd Parry, author of a full-length book on Lucie Blackman. This is not too surprising, since the Yomiuri is one of the most conservative and nationalistic newspapers in Japan. (Something that I wish he went into a little bit more, honestly, because nationalism is something that both cops and yakuza can get behind, and it often serves to bring them together.)
The last 50 or so pages deal with the liver transplants received by yakuza boss Tadamasa Goto and others at UCLA under shady circumstances, Adelstein's big scoop of 2008. This is an important story, and it is not well told here. For an experienced journalist, he seems extremely indignant that newspapers around the world aren't jumping to publish this story without verifiable proof. Adelstein seems to think his role as "white guy who knows yakuza and cops" should give him free reign to publish whatever he deems as good information, with the talismanic recitation of "I can't reveal my sources or else we'll all be dead" as back-up. Eventually, other journalists in the States due some heavy lifting, and the story is published. It's my intuition that the threat to his person and his family by Goto and his ilk is grossly overstated, simply because the murder of an American, let alone an American's family, would bring more unwanted international law enforcement attention to the yakuza than would be worth their effort. But this is Adelstein's big claim to fame, and he's sticking to it.
I didn't stop reading though, because there is valuable information here. The yakuza are overly romanticized, and it's important to reveal them for who they are- racketeers and sex traffickers, exploiting the most vulnerable members of society, with a thin veneer of "honor and tradition" and some admittedly badass tattoos. Japan is also overly exoticized, and there are few books written about the country by people who can speak the language fluently and have a real grasp of what's going on. It is extremely easy to be a long-term expat in Japan without accomplishing either, which seriously stunts English-language journalism about Japan, and so Adelstein is a valuable resource.
Most of this book actually deals with Adelstein's life at the Yomiuri Shimbun, and the relationship between the press and the police in Japan. He discusses two quite famous cases- the Dog Lover murders in Saitama prefecture, and the disappearance of Lucie Blackman- and the complex dance between reporters and cops to obtain and publicize (or not) leads in open cases. I found these sections to be quite interesting, and my eye-rolling was limited to the number of times poor riled up babes just begged Jake for sex and he is forced to oblige for one reason or another. Whatta mensch! He seems to have a much more positive view of the Japanese police than, say, Richard Lloyd Parry, author of a full-length book on Lucie Blackman. This is not too surprising, since the Yomiuri is one of the most conservative and nationalistic newspapers in Japan. (Something that I wish he went into a little bit more, honestly, because nationalism is something that both cops and yakuza can get behind, and it often serves to bring them together.)
The last 50 or so pages deal with the liver transplants received by yakuza boss Tadamasa Goto and others at UCLA under shady circumstances, Adelstein's big scoop of 2008. This is an important story, and it is not well told here. For an experienced journalist, he seems extremely indignant that newspapers around the world aren't jumping to publish this story without verifiable proof. Adelstein seems to think his role as "white guy who knows yakuza and cops" should give him free reign to publish whatever he deems as good information, with the talismanic recitation of "I can't reveal my sources or else we'll all be dead" as back-up. Eventually, other journalists in the States due some heavy lifting, and the story is published. It's my intuition that the threat to his person and his family by Goto and his ilk is grossly overstated, simply because the murder of an American, let alone an American's family, would bring more unwanted international law enforcement attention to the yakuza than would be worth their effort. But this is Adelstein's big claim to fame, and he's sticking to it.
August 2, 2021
I learned about Jake Adelstein's existence through, of all things, Tumblr. There was a post going around about the time that actual Yakuza gangsters sat down and reviewed a line of Yakuza-themed video games, and gave the rundown of what was realistic and what wasn't. The reporter who gathered this group of criminals and sat them down with a Playstation and some whiskey? Jake Adelstein, who, it turns out, has been working the crime beat in Tokyo since the late 90's and has cultivated professional relationships with a wide variety of characters from Japan's criminal underworld. (here's a very brief blurb from The Atlantic about the experiment)
So his book has been floating around in my mental "to-read" list for a while, and what finally made me decide to get the book from the library was finishing (and thoroughly disliking) Lost Girls and Love Hotels. I still had a "seedy Tokyo underbelly stories" itch to scratch, and it seemed like Adelstein's book would do the trick.
Jake Adelstein started working as a crime reporter in Tokyo right out of college, and quickly learned that in order to do his job, he would need to establish a few close professional contacts within the Tokyo police force, who would then provide scoops on various criminal investigations. Tokyo Vice follows the trajectory of Adelstein's career as he learns how to locate and charm sources, suss out information, and investigate various criminal operations without getting brutally murdered.
I have this book shelved under "essays" because that most accurately describes the format of this book: disconnected stories from Adelstein's decades-long reporting career, most of them having little to do with each other. The book doesn't really gain focus until Adelstein does - later in his career, he decided that he was going to focus specifically on investigating sex trafficking in Japan, an obsession that ended up getting him a job directly assisting the FBI with their investigations of various gangsters, and also resulted in the brutal rape and murder of one of Adelstein's sources.
This is not light reading, obviously. Adelstein was well and truly in the shit, often being forced to sit down and share drinks with men who he knew were responsible for countless murders and trafficked human beings. Adelstein himself is a difficult protagonist to root for - when he's not humblebragging about the time he had an affair with a yakuza gangster's mistress, he's telling us about how he always chose working over spending time with his wife and young daughter as if this is just a natural consequence of the journalism field and everyone should just be cool with it. Also he's a journalist, not a novelist, and therefore his "just the facts, ma'am" style of writing means that his narrative voice is often dry and removed, and the stories often don't carry the air of drama and excitement that I felt they should.
