Table of Content

  1. The book’s plot
  2. Why I liked this book
  3. Conclusion

1. Option Creation and Pricing

Prologue

‘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’

In 1993, at just 24 years of age, Jake Adelstein, a young Jewish man from Missouri, joined Japan’s largest daily newspaper the Yomiuri Shinbun 読売新聞.

There are books that grab you, that you can’t let go. Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein was one of them for me. And yet I don’t like crime or thrillers…

1. The book’s plot

The book is a successful blend of journalistic investigation, autobiography and detective story. You’ll follow Jake’s evolution through the world of the press, the yakuza and the police. The author’s various investigations help us to better appreciate and understand little-known parts of Japanese culture. (The book has been adapted into a series by Netflix).

Through Jake’s eyes, his achievements and failures, you’ll discover how Vice was organized in Tokyo in the late 90s.

Why I liked this book ?

1. Have you said polite?

If you think the Japanese are extremely polite, peaceful people. Then this nightlife outing in the Kabukicho district will set you straight.

Even if the world of nightlife and the Yakuza isn’t representative, it will help you to revisit traditional, clichéd views of Japan and its culture.

2. The world of the Yakuza revealed

The Yakuza are a Japanese criminal organization, known for their illegal activities such as gambling, drug trafficking and extortion. They follow a code of honor, emphasizing loyalty and courage, but their activities are often associated with violence.

Structured into clans headed by an “oyabun” 親分 (clan leader), the Yakuzas have been an influential force in Japan, although the authorities have sought to suppress their criminal activities.

3. Unique testimonial

The author’s personality, as well as his Western origins, will probably make this approach and testimony unique on organized crime and nightlife in Tokyo’s sensitive neighborhoods.

Conclusion

Tokyo Vice, like all great books, will gut-wrench you. I loved reading Jake Adelstein’s depiction of Japanese culture shock. He lets us glimpse facets of Japan that escape the Western eye.