Comments on: Tokyo Vice: Interview with Jake Adelstein http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/ All the intriguing and seedy aspects that keep Japan running. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:12:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Japan quake shows again why the internet is awesome « The Zettabyte Chronicles http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-5700 Japan quake shows again why the internet is awesome « The Zettabyte Chronicles Tue, 23 Aug 2011 07:32:36 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-5700 [...] bespoke piece, as did Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on The Police Beat in Japan, and Eisler, a bestselling American thriller [...] [...] bespoke piece, as did Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on The Police Beat in Japan, and Eisler, a bestselling American thriller [...]

]]> By: Jake Adelstein http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-5492 Jake Adelstein Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:43:29 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-5492 Leo, Thank for you taking the time to write in and the good wishes. I have a second book in the works and if I'm lucky in between I'm finish a short piece on the Tokyo Electric Power Company and how the firm and collusive relationships with the Japanese regulatory bodies and media allowed an incredibly tragic nuclear accident which continues to spew radiation all over the country. I think someday, I may write a sort of sequel to Tokyo Vice but that will take a long, long time. The next book isn't about me at all. If I'm in there at all, I'm just a minor character. Leo,
Thank for you taking the time to write in and the good wishes. I have a second book in the works and if I’m lucky in between I’m finish a short piece on the Tokyo Electric Power Company and how the firm and collusive relationships with the Japanese regulatory bodies and media allowed an incredibly tragic nuclear accident which continues to spew radiation all over the country.

I think someday, I may write a sort of sequel to Tokyo Vice but that will take a long, long time. The next book isn’t about me at all. If I’m in there at all, I’m just a minor character.

]]> By: Leo http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-5491 Leo Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:18:09 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-5491 Thank you Mr. Adelstein. I read it, loved it, was moved by it, angered and infuriated by it, impressed with it, and wish you all the best in your future work. The first thing I told my girlfriend after reading it was "This was amazing, but I kinda don't think he'll ever write a book again..." Thoughts? peep the review, on my blog no one reads. (I'm not mad about it) Thank you Mr. Adelstein. I read it, loved it, was moved by it, angered and infuriated by it, impressed with it, and wish you all the best in your future work.

The first thing I told my girlfriend after reading it was “This was amazing, but I kinda don’t think he’ll ever write a book again…” Thoughts?

peep the review, on my blog no one reads. (I’m not mad about it)

]]> By: Jake Adelstein http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-5417 Jake Adelstein Fri, 15 Jul 2011 22:21:40 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-5417 Courtney, Thank you for going to the trouble of picking up the book. International human trafficking is a huge problem and it involves more than just the sex trade. Sarah Noorbakhsh published a very good feature on this blog about the use of the "intern" system in Japan to exploit foreign laborers, sometimes at the cost of their lives on the job. The Polaris Project and the Polaris Project Japan are two organizations doing important work in combatting human trafficking. Sometimes, we have our successes. Good luck with law school. I turned down a chance to go to a very prestigious law school to do the US State Department sponsored human trafficking study in 2006-2007. Sometimes, I wonder, what my life would have been like if I had made a different choice. I think I made the right one, in the end. Courtney,
Thank you for going to the trouble of picking up the book. International human trafficking is a huge problem and it involves more than just the sex trade. Sarah Noorbakhsh published a very good feature on this blog about the use of the “intern” system in Japan to exploit foreign laborers, sometimes at the cost of their lives on the job. The Polaris Project and the Polaris Project Japan are two organizations doing important work in combatting human trafficking. Sometimes, we have our successes.
Good luck with law school. I turned down a chance to go to a very prestigious law school to do the US State Department sponsored human trafficking study in 2006-2007. Sometimes, I wonder, what my life would have been like if I had made a different choice. I think I made the right one, in the end.

]]> By: Courtney http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-5414 Courtney Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:40:25 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-5414 Dear Mr. Adelstein, I just finished your book and it was gripping and very well-written. It was difficult to put down. I found it through an interview you gave on an anime podcast and am so glad to have picked it up. It was a good reminder for me that anime really doesn't expose you to that many facets of Japanese culture and society! I am currently a law student in the United States. Your book has sparked my interest in learning more about international anti-trafficking law. Thank you for exposing these realities; I know that it has come at some cost to you. I am anxiously awaiting your next project. Dear Mr. Adelstein,

I just finished your book and it was gripping and very well-written. It was difficult to put down. I found it through an interview you gave on an anime podcast and am so glad to have picked it up. It was a good reminder for me that anime really doesn’t expose you to that many facets of Japanese culture and society!

I am currently a law student in the United States. Your book has sparked my interest in learning more about international anti-trafficking law. Thank you for exposing these realities; I know that it has come at some cost to you. I am anxiously awaiting your next project.

]]> By: Japan quake shows again why the internet is awesome | Social Media NZ http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-4852 Japan quake shows again why the internet is awesome | Social Media NZ Wed, 20 Apr 2011 01:55:02 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-4852 [...] a bespoke piece, as did Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on The Police Beat in Japan, and Eisler, a bestselling American thriller [...] [...] a bespoke piece, as did Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on The Police Beat in Japan, and Eisler, a bestselling American thriller [...]