So his book has been floating around in my mental "to-read" list for a while, and what finally made me decide to get the book from the library was finishing (and thoroughly disliking) Lost Girls and Love Hotels. I still had a "seedy Tokyo underbelly stories" itch to scratch, and it seemed like Adelstein's book would do the trick.
Jake Adelstein started working as a crime reporter in Tokyo right out of college, and quickly learned that in order to do his job, he would need to establish a few close professional contacts within the Tokyo police force, who would then provide scoops on various criminal investigations. Tokyo Vice follows the trajectory of Adelstein's career as he learns how to locate and charm sources, suss out information, and investigate various criminal operations without getting brutally murdered.
I have this book shelved under "essays" because that most accurately describes the format of this book: disconnected stories from Adelstein's decades-long reporting career, most of them having little to do with each other. The book doesn't really gain focus until Adelstein does - later in his career, he decided that he was going to focus specifically on investigating sex trafficking in Japan, an obsession that ended up getting him a job directly assisting the FBI with their investigations of various gangsters, and also resulted in the brutal rape and murder of one of Adelstein's sources.
This is not light reading, obviously. Adelstein was well and truly in the shit, often being forced to sit down and share drinks with men who he knew were responsible for countless murders and trafficked human beings. Adelstein himself is a difficult protagonist to root for - when he's not humblebragging about the time he had an affair with a yakuza gangster's mistress, he's telling us about how he always chose working over spending time with his wife and young daughter as if this is just a natural consequence of the journalism field and everyone should just be cool with it. Also he's a journalist, not a novelist, and therefore his "just the facts, ma'am" style of writing means that his narrative voice is often dry and removed, and the stories often don't carry the air of drama and excitement that I felt they should.
December 11, 2012
This book is misleading in many ways as it's more about Jake Adelstein, who is rather unlikeable, than it is about crime and vice in Tokyo. He doesn't even arrive in Tokyo until the second half of the book. But, that's the least of it.
Adelstein does an OK job of describing social mores and customs in Japan. His drive to combat sex-slavery I believe has more to do with making him look good than actually caring about these women. His corny memoir ultimately leaves much to be desired in really getting at the heart of organized crime and vice in Japan.
Something more troubling: among Yakuza experts Adelstein is considered a joke (ex. The Yakuza, for instance, proud and out in the open regarding their membership unlike the Mafia. They are NOT secretive as he has suggested.) Among journalists, something far worse, a liar. There have been rumblings going on for a while now about how Adelstein had either exagerrated "death threats" against him or just flat out made them up. Secondly, "Helena," the sex-worker with a heart of gold is most likely a figment of Adelstein's imagination. Yes, he made her up. If she was really murdered or "disappered" wouldn't some family have come looking for her? Wouldn't someone who knew her have contacted law enforcement? Seems sketchy to me. Plus, Adelstein comes off as an annoying, self-promoting, self-righteous asshole. He is the classic unreliable narrator. He reviewed his own book on Goodreads! How lame is that?!
A far superior book detailing organized crime and its relationship to society is Roberto Saviano's Gommorah, about the Neapolitan Camorra which reveals how the mafia has its tentacles in all facets of everyday life in Naples.
Adelstein does an OK job of describing social mores and customs in Japan. His drive to combat sex-slavery I believe has more to do with making him look good than actually caring about these women. His corny memoir ultimately leaves much to be desired in really getting at the heart of organized crime and vice in Japan.
Something more troubling: among Yakuza experts Adelstein is considered a joke (ex. The Yakuza, for instance, proud and out in the open regarding their membership unlike the Mafia. They are NOT secretive as he has suggested.) Among journalists, something far worse, a liar. There have been rumblings going on for a while now about how Adelstein had either exagerrated "death threats" against him or just flat out made them up. Secondly, "Helena," the sex-worker with a heart of gold is most likely a figment of Adelstein's imagination. Yes, he made her up. If she was really murdered or "disappered" wouldn't some family have come looking for her? Wouldn't someone who knew her have contacted law enforcement? Seems sketchy to me. Plus, Adelstein comes off as an annoying, self-promoting, self-righteous asshole. He is the classic unreliable narrator. He reviewed his own book on Goodreads! How lame is that?!
A far superior book detailing organized crime and its relationship to society is Roberto Saviano's Gommorah, about the Neapolitan Camorra which reveals how the mafia has its tentacles in all facets of everyday life in Naples.
December 15, 2009
Wow. Double Wow. Did I say, wow? Jake Adelstein is an amazing superhero and a total douchebag. This book made me realize how potently similar the profession of Intelligence Officer and Reporter are. The only real difference is that in Reporting you protect your sources and in espionage you burn them.
Adelstein protects his sources while putting his family and friends at risk. He knows three forms of martial arts, speaks several languages, and happens to have a Japan fetish. Whether he really is CIA or no, he tells a ripping and admirably honest story, which is as much Ethnography as it is Journalism.
After two days with this book I come away infinitely more informed on Japanese culture and history than before. Besides a great story, Adelstein informs the reader on what could be a very difficult topic, clearly. Kudos Jake.
