Author Archives: Jake Adelstein
The Invisible Yakuza And Those That See Them
Maybe it seems like we glorify the yakuza on this website, and perhaps we do a little. But they are called 暴力団 (boryoku-dan –violent groups) by the police for a reason–violence is the source of their power and wealth and they do not hesitate to use it. The following letter was sent from Sam P, [...]
Posted in Dark Side of the Sun, Yakuza 8 Comments
The joys of having people wanting to kill you and other thoughts: ABC interview (Australia)
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on The Police Beat In Japan was released in Australia this month with a wonderfully bizarre cover–dead fish in an icebox. The title was also changed from An American Reporter to A Western Reporter On The Police Beat In Japan. I imagine the Hebrew edition, if it comes out in [...]
Posted in Tokyo Vice 12 Comments
We take bullets very seriously. Even the fake ones. Part 1.
A few weeks ago, I had to go apologize to a yakuza boss. Always a scary thing, especially when you’re in the wrong.
He had agreed to help out with a story I was working on, and through some mishaps he ended up getting chewed out by his own boss because of it. I flew back [...]
Posted in Dark Side of the Sun, Yakuza 4 Comments
24-Hour Tokyo: Tokyo Government To Run Subway Line All Night?!! Scoop!
There is serious talk in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government of running the city managed subway systems Toei Chikatetsu（都営地下鉄) 24 hours a day when Haneda Airport opens to more international flights later this year. You might think of Tokyo as the city that never sleeps but in fact all public transportation stops around 1 am. [...]
The Otaku Sex Industry: sometimes, the real thing is better?