Review
As interesting as reading good books are, the journey to find said books, and the after-effects they have on our lives, are strangely, yet wonderfully written in our larger individual stories. Why do I bring this up, you may be asking? Well, arriving at both of these titles by the former reporter, Jake Adelstein didn't come about in such a straightforward manner, but then again, some of the best things never do.
However, I will avoid boring readers with a long drawn-out story, and simply jump to my thoughts concerning these two titles. The first serves as a semi-autobiographical piece in which Mr. Adelstein reports, or let's rather say, reminisces, on a rather unique and remarkable career working as a reporter in Japan. Moving to the land of the rising sun for studies, Jake would fully immerse himself within the culture, become well versed in both the reading and speaking of Japanese, and use this to take part in the arduous process of securing a job within the country. A remarkable feat that stands to this day, if I'm not mistaken, or at least as far as the world of investigative journalism is concerned.
Jake's story is one of proving himself within his profession and working his way up the ranks towards being a highly respected reporter. His exciting account details the process of building relationships with sources, the forging of relationships with colleagues, and the overall gentle descent into Japan's murky underworld, an underworld littered with sex, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and gangsterism, with the order varying to greater or lesser degrees.
I found Tokyo Vice to be a thrilling read; the exciting stories of crime scenes, love hotels, and host clubs painted such a surreal picture that I would forget that I was reading a work of non-fiction. While Jake presents himself as the typical, loud-mouthed, know-it-all American whose head swells with the additional mastery of a foreign language, his story is nonetheless an inspiring one that acts both as a cautionary tale to the dangerous sacrifices that investigative journalism often demands as well as a tale of incredible courage in standing face to face with injustices within his newly adopted home.
As a person who followed a slightly similar trajectory as Jake, albeit in China, and subtracting gangsters and brothels, I felt particularly connected and inspired by his story, not to mention his ability to adapt, for the most part, to the host nation's customs and norms, a process that made it possible to directly challenge the problems in his immediate environment with all it's cultural nuances.
As to the second book, The Last Yakuza, which serves as more of a spin-off than a sequel, Jake picks up from the tail end of his first book and forges ahead with a story that simultaneously acts as a promise, a promise made to a former Yakuza who agreed to be Jake's bodyguard on the condition that Jake would write his biography, warts and all. Saigo's story of his entry into the Yakuza is no less interesting and is littered with colorful characters and occurrences that will make your draw drop. A delinquent who found his talents better suited for the world of crime, Saigo was nonetheless exposed to members of the organization who situated themselves as exemplars of the more honorable characteristics of the Yakuza, said exemplars believed in honoring a code that separated their members from the riff-raff, common thugs and pickpockets that walked the streets of Tokyo and its neighboring areas. Exemplars who believed that the organization had an obligation to serve the community, or at the very least never harm said community in any way shape, or form.
Of course, one must be careful not to glamourize the yakuza in any way, which is something Jake laid down as a condition regarding his deal with Saigo, and it is with this in mind that Jake forged ahead with another remarkable story on the complexity that a life of crime brings about, manifested with exciting and hard to believe tails of intimidation, finger chopping, ceremony, and sabotage.
Like or dislike him, Jake's works make for exciting reading as he gives a privileged glimpse into a world that he unlocked with his dogged determination and desire. He writes with an honesty that doesn't only intrigue and titillate with the juicy tidbits that make up the world of the reporter but speaks openly on the toll that such a life takes on a person's soul and the impact it has on one's family and friends, the pursuit of good stories often desensitizing one to the horrors of this world and exposing loved ones to the aftermath of our actions. Yet, there's a hopeful tone to Jake's storytelling that reminds us all of the possibility for redemption, and that our platforms may each present opportunities to do good from and with. Give these two a read, and let me know what you think :).