Adelstein protects his sources while putting his family and friends at risk. He knows three forms of martial arts, speaks several languages, and happens to have a Japan fetish. Whether he really is CIA or no, he tells a ripping and admirably honest story, which is as much Ethnography as it is Journalism.
After two days with this book I come away infinitely more informed on Japanese culture and history than before. Besides a great story, Adelstein informs the reader on what could be a very difficult topic, clearly. Kudos Jake.
April 30, 2024
জাপানিজ থ্রিলারের প্রতি বরাবর আগ্রহ অনেক বেশি আমার। গতবছর টোকিও ভাইস নামে যখন একটা টিভি সিরিজ আসে, তখন এই বইটার খোজ পাই। আগ্রহ তখন থেকেই অনেক ছিল এই বইটার উপর।
এক্সপেকটেশন পুরাপুরি করতে সক্ষম হয়েছে।
এক্সপেকটেশন পুরাপুরি করতে সক্ষম হয়েছে।
June 3, 2019
Excruciatingly poorly written, and hard to tell how much is true and how much is the wank fantasy of the self-obsessed author. Adelstein thinks he's some James bond/batman hybrid but his exploits seem as believable as a 12 year old's fan fiction. Everyone underestimates him, he's always got a (incredibly clunky) comeback, every conversation ends with a compliment and women can't stop sleeping with him. So embarrassing I was actually cringing reading it.
Also, when I thought my eyes couldn't roll any further back in my head I come on here and find that not only did the guy review his own book, he also gave it five stars, reducing it to four only because that's 'more Japanese'. I threw up in my mouth a little at this point.
(One star because I learnt some stuff about Japanese culture I didn't know.)
Also, when I thought my eyes couldn't roll any further back in my head I come on here and find that not only did the guy review his own book, he also gave it five stars, reducing it to four only because that's 'more Japanese'. I threw up in my mouth a little at this point.
(One star because I learnt some stuff about Japanese culture I didn't know.)
July 7, 2023
Прелюбопитна книга, за която човек често забравя, че не е писана от истински японец. Авторът повече от очевидно е толкова японец, колкото и ако се беше родил там. Ако насоката му беше друга, а не криминална, вероятно щяхме да разберем много интересни факти за начина, по който мислят хората, с които е общувал. Вероятно единственият ѝ минус е, че е донякъде остаряла (написана е през 2009-та). Твърде възможно да не са настъпили прекалено големи промени в описаните среди, а и да не е имало възможност да бъде издадена по-рано, но все пак е поостаряла в някои отношения. В други - не. Това си е своеобразна история на японския криминален свят.
Стискам палци при втория тираж някои от термините да се преразгледат, че още имам травма от "гошушосма".
Стискам палци при втория тираж някои от термините да се преразгледат, че още имам травма от "гошушосма".
March 5, 2010
I heard about this book from an interview and followed up by reading the prelude. Both of these led me to believe that this book would be a journey into the yakuza (Japanese Mafia) and how it related to journalism and the rest of life. I was disappointed. Only about 1/3 of the book actually related to the yakuza. The first few chapters hooked me in describing how the author actually managed to get into Japanese journalism when his Japanese writing skills were only marginal. But, it is clear that he learned how to write a newspaper account, not a book. It is a meandering journey through the author's actions over his years in Japan without much of an idea of going somewhere in terms of character development or main ideas to get across. As we say in academic writing, just because you spent time doing it doesn't mean that you should put it into the final paper. This book would have benefited from a much heavier editing hand. It also skirts the line between stories of professional life and personal life, without actually delving into either. With so many side notes about his kids and wife, I was disappointed to finish the book without a mention as to whether his marriage survived or how his wife and kids are now. However much work it took, I did learn something of the yakuza and Japanese life and so I gave it 2 stars.
November 24, 2018
It's hard to define this book under one category: Does it have a substantiated plot or is it non-fiction? Autobiography or biographic? Documentary or fictional? It probably has a little bit of everything.
This is a human document that allows us to get a glimpse of the Japanese society.
I personally find the Japanese culture to be very intriguing, so when I heard there was a book describing the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, I knew I had to read it.
The book begins rather slowly and mostly focuses on Adelstein's adjustment to the unwritten rules of working as a criminal reporter for the most popular newspaper in Japan. Along with his own personal story, Adelstein reveals a few surprising facts about the Japanese society – e.g., Japan's bestsellers lists point out that suicide is not only common in Japan but also considered popular and acceptable. The attitude towards sexuality in Japan may also surprise you.
Trying to sell out this book as a thrust into the heart of Japanese Yakuza is wrong. The part about the Yakuza does have substance but only toward the end of the book. I think this book infiltrates the heart of entire Japan, and even if the writing isn't brilliant, those who have an interest in the Japanese culture would find this book as worth the read.
This is a human document that allows us to get a glimpse of the Japanese society.
I personally find the Japanese culture to be very intriguing, so when I heard there was a book describing the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, I knew I had to read it.
The book begins rather slowly and mostly focuses on Adelstein's adjustment to the unwritten rules of working as a criminal reporter for the most popular newspaper in Japan. Along with his own personal story, Adelstein reveals a few surprising facts about the Japanese society – e.g., Japan's bestsellers lists point out that suicide is not only common in Japan but also considered popular and acceptable. The attitude towards sexuality in Japan may also surprise you.
Trying to sell out this book as a thrust into the heart of Japanese Yakuza is wrong. The part about the Yakuza does have substance but only toward the end of the book. I think this book infiltrates the heart of entire Japan, and even if the writing isn't brilliant, those who have an interest in the Japanese culture would find this book as worth the read.
