Fox News reveals Tokyo Music Hall “Shibuya Eggman” is really a secret nuclear reactor! (NOT)

Just when you feel like there’s no hope left in the world, and the constant barrage of negative news about the earthquake in Japan and the looming radioactive death storm is getting you down, at least we can count on FOX News to lift our spirits. In a map of nuclear reactors in Japan, they [...]

Event: Yakuza fiction vs fact at the New York Japan Society

For those in the New York area, Jake Adelstein will be appearing at the Japan Society’s event, “Yakuza in Popular Media & Real Life: Cracks & Chasms”, on March 10 at 6:30pm. From popular films to games and comic books, yakuza culture has been portrayed and discussed in many media. Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice–one of [...]

The high price of writing about the yakuza–and those who pay. 猪狩先生を弔う日々

By Jake Adelstein “In life, we only encounter the injustices we were meant to correct.” Igari Toshiro, ex-prosecutor, leading lawyer in the anti-organized crime movement in Japan. 1949-2010. Igari Toshiro, was my lawyer, my mentor, and my friend. In the sixteen years I’ve been covering organized crime in Japan, I’ve never met anyone more courageous [...]

“Mister Vice Guy” (if you can guess who that is) interviewed in Australian Penthouse

In one of his classiest interviews yet, Jake lets loose in Australian Penthouse magazine to inquiries on regrets, working as a hostess, sumo, and just how hard it was to get those guys to review Yakuza 3. Read “Touring the Tokyo Underworld“ WARNING: To be expected from Penthouse magazine, but ads on the page are [...]

Upcoming Event: Polaris Project seminar

Jake will be giving a talk about the law-enforcement side of fighting human trafficking at Polaris Project’s monthly seminar series, “You Know Human Trafficking?” Date: Saturday, September 25 from 7-9pm Location: JICA Chikyu Hiroba Seminar Room 301 (Map) (One-minute walk from Exit 3, Hiroo Station, Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line) Admission: 1,000 yen, 500 yen for [...]