]]> By: Jake Adelstein http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-4299 Jake Adelstein Sun, 20 Mar 2011 13:35:59 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-4299 Mikee-san Thank you for the heart-felt letter. I'm glad that you took away some lessons from the book. It represent most of what I've learned in my life. I was thinking about Hamaya-san today. I read an article that said The National Police Agency was setting a goal for itself to boost the number of female officers to 10 percent of the police workforce by 2020. Currently female cops are about 6% of the total. That's an abysmally low number. I like Japan very much but it's still a very sexist society and very hard for people like Hamaya-san to stay in the workforce and prosper. I know two female detectives in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and they've had to really struggle to make detective and put up with a lot in the process. Japan is changing. I think the addition of more female police officers and detectives would have a very positive impact on what the police are doing and especially how they handles crimes against women. I love my job. I'm very happy being an investigative journalist. This saying in attributed to Confucius, but since I can't read Chinese, I don't know if he really said it, but I like it very much anyway: FInd a job that you love and you will never "work" again. :D Mikee-san
Thank you for the heart-felt letter. I’m glad that you took away some lessons from the book. It represent most of what I’ve learned in my life. I was thinking about Hamaya-san today. I read an article that said The National Police Agency was setting a goal for itself to boost the number of female officers to 10 percent of the police workforce by 2020. Currently female cops are about 6% of the total. That’s an abysmally low number. I like Japan very much but it’s still a very sexist society and very hard for people like Hamaya-san to stay in the workforce and prosper. I know two female detectives in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and they’ve had to really struggle to make detective and put up with a lot in the process. Japan is changing. I think the addition of more female police officers and detectives would have a very positive impact on what the police are doing and especially how they handles crimes against women.

I love my job. I’m very happy being an investigative journalist. This saying in attributed to Confucius, but since I can’t read Chinese, I don’t know if he really said it, but I like it very much anyway:
FInd a job that you love and you will never “work” again. :D

]]> By: Mikee http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-4289 Mikee Sun, 20 Mar 2011 04:18:31 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-4289 Hi Jake, I want to to thank you for the great book and lessons you've written in Tokyo Vice. Although I'm not a Reporter like you (I'm a software developer) the 3 biggest lessons I'll remember from this book are: 1) To love what you do. With a passion. Almost obsessively. 2) Have balance in your life - between work, family, friends, partying, drinking, etc. too much of one (or many) thing(s) is bad for you. 3) Be kind to others and don't prejudge them. As w/ Helena, I can see people's prejudices against her bc of being a prostitute. But you were there, a good friend to her, and didn't judge her by what she did for a living, but her values and where her heart was. Same could be said of the "last of the yakuza." The most moving chapter of your book was Evening Flowers...I teared up (while cutting onions at the same time) to see Hamaya's dreams crushed, bc she had the integrity to stand up for what she believed in. I couldn't put this book down, esp since I've been to Japan a few times and know the areas you were reporting in (Shinjuku - Kabukicho, Roppongi, Odaiba [for Sekiguchi's treatment], etc.). And w/ the earthquake and tsunami that just occurred, it made it an even greater connection to Japan. おおきに Hi Jake,

I want to to thank you for the great book and lessons you’ve written in Tokyo Vice. Although I’m not a Reporter like you (I’m a software developer) the 3 biggest lessons I’ll remember from this book are:

1) To love what you do. With a passion. Almost obsessively.
2) Have balance in your life – between work, family, friends, partying, drinking, etc. too much of one (or many) thing(s) is bad for you.
3) Be kind to others and don’t prejudge them. As w/ Helena, I can see people’s prejudices against her bc of being a prostitute. But you were there, a good friend to her, and didn’t judge her by what she did for a living, but her values and where her heart was. Same could be said of the “last of the yakuza.”

The most moving chapter of your book was Evening Flowers…I teared up (while cutting onions at the same time) to see Hamaya’s dreams crushed, bc she had the integrity to stand up for what she believed in.

I couldn’t put this book down, esp since I’ve been to Japan a few times and know the areas you were reporting in (Shinjuku – Kabukicho, Roppongi, Odaiba [for Sekiguchi's treatment], etc.). And w/ the earthquake and tsunami that just occurred, it made it an even greater connection to Japan.

おおきに

]]> By: Jake Adelstein http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-4080 Jake Adelstein Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:23:25 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-4080 Thank you for the posting. You've done your homework and the more I read about post NewsCorp NGT, the more i'm horrified. I wish someone would revise the monopoly laws to break up media conglomerates. Thank you for the posting. You’ve done your homework and the more I read about post NewsCorp NGT, the more i’m horrified. I wish someone would revise the monopoly laws to break up media conglomerates.

]]> By: Yakuza Are People, Too – A Cautionary Tale - #Crasstalk http://www.japansubculture.com/2009/09/322/comment-page-2/#comment-4077 Yakuza Are People, Too – A Cautionary Tale - #Crasstalk Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:01:16 +0000 http://www.japansubculture.com/?p=322#comment-4077 [...] Jake Adelstein is another in the long line of journalists doing their job no matter what the consequences are. [...] [...] Jake Adelstein is another in the long line of journalists doing their job no matter what the consequences are. [...]

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