September 17, 2019
Reading this book, I found out more about Jake Adelstein's opinion of himself than I did about the Japanese underworld.
June 8, 2022
I currently have a mild case of Covid (and yes, I've had four jabs of Pfizer and I wear a mask whenever I leave my house which I haven't for nine days for obvious reasons). My Covid infection presents itself exactly like a cold, so I guess my stuffed-up sinuses made me stupid. Shut up. I began reading 'Toyko Vice' by Jake Adelstein thinking it was a noir mystery, after my library finally made the ebook available to me. No. Not. Why did I believe it was a mystery? Because it is a video series on HBO and I thought it was fiction based on research.
I am thankful I never caught the more deadly form of Covid going around for the last two years, and I am grateful 'Tokyo Vice' was a good book despite that it turned out to be a non-fiction autobiography.
'Tokyo Vice' is a very good autobiography by an American who became a journalist for a Japanese newspaper in 1993. He was attending college in Japan, teaching English, and he sort of drifted into being a reporter for Yomiuri Shinbun, Japan's largest newspaper, because of the challenge of it. Along the way, he also learned how to be Japanese, became a habitué of red-light districts infested with Yakuza killers and mob bosses, married a Japanese woman and had two children, and survived having a contract put out on his life because he investigated a major Yakuza organization and their crimes. He exposed a human trafficking ring, and how it was that criminal Yakuza bosses got liver transplants at UCLA. Yes, that Los Angeles UCLA, where the murderers somehow were moved to the top of the transplant list, hell, they had somehow been admitted into the United States, despite being murderous criminals who used brutal torture and extortion, and forced women into being sex slaves. They also were (are?) considered respected 'whales' at Las Vegas because they frequently 'lose' bets of $2,000,000 there. It's called money laundering in some circles.
Please note: it is possible Yakuza members get liver disease because of dirty tattoo needles. Just saying.
I copied the book blurb below because it is accurate:
"From the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club: a unique, firsthand, revelatory look at Japanese culture from the underbelly up.
At nineteen, Jake Adelstein went to Japan in search of peace and tranquility. What he got was a life of crime . . . crime reporting, that is, at the prestigious Yomiuri Shinbun. For twelve years of eighty-hour workweeks, he covered the seedy side of Japan, where extortion, murder, human trafficking, and corruption are as familiar as ramen noodles and sake. But when his final scoop brought him face to face with Japan’s most infamous yakuza boss—and the threat of death for him and his family—Adelstein decided to step down . . . momentarily. Then, he fought back.
In Tokyo Vice, Adelstein tells the riveting, often humorous tale of his journey from an inexperienced cub reporter—who made rookie mistakes like getting into a martial-arts battle with a senior editor—to a daring, investigative journalist with a price on his head. With its vivid, visceral descriptions of crime in Japan and an exploration of the world of modern-day yakuza that even few Japanese ever see, Tokyo Vice is a fascination, and an education, from first to last."
Jake did not come out of this, at first only surfing but which later became scuba diving, into the underworld of Tokyo without becoming someone who enjoyed what red-light districts have to offer. He got drunk a lot, he smoked cigarettes a lot, and he was a customer of places that sold what, to me, are some of the worst, most sexually-degrading, sex activities for all genders, that prostitution clubs/dives have to offer. I did not know what reading I was getting into when I checked out this book! Jake has shame, but he lets us in on everything he saw and did. He watched more than he participated, but he certainly ended up doing and participating - which he says was necessary to gain trust of informants. I think that is true, actually. Plus, he made genuine friends with cops, journalists and the demimonde, at least as friendly as one can get when murder and revenge and corruption and mobs are involved.
It's a great expose of a book, if not a great life to live, imho.
I am thankful I never caught the more deadly form of Covid going around for the last two years, and I am grateful 'Tokyo Vice' was a good book despite that it turned out to be a non-fiction autobiography.
'Tokyo Vice' is a very good autobiography by an American who became a journalist for a Japanese newspaper in 1993. He was attending college in Japan, teaching English, and he sort of drifted into being a reporter for Yomiuri Shinbun, Japan's largest newspaper, because of the challenge of it. Along the way, he also learned how to be Japanese, became a habitué of red-light districts infested with Yakuza killers and mob bosses, married a Japanese woman and had two children, and survived having a contract put out on his life because he investigated a major Yakuza organization and their crimes. He exposed a human trafficking ring, and how it was that criminal Yakuza bosses got liver transplants at UCLA. Yes, that Los Angeles UCLA, where the murderers somehow were moved to the top of the transplant list, hell, they had somehow been admitted into the United States, despite being murderous criminals who used brutal torture and extortion, and forced women into being sex slaves. They also were (are?) considered respected 'whales' at Las Vegas because they frequently 'lose' bets of $2,000,000 there. It's called money laundering in some circles.
Please note: it is possible Yakuza members get liver disease because of dirty tattoo needles. Just saying.
I copied the book blurb below because it is accurate:
"From the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club: a unique, firsthand, revelatory look at Japanese culture from the underbelly up.
