By Jake Adelstein
Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Translation quality: N/A
Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My recommendation: No one is more qualified than the first foreign reporter to work the crime beat at a major Japanese newspaper when it comes to giving us a peek into the shady underworld of the legendary Japanese gangs known as yakuza. This book picks up where Tokyo Vice left off, and dishes up even more insight into this fascinating Japanese subculture.
Jake Adelstein is the most legendary journalist to ever write about Japan, because he broke through the barriers against foreigners in three of the most exclusive Japanese subcultures: newspapermen, criminals and cops.
The Last Yakuza picks up and dives deep where Tokyo Vice left off, and Jake Adelstein hasn’t lost a bit of his talent for shocking, amazing, and speaking from harrowing personal experience about people most of us would prefer not to meet in a dark alley.
This story of one man’s descent into the underworld is based on the life of a mob boss who slipped into gangsterhood early in life and served as Adelstein’s bodyguard after he reported on a yakuza kingpin who broke the rules of both civilized society and the organization he led. This isn’t a biography—it’s more a portrait of a gangster’s life, rounded out with details from more than one source to give 360-degree insights into the pressures of Japanese culture and this very particular hidden society. The side quests that shed light on the main character’s life are as gripping as the narrative, offering well-researched insights into everything from gangster tattoos to human kamikaze torpedoes.
Few foreigners have personal ties with Japanese organized crime figures or Japanese police because they are notoriously closed to outsiders. Adelstein is not only on speaking terms with both, he has lived in Japan long enough to accurately depict the forces that draw someone into a life they never sought and explain what insults, betrayal and loyalty look like in a culture that outsiders can only glimpse through the skewed lenses of movies and urban legend.
Highly recommended as both a page turner and food for thought.
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
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