Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan

Funny and gritty look at the Japanese underworld from an American (yet insider) perspective.

A fascinating look at the professional life of an american reporter in Tokyo. This book deals in depth with the Japanese mafia who are known as Yakuza. I became fascinated with this subculture years ago when I became a fan of the films of Juzo Itami (Tampopo etc.) where Yakuza were prominently featured. The side of Japanese society that this book deals with is not for the squeamish or faint of...more

A fascinating look at the professional life of an american reporter in Tokyo. This book deals in depth with the Japanese mafia who are known as Yakuza. I became fascinated with this subculture years ago when I became a fan of the films of Juzo Itami (Tampopo etc.) where Yakuza were prominently featured. The side of Japanese society that this book deals with is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. The hard hitting descriptions of the author's experiences in investigating human trafficking and prostitution in Japan are well written and gripping.   hide

A little frustrating. Great material. Great insight into a totally different society and penal/judicial system. Horrible writer. His Japanese colleagues continually told him what a terrible writer he is and I agree. Only Adelstein could make a salacious sex industry and BJs boring. It could have been and should have been a great book but the dry writing style made it merely mediocre.

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...more

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, culiminating in the exposure of Japan's complicit relationship with human trafficking.   hide

Fascinating account of the author's turn as a crime reporter for a Japanese newspaper.

one of the best books i have ever read on the tokyo underworld.

A great yarn that lacks verisimilitude.