At nineteen, Jake Adelstein went to Japan in search of peace and tranquility. What he got was a life of crime . . . crime reporting, that is, at the prestigious Yomiuri Shinbun. For twelve years of eighty-hour workweeks, he covered the seedy side of Japan, where extortion, murder, human trafficking, and corruption are as familiar as ramen noodles and sake. But when his final scoop brought him face to face with Japan’s most infamous yakuza boss—and the threat of death for him and his family—Adelstein decided to step down . . . momentarily. Then, he fought back.
In Tokyo Vice, Adelstein tells the riveting, often humorous tale of his journey from an inexperienced cub reporter—who made rookie mistakes like getting into a martial-arts battle with a senior editor—to a daring, investigative journalist with a price on his head. With its vivid, visceral descriptions of crime in Japan and an exploration of the world of modern-day yakuza that even few Japanese ever see, Tokyo Vice is a fascination, and an education, from first to last."
Jake did not come out of this, at first only surfing but which later became scuba diving, into the underworld of Tokyo without becoming someone who enjoyed what red-light districts have to offer. He got drunk a lot, he smoked cigarettes a lot, and he was a customer of places that sold what, to me, are some of the worst, most sexually-degrading, sex activities for all genders, that prostitution clubs/dives have to offer. I did not know what reading I was getting into when I checked out this book! Jake has shame, but he lets us in on everything he saw and did. He watched more than he participated, but he certainly ended up doing and participating - which he says was necessary to gain trust of informants. I think that is true, actually. Plus, he made genuine friends with cops, journalists and the demimonde, at least as friendly as one can get when murder and revenge and corruption and mobs are involved.
It's a great expose of a book, if not a great life to live, imho.
April 5, 2022
I add this old review after having read Peter Hessler's profile of Jake Adelstein (NEW YORKER, 1/9/2012). The characterization of Adelstein as "flamboyant" was a surprise to me; the persona he assumes in TOKYO VICE is in fact quite the opposite, allowing for the fact that he is a reporter. Yet, the article forms an epilogue to the story Adelstein tells, and I encourage anyone interested in Japanese culture to read this book.
The allusion of TOKYO VICE to “Miami Vice” is inescapeable – a thriller featuring shadowy Yakuza figures in a backdrop of exotic seaminess. WRONG! This book is much better than that. Told in flashback, Adelstein relates a long and difficult route from cub reporter to accomplished crime journalist with a restraint that cannot be appreciated until the final chapters of this book. At that point, his intensity and passion become clear. The telling of this story is almost an act of contrition for the human costs of that apprenticeship though none is needed. His writing as well as his life choices have made a difference to the many victims of organized crime.
The story touches on the ambivalent status of the “gaijin” in Japan. In one background interview he asks about a suspect: “Was he a Yakuza or just some kind of bad ass?” The reply: “Nope. Worse. He was a foreigner.” In another anecdote, he relates the Japanese passion for manuals. The #1 best seller at that time gave tips on how to argue with Koreans who are critical of Japan. (#4 was “The Perfect Manual of Suicide”).
As a journalist at the Yomiura Shimbun, Jake must dedicate his evening hours to a strategic game of etiquette in order to cultivate police contacts. Remembering birthdays, inviting them out to baseball games (the money coming from out of pocket, not from the newspaper), insinuating himself into their social and family gatherings, visiting them when they are sick, are all part of this game. In between, he must also develop street contacts. A veteran reporter advises the fledglings: “If you want to be an excellent reporter you have to amputate your past life.” Gleaning judicious “leaks”, Adelstein scoops the competition while between protecting his sources. At the same time, each story is designed to sew the seeds to a follow-up story as criminals and police react to each new public disclosure.
TOKYO VICE is an impressive view of the contradictions that social expectations and personal ethics pose in this outwardly Westernized society. The effect of these contradictions are amply reflected in Hessler's NEW YORKER article, a portrait of a complicated and passionate man.
NOTE: HBO series has been produced.https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...
The allusion of TOKYO VICE to “Miami Vice” is inescapeable – a thriller featuring shadowy Yakuza figures in a backdrop of exotic seaminess. WRONG! This book is much better than that. Told in flashback, Adelstein relates a long and difficult route from cub reporter to accomplished crime journalist with a restraint that cannot be appreciated until the final chapters of this book. At that point, his intensity and passion become clear. The telling of this story is almost an act of contrition for the human costs of that apprenticeship though none is needed. His writing as well as his life choices have made a difference to the many victims of organized crime.
The story touches on the ambivalent status of the “gaijin” in Japan. In one background interview he asks about a suspect: “Was he a Yakuza or just some kind of bad ass?” The reply: “Nope. Worse. He was a foreigner.” In another anecdote, he relates the Japanese passion for manuals. The #1 best seller at that time gave tips on how to argue with Koreans who are critical of Japan. (#4 was “The Perfect Manual of Suicide”).
As a journalist at the Yomiura Shimbun, Jake must dedicate his evening hours to a strategic game of etiquette in order to cultivate police contacts. Remembering birthdays, inviting them out to baseball games (the money coming from out of pocket, not from the newspaper), insinuating himself into their social and family gatherings, visiting them when they are sick, are all part of this game. In between, he must also develop street contacts. A veteran reporter advises the fledglings: “If you want to be an excellent reporter you have to amputate your past life.” Gleaning judicious “leaks”, Adelstein scoops the competition while between protecting his sources. At the same time, each story is designed to sew the seeds to a follow-up story as criminals and police react to each new public disclosure.
TOKYO VICE is an impressive view of the contradictions that social expectations and personal ethics pose in this outwardly Westernized society. The effect of these contradictions are amply reflected in Hessler's NEW YORKER article, a portrait of a complicated and passionate man.
