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  • Tokyo Vice

  • An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
  • By: Jake Adelstein
  • Narrated by: Jake Adelstein
  • Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (221 ratings)

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Tokyo Vice

By: Jake Adelstein
Narrated by: Jake Adelstein
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Summary

From the only American journalist ever to have been admitted to the insular Tokyo Metropolitan Police press club: a unique, firsthand, revelatory look at Japanese culture from the underbelly up.

At nineteen, Jake Adelstein went to Japan in search of peace and tranquility. What he got was a life of crime . . . crime reporting, that is, at the prestigious Yomiuri Shinbun. For twelve years of eighty-hour workweeks, he covered the seedy side of Japan, where extortion, murder, human trafficking, and corruption are as familiar as ramen noodles and sake. But when his final scoop brought him face to face with Japan’s most infamous yakuza boss—and the threat of death for him and his family—Adelstein decided to step down . . . momentarily. Then, he fought back.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, and an education, from first to last.

©2009 Jake Adelstein (P)2009 Random House
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Critic reviews

“Groundbreaking reporting on the yakuza. . . . Adelstein shares juicy, salty, and occasionally funny anecdotes, but many are frightening. . . . Adelstein doesn’t lack for self-confidence . . . but beneath the bravado are a big heart and a relentless drive for justice.”--The Boston Globe

“Gripping. . . . [Adelstein’s] vividly detailed account of investigations into the shadowy side of Japan shows him to be more enterprising, determined and crazy than most. . . . In some of the freshest pages of the book, our unlikely hero tells us about his initiation into the seamy, tough-guy Japan beneath the public courtesies,. . . . Adelstein builds his stories with as much surprise and grit as any Al Pacino or Mark Wahlberg movie, blurring the lines between the cops, the crooks and even the journalists. . . . Tokyo Vice is often so snappy and quotable that it sounds as if it were a treatment for a Scorsese movie set in Queens. Yet the facts beneath the noirish lines are assembled with what looks to be ferocious diligence and resourcefulness. For even as he is getting slapped around by thugs and placed under police protection, Adelstein never loses his gift for crisp storytelling and an unexpectedly earnest eagerness to try to rescue the damned.”—Pico Iyer, Time

"A journalist's memoir unlike any I've ever read."--Dave Davies, Fresh Air

What listeners say about Tokyo Vice

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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic book, well worth a credit

After visiting Japan I have been engrossed by there culture and and a need to find out more. This book goes into the darker side of crimes and how the police and newspapers work In Japan. A most enjoyable listen. I would highly recommend it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Very interesting view on the true Yakuza

Great story, many other reviews lament the lack of 'excitement of the narrator' although it's narrated by the author which gives it a more authentic feel. Very interesting to see the view of Yakuza without the romanticism and through the eyes of a foreigner. fantastic listen, highly recommended.

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The Narrator isn't as bad as other reviews say

Great story, with a chilling and emotional ending. The Narrator is actually quite good once you settle in. In fact, he is perfect for telling this story, you can really feel his emotion as recalls events, some of which seemed difficult for him to revisit.

It's a fascinating look into the Japanese subculture you might not otherwise know. I came across this book after being wowed by the trailer for the HBO Max series of the same name and I'm very glad I did. It's fascinating, chilling, graphic and at times very tense. It gripped me from the beginning and hooked me all the way to depressing end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great Book

A captivating yet brutal story of being a foreign reporter in Japan. I loved it, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who is sensitive about certain topics such as violence, sex and combinations of those two activities. If even half of this story is true Jake has lived quite the life.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Not for the feingt of heart.

Interesting, detailed and ultimately terrifying. Heart wrenching for the author to write and read. It will stay with you for a while after completion.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Thanks Jake

Jakes experience is a riveting story. I can’t recommend listening to this enough, Jake narrating the book seems to give it an even more personal feel. I felt his emotions when describing some of the grim parts. Thanks Jake.

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The price of justice is high

A grim, visceral, frightening descent into the Japanese Criminal underworld. A book that illustrates the price for justice can sometimes be extremely high and is frequently paid in dead bodies.

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Authentic Journalist

The narrator style which some reviewers have a problem with adds to the authenticity and visceral enjoyment of the piece.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Eye opening story on Japanese life

I bought this audiobook after finishing season 1 of Tokyo Vice and needing more. This book did not disappoint. I am grateful for the insight into fascinating Japanese culture. The Amazon Top 10 of books Jake Adelstein lists was very revealing and more than a little sad. I happily devoured it all.

There has been some criticism on the way the book is narrated by Adelstein himself. Whilst I appreciate what has been said (the author comes across as a native born Japanese speaking English to a good level, but missing some of the tonal subtleties that would emphasise a sentence’s meaning), the way Adelstein speaks drew me further into the story.

I would recommend this book simply as a Western view on Japanese life and culture. Wonderful!

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Fascinating

Incredibly well read and researched piece on the criminal underworld of Japan at the turn of the millennium.

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