NOTE: HBO series has been produced.https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-ra...
February 2, 2010
After reading Tokyo Vice I had to take some time to digest it, to let the incongruities of laws and bureaucracy in Japan try to somehow make sense, to remind myself again and again that the world is an ugly, ugly place behind the neon lights and the advertisements and the glare of a TV screen. The impact that Tokyo Vice left upon me was as wide as an eclipse and as deep as a crater.
If you are looking for characters to admire you'll only find a few between these covers, Jake being one of them. Don't mistake this for an attempt to boast his ego though, Jake is painfully honest with the readers and with himself regarding his own faults. He doesn't make excuses for his actions, but presents them in a matter-of-fact way just as he would the facts of the crimes he reported. If he seems to lack emotion, it's because he has to. If you had seen a sliver of the things he has seen you might never want to open your eyes again.
Still, there was no lack of emotion within me as I read the book. I found myself smiling, frowning, shaking my head in anger, pumping my fist in victory and near tears more than once. This spectrum of emotion was confusing for me. Should I be angry? Is there anything I can do? Why? Again and again I wondered "Why?"
If you are looking for characters to admire you'll only find a few between these covers, Jake being one of them. Don't mistake this for an attempt to boast his ego though, Jake is painfully honest with the readers and with himself regarding his own faults. He doesn't make excuses for his actions, but presents them in a matter-of-fact way just as he would the facts of the crimes he reported. If he seems to lack emotion, it's because he has to. If you had seen a sliver of the things he has seen you might never want to open your eyes again.
Still, there was no lack of emotion within me as I read the book. I found myself smiling, frowning, shaking my head in anger, pumping my fist in victory and near tears more than once. This spectrum of emotion was confusing for me. Should I be angry? Is there anything I can do? Why? Again and again I wondered "Why?"
November 20, 2009
Jake Adelstein is some kind of guy. This story is as much about him as it is about the sex industry in Tokyo. I mean, really, what kind of guy would have the hutzpah to study Japanese and then apply to be a newspaper journalist at the most prestigious newspaper in Japan? He downplays but admits to crushing difficulties, at least difficulties that would crush most of us. But perhaps you've met his kind--bold, bright, talkative, confident, curious, unimpressed. I have. I just never thought we'd get to see inside the head of one as much as we do in this revealing memoir about his work for the newspaper, working closely with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to uncover crimes in "vice." Not only do we learn how newspapers work in Japan, we learn a bit about how the police works, how the sex industry works, and finally, how the gangsters, or yakuza work. This is an Iron and Silk for grownups. Total immersion into an Asian culture and well-written enough to serve as an introduction to outsiders.
March 15, 2019
This book is the author's description of his experiences as a crime reporter in a Japanese daily Yomiuri Shinbun. There is no plot as such. The book is divided into different chapters of the author's various assignments covering the crime beat in Tokyo. the narrative is not too captivating and one may either like it or hate it. The most interesting tidbits were about the workings of the Japanese sex industry and the sleazy nightlife description. Although there was a lot about the yakuza but nothing descriptive. One gets a bit overwhelmed when you read about the human trafficking aspect and the forced induction of women into the sex trade. Otherwise this is a strictly ok read.
July 22, 2014
3.5 stars -- but a positive 3.5. This is an interesting book, and Jake's an intersting guy. He takes some flack for having dolled up his prose a little (fair enough), and he's definitely a self-absorbed kinda guy (as he's the first to admit). But there's some real honesty here -- about himself, as well as about others - a lot of insight into the lunacy that is contemporary Japan - and, in the final analysis, Jake's a guy with balls -- who took a lot of risks (including risking his life) to be, ultimately, on the side of the angels.
Read
December 28, 2017Je me suis arrêtée à la page 180/497, l'histoire est intéressante mais ce que j'ai lu était suffisant en soi pour me donner une idée globale sur les yakuza et leur fonctionnement. Je n'étais pas intéressée plus que ça d'en apprendre plus ni de connaître "le fin mot de l'histoire".
July 3, 2018
DNF. הפסקתי לקרוא בעמוד 267 כי כבר נמאס לי. החזקתי מעמד עד עכשיו כי הספר מספק הצצה מסוימת לתרבות היפנית, אבל הוא כתוב בצורה ממש משעממת בעיניי, ופשוט לא בא לי להמשיך. גם פרקים בעלי פוטנציאל כתובים בצורה דלוחה ואין לי כוח לזה יותר. נתתי 2 כוכבים בגלל ההצצה לתרבות היפנית.
July 6, 2016
Avant toute chose j’aimerai signaler la qualité d’impression de ce livre paru aux Editions Marchialy avec un papier de qualité et une mise en page soignée et originale. Quant au récit, j’ai adoré du début à la fin. Dès les premières pages le lecteur est embarqué dans une histoire d’autant plus incroyable qu’elle est basée sur la réalité des affaires de la mafia japonaise. On découvre le parcours inattendu de l’auteur, un quotidien étonnant et des personnages inquiétants et hauts en couleur. On imagine sans peine la difficulté pour un gaijin de s’intégrer au Japon à un tel niveau : être employé comme journaliste dans un journal japonais, écrire pour ce titre en japonais, s’intégrer à la police et au monde des yakuzas. Si j’ai aimé l’histoire concernant le Goto-gumi que j’ai trouvée passionnante, j’ai aussi particulièrement apprécié toute la partie concernant les us et coutumes de la société japonaise, la façon dont la police et les journalistes sont amenés à collaborer, la hiérarchie tacite ou non entre ces différentes professions, la place des yakuzas par rapport à la société civile japonaise, leur évolution et leur adaptation au monde de la finance internationale. J’ai aussi appris des tas de choses sur le fonctionnement de la société japonaises et sur sa structure sociale et culturelle à travers ce livre.
Le lecteur embarque pour un récit étonnant dans les bas-fonds de la société nippone avec son industrie du sexe, du racket et de l’exploitation humaine dans ce qu’elle a de plus abjecte ; mais cela n’est ni graveleux, ni gratuit. Au contraire, la dimension humaine est toujours présente et au centre du récit. On s’attache facilement aux personnages, même à ce yakuza qui demande de l’aide à l’auteur pour découvrir celui qui propage des rumeurs à son encontre. Entre témoignage et policier, ce livre se lit très facilement. Le style est concis, journalistique, dynamique.
J’ai aimé aller au-delà des apparences à travers ce témoignage. Pour avoir visité le Japon, j’en avais, comme beaucoup, la vision idéalisée d’un pays se partageant entre modernité et tradition, où les rues sont sûres, propres, les gens pressés, la nourriture fabuleuse… Une sorte de mélange entre le carrefour de Shibuya et le calme zen d’un onsen. Même si l’on sait pertinemment que le côté sombre existe, on a tendance à l’oublier dans les rues de Tokyo, où l’insécurité que l’on peut rencontrer à Paris ou dans nos grandes villes occidentales n’existe pas en tant que telle. Il était donc intéressant d’approcher aussi un peu ce côté sombre à travers ce livre et de réaliser pleinement que malgré cet aspect lisse apparent il existe aussi des failles, des crimes sordides (à travers l’affaire Lucy Blackman par exemple), une gangrène financière présente à tous niveaux de la société jusqu’au sommet. Ce témoignage fut l’un de mes coups de cœur de ce premier semestre de lecture. Ce livre m’a tenu en haleine du début à la fin.
Le lecteur embarque pour un récit étonnant dans les bas-fonds de la société nippone avec son industrie du sexe, du racket et de l’exploitation humaine dans ce qu’elle a de plus abjecte ; mais cela n’est ni graveleux, ni gratuit. Au contraire, la dimension humaine est toujours présente et au centre du récit. On s’attache facilement aux personnages, même à ce yakuza qui demande de l’aide à l’auteur pour découvrir celui qui propage des rumeurs à son encontre. Entre témoignage et policier, ce livre se lit très facilement. Le style est concis, journalistique, dynamique.
J’ai aimé aller au-delà des apparences à travers ce témoignage. Pour avoir visité le Japon, j’en avais, comme beaucoup, la vision idéalisée d’un pays se partageant entre modernité et tradition, où les rues sont sûres, propres, les gens pressés, la nourriture fabuleuse… Une sorte de mélange entre le carrefour de Shibuya et le calme zen d’un onsen. Même si l’on sait pertinemment que le côté sombre existe, on a tendance à l’oublier dans les rues de Tokyo, où l’insécurité que l’on peut rencontrer à Paris ou dans nos grandes villes occidentales n’existe pas en tant que telle. Il était donc intéressant d’approcher aussi un peu ce côté sombre à travers ce livre et de réaliser pleinement que malgré cet aspect lisse apparent il existe aussi des failles, des crimes sordides (à travers l’affaire Lucy Blackman par exemple), une gangrène financière présente à tous niveaux de la société jusqu’au sommet. Ce témoignage fut l’un de mes coups de cœur de ce premier semestre de lecture. Ce livre m’a tenu en haleine du début à la fin.
July 4, 2020
Journalist Jake Adelstein's Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan is a remarkable achievement on a number of fronts. Here you've got a guy who comes to Tokyo to study at Sophia University (in the early 90s), lands a job reporting in Japanese for the Yomiuri Shinbun, works round the clock to make connections and eke out information at police branches and on various strata of the underworld, and gets the stories out there in the face of media red tape and threats of reprisal to himself, family and friends.
Having lived in Tokyo for about as many years as Adelstein, I remember quite a few of the cases he covered. His book filled in plenty of blanks, and as disturbing as some of his experiences and possible lapses of judgement were, I have a lot of respect for what he's been able to accomplish. Surprised I haven't run into him over the years in one of Tokyo's seedier warrens, and I look forward to reading more of his work.
Having lived in Tokyo for about as many years as Adelstein, I remember quite a few of the cases he covered. His book filled in plenty of blanks, and as disturbing as some of his experiences and possible lapses of judgement were, I have a lot of respect for what he's been able to accomplish. Surprised I haven't run into him over the years in one of Tokyo's seedier warrens, and I look forward to reading more of his work.
November 29, 2012
Jake Adelstein, like his book, is unconventional, entertaining, intelligent and flawed. A Jewish American who acquired Japanese language skills sufficient to be recruited as the first foreigner ever to work for Japan’s top selling newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun (not to be confused with its English offshoot, the Daily Yomiuri), "Tokyo Vice" is the tale of Adelstein's unique experiences, including his near fatal run-in with one of Japan’s major crime bosses and his admirable exposure of an important scandal.
This true story starts off with a frightening encounter with a member of the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza, who threatens Adelstein’s life. From this dramatic opening we return to Adelstein’s early years on the Yomiuri crime beat, which while interesting for the sheer novelty of its gaijin take on the world of Japanese newspaper reporting and routine police work, lacks the drama of the second half of the book. For it is from around the half-way point that this until then merely adequate book takes off, as Adelstein stumbles across information suggesting that a Yakuza kingpin was granted a US visa by the FBI so that he could buy his way to the top of the liver transplant queue at UCLA hospital.
Is this book written or structured to the very highest standards? Perhaps not. Would we all have made the same judgements as Adelstein? Unlikely, since most of us are both less obsessive and less brave than he. But this is a fascinating story that disabuses those like me who previously saw the Yakuza as a joke mafia, and also touches on the deeper scandal of the tolerance and even support they receive from parts of the Japanese establishment. An important, informative and at times thrilling book.
This true story starts off with a frightening encounter with a member of the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza, who threatens Adelstein’s life. From this dramatic opening we return to Adelstein’s early years on the Yomiuri crime beat, which while interesting for the sheer novelty of its gaijin take on the world of Japanese newspaper reporting and routine police work, lacks the drama of the second half of the book. For it is from around the half-way point that this until then merely adequate book takes off, as Adelstein stumbles across information suggesting that a Yakuza kingpin was granted a US visa by the FBI so that he could buy his way to the top of the liver transplant queue at UCLA hospital.
Is this book written or structured to the very highest standards? Perhaps not. Would we all have made the same judgements as Adelstein? Unlikely, since most of us are both less obsessive and less brave than he. But this is a fascinating story that disabuses those like me who previously saw the Yakuza as a joke mafia, and also touches on the deeper scandal of the tolerance and even support they receive from parts of the Japanese establishment. An important, informative and at times thrilling book.
August 27, 2016
Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.
Jake Adelstein, an American graduate of Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan wanted to become a journalist for one of Japan's biggest newspapers, the Yomiuri Shinbun. Turns out, getting in was the easy part.
In this book, Adelstein tells his experiences working the police beat in Japan, lifting the veil on Japan's supposedly peaceful, orderly society. It is a society with a manual for almost anything, including suicide; where prostitution is supposedly illegal, but one can find shops that offer blowjobs and handjobs (and sex on the sly, of course.)
And of course, the Yakuza. Adelstein narrates in fascinating prose the complicated love-hate relationship that Japanese society has with the Yakuza, an organization with many "families" and is embedded in many facets of Japanese life: politics, business, even the media; but also a sinister group that exploits people and rakes in lots of money from human suffering.
One thing I also learned is that the news media race against each other for scoops (nothing new there), and that the news industry, especially the crime beat, is like the intel business: You protect your sources.
Funny, sometimes boastful, sometimes self-deprecating, always ballsy, Tokyo Vice is not your usual read. But then again, an American writer for a Japanese newspaper is not so usual, either.
Jake Adelstein, an American graduate of Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan wanted to become a journalist for one of Japan's biggest newspapers, the Yomiuri Shinbun. Turns out, getting in was the easy part.
In this book, Adelstein tells his experiences working the police beat in Japan, lifting the veil on Japan's supposedly peaceful, orderly society. It is a society with a manual for almost anything, including suicide; where prostitution is supposedly illegal, but one can find shops that offer blowjobs and handjobs (and sex on the sly, of course.)
And of course, the Yakuza. Adelstein narrates in fascinating prose the complicated love-hate relationship that Japanese society has with the Yakuza, an organization with many "families" and is embedded in many facets of Japanese life: politics, business, even the media; but also a sinister group that exploits people and rakes in lots of money from human suffering.
One thing I also learned is that the news media race against each other for scoops (nothing new there), and that the news industry, especially the crime beat, is like the intel business: You protect your sources.
Funny, sometimes boastful, sometimes self-deprecating, always ballsy, Tokyo Vice is not your usual read. But then again, an American writer for a Japanese newspaper is not so usual, either.
December 9, 2011
Japan today is a lot different from what the author portrays it as. The areas of Roppongi and Kabukicho have been cleaned up under Ishihara years ago, no longer filled with seediness and sleeze, although you can still find it if you look hard enough. It is much like the transition New York City went through.
It's difficult to understand the transformation of Tokyo when reading this book as I don't think Adelstein points to it enough. He should have, because it lends even more authenticity to his reporting and would serve as a great contrast, because the stories he tells, especially when on the vice beat are amazing.
Adelstein is an interesting guy and he knows it. I could do without some of his bravado, because his feat of breaking through Japanese norm is impressive enough - I don't need to know that your long fingers help you with certain sexual acts, it's irrelevant.
Tokyo has the most interesting history, with its meaning and identity - both physical and mental - changing every decade. This book is an easy and eye-opening read about one of its seedier identities.
It's difficult to understand the transformation of Tokyo when reading this book as I don't think Adelstein points to it enough. He should have, because it lends even more authenticity to his reporting and would serve as a great contrast, because the stories he tells, especially when on the vice beat are amazing.
Adelstein is an interesting guy and he knows it. I could do without some of his bravado, because his feat of breaking through Japanese norm is impressive enough - I don't need to know that your long fingers help you with certain sexual acts, it's irrelevant.
Tokyo has the most interesting history, with its meaning and identity - both physical and mental - changing every decade. This book is an easy and eye-opening read about one of its seedier